Photo courtesy of La Tortilla Factory; Steak Tacos Recipe courtesy of The Beef Checkoff

Steak Tacos with Spicy Pico De Gallo Recipe

My husband loves beef. His idea of dinner is a steak as big as his plate and a green salad. But I’m always working at getting him to balance out his meals and to eat a wider variety of foods. I generally fail, but this is one dish I think he’ll love! That’s because it marries his two favorite things into one small bite. And because he doesn’t like spicy foods, I can make the Pico de gallo mild to satisfy his tastes.

I love that it includes handmade-style corn tortillas which have 14 grams of whole grain and only 90 calories per tortilla. I’ve tried the La Tortilla Factory corn tortillas and really enjoy them. They’re soft which my husband likes and corn which I prefer. I just don’t like flour tortillas; I’ve tried them every which way, but I’m a corn tortilla fan instead.

Steak Tacos

The beef in this recipe is lean so it should run around 150 calories for a 3oz serving. Granted, my very-fit husband doesn’t have to count calories, but I want to make sure that the protein he consumes provide minerals and vitamins without too much fat. It’s his arteries I’m looking out for, not his waistline.

Since I’m a vegetarian, I will be swapping out the beef for black beans (drained, canned beans would work beautifully) and I’ll add black beans to the hubby’s mini tacos for even more taste, texture, and nutrition as well. But I won’t scrimp on the lime. The fresh lime is essential in this recipe – it’ll add a freshness that bottled lime juice just can’t provide.

Steak Tacos with Spicy Pico De Gallo
Nutrition information per serving: 210 calories; 9 g fat; 14 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein.
Yield: 12
Ingredients
  • Beef Filling
  • 1-1⁄2 pds beef shoulder top blade (flat iron) steaks
  • Beef Marinade
  • 1⁄2 cup prepared Italian dressing
  • 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbls honey
  • 1-1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • Spicy Pico de Gallo
  • 1-1⁄2 cups chopped and seeded Roma tomatoes
  • 1⁄2 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbls minced jalapeño pepper (optional)
  • 1⁄4 cup hot picante sauce or salsa (optional)
  • 1 Tbls fresh lime juice
  • Additional Ingredients
  • 8 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 12 La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style Tortillas
Instructions
  1. Beef Filling & Marinade
  2. Cut beef steaks lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips; set aside.
  3. Combine marinade ingredients in me­dium bowl. Place beef and marinade in food-safe plastic bag. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
  4. Prepare Spicy Pico de Gallo - Combine tomato, onion, cilantro and jalapeño pepper in large bowl. Stir in picante sauce or salsa and lime juice. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to let flavors blend.
  5. Cooking
  6. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Heat pan over medium heat until hot. Add 1⁄2 of beef; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Repeat with remaining beef.
  7. To Serve
  8. Evenly divide beef strips over tortillas. Top with 1 tablespoon Spicy Pico de Gallo and 1 tablespoon cheese.

You can find more tips and rec­ipes at www.latortillafactory.com and www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Have you tried steak tacos? Are you a flour or corn tortilla person?