Custrd is out now on the App Store and Google Play — Try it free for 7 days →
Back to recipes

Quick Bistec Tacos

Tender, seasoned beef cooked fast in a hot skillet and served in warm tortillas with lime and onion. Ready in under 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.

Total time
15 min
Servings
2
Calories
380
Protein
42g
Quick Bistec Tacos
casualquickmexicanbeeftenderjuicyMain courseweeknight

Ingredients

6 items — tap to check off

Missing one? Custrd suggests a swap that works.

Open the app

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Place the steak on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels to remove moisture, which helps it brown better.

  2. Step 2

    Slice the steak against the grain into strips about 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches long. Hold the knife at a slight angle as you cut, moving perpendicular to the lines running through the meat.

  3. Step 3

    Sprinkle 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp pepper evenly over all the beef strips, tossing gently with your hands to coat them.

  4. Step 4

    Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a 12-inch skillet and set it over medium-high heat for 90 seconds until the oil shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pan.

  5. Step 5

    Add the seasoned beef strips to the hot oil in a single layer — they should sizzle immediately. Do not stir for 2 minutes so they develop a golden-brown crust.

  6. Step 6

    Stir the beef once and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink inside when you cut into the thickest piece.

  7. Step 7

    Transfer the cooked beef to a clean plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind in the skillet.

  8. Step 8

    Place the tortillas directly over the residual heat in the skillet for 20 seconds on each side until they are warm and slightly charred, then stack them on a plate.

  9. Step 9

    Cut the lime into 2 wedges and cut the other half into thin slices to serve alongside the tacos.

  10. Step 10

    Divide the warm tortillas between two plates, top each with a portion of the beef, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the meat.

Tools you’ll need

  • cutting board
  • chef's knife
  • paper towels
  • 12-inch skillet
  • slotted spoon
  • measuring spoons

Cook smarter

Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge

Custrd is an iPhone and Android app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations. Try it free for 7 days.