kelly's ambitious kitchen.

taking a foodie chance, one recipe at a time!

  • home.
  • recipe index.
  • about.
    • the kelly’s ambitious kitchen lowdown.
    • the icon lowdown.
  • sunday byte.
    • what is the sunday byte?
    • the archives.
  • kellys kraft korner.

chili-rubbed steak tacos

May 4, 2015 by kelly Leave a Comment

i love tacos.

love is a pretty strong word, let me convince you that i mean it.

chili spice rub so good on anything

remember when you were first asked by an all-knowing adult “if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?”

i can’t say i remember the first time, but i can guarantee it was delivered to a very sassy teenage version of myself. and my answer is: if the world’s last batch of tacos was at the bottom of that cliff, then yes. i would jump off a cliff too.

chili rubbed steak ready for the grill

people jump off cliffs in the name of love.

i love tacos.

i love tacos al pastor. i love beer-battered fish tacos. i love chicken tacos, shrimp tacos + potato tacos. how about steak tacos? in the wise words of the kool-aid man – “ooooh yeah!” steak tacos stand at the top of the winners podium for me.

steak taco ingredient shot

let’s build a mental taco, shall we? start with a spice-kissed protein, lay a winning salsa over the top, sprinkle with salty cheese + then give those ingredients a warm tortilla hug. what’s not to love? simply put, tacos are fiesta food. and i dont know about you, but i think life would be perfect if every day had a siesta followed by a fiesta! amiright?!

steak tacos with chili rub

this chili-rubbed steak taco recipe is no exception to the list of taco greats. the steak is smoky from the chili powder + sweet from the cinnamon. the queso fresco brings just the right amount of salt + just as things are gettin heated, the avocado-cucumber salsa comes in to cool things down. these ingredients just get each other + every bite you take will make you a believer.
if you haven’t made a recipe from kelly’s ambitious kitchen yet – this is the one you should start with! tomorrow is cinco de mayo so everyone + their aubuela will be on the taco train – join ‘em! i guarantee it’ll be love at first bite for you + this spice rub-salsa combo! then, cha-cha yourself over here + tell me all about it!


chili-rubbed steak tacos
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 1.5 lb top sirloin steak
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • 2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 cup queso fresco
  • ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 2 cups cucumber-avocado salsa
Instructions
  1. mix together chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, cinnamon + salt.
  2. rub the spice mixture over all sides of the sirloin.
  3. grill the sirloin to preferred doneness. {i recommend 4 minutes per side for medium rare on a 1-inch thick piece of steak}
  4. remove sirloin from heat to a cutting board, let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. thinly slice the sirloin
  6. warm corn tortillas either over the heat of the grill or in the microwave for softer results.
  7. build your tacos with suggested toppings + enjoy!
Notes
slightly adapted from food network's, ellie kreiger.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 tacos {without queso fresco + salsa} Calories: 357 Fat: 13 Saturated fat: 5 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 18 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 177 Fiber: 3 Protein: 40 Cholesterol: 112
3.2.2925


tiny lightbulb

the cast-iron skinny grill from le creuset has changed my life. serious talk here people. it’s perfect for grilling anything inside – steak included! if you don’t have a grill pan or access to an outdoor grill, you can use your oven’s broil setting to cook the steak up in this recipe.

swap

the spice rub here lends itself well to a variety of proteins – chicken thighs, tilapia + portobellos are all options i’ve tried + would 100% suggest!

rsz_1rsz_11rsz_get-the-facts-clipart-7540461

let’s dish out some fun cinco de mayo facts!

→ cinco de mayo is not mexico’s independence day! it actually celebrates an 1862 victory over the french where the mexican army was only equipped with 2,000 soldiers in comparison to the french army of 5,000! while the victory didn’t necessarily give much strategic value, it was a great moral victory for the country.

→ cinco de mayo is a bigger deal in the united states than in mexico. the largest celebration in the world happens to take place in los angeles – where more than 300,000 attendees are expected at their parade each year.

 → americans consume up to 81 million avocados on cinco de mayo. mind. blown.

drink

c’mon, you know the answer. grab yourself a frosty margarita or ice-cold corona for a blissful pairing.

these might tickle your fancy as well! ↓

{potato, poblano + chorizo tacos} (1 of 1)potato, poblano + chorizo tacos {weeknight chicken tacos} flavor packed tacos that are perfect for a busy night - made in under 30 minutes!shredded chicken tacos {roasted chickpea + cauliflower tacos with a lime crema} so tasty! so easy!_chickpea + cauliflower tacos with lime crema {chicken + ramen salad with a sweet chili dressing}rainbow ramen noodle salad with asian-chili dressing
« cucumber-avocado salsa
honey chipotle chicken salad »

Filed Under: taco Tagged With: entertaining, steak, taco

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe:  

hi! welcome!

i have tiny hands + tomatoes creep me out.

follow along as i take a foodie chance, one recipe at a time!
read more about me + my site! →

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

are you on facebook? me too!

are you on facebook? me too!

s u b s c r i b e!

stay in the loop! subscribe + you'll receive my new posts straight to your inbox!

e x p l o r e

10 minute meal 15 minute meal 20 minute meal 30 minute meal appetizer asian B A C O N basic beans breakfast brie brunch burger burrata cajun casserole chicken chipotle chorizo cocktail comfort food dressing egg entertaining fish foil pack fried fruit game day grill ham high-protein holiday italian jello shots K A L E low-calorie lunch marinade meatless mediterranean mexican one-skillet pasta pesto pizza pork quinoa salad salmon sandwich sausage shrimp side dish single serving slow cooker snack soup spanish steak summer sweet treat taco take-out fake-out thanksgiving turkey veggie power

i n s t a – l a t e l y | @kellymaurine

let’s connect!

join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
learn more →

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
{cajun crab croquettes} this cajun spin on a classic has crab, corn + bacon! they are fried for perfect crunch and topped with a lemon aioli!
{salted chocolate covered mandarins} featuring the ever-favorite sumo mandarin dipped in luscious chocolate + kissed with sea salt flakes!
{mason jar taco salad} layer a few of your favorite taco salad ingredients for a perfect lunch-on-the-go!
{zucchini lasagna bolognese} no pasta here! thin strips of zucchini are used in their place + topped with ricotta + spinach layered with a meaty homemade bolognese
{three meat chili} bison, veal + pork add amazing flavor to this classic chili base with fire roasted tomatoes + spices
{bacon-wrapped buffalo shrimp} this crowd pleaser is assembled + ready in under 30 minutes! perfect for #superbowl!

Copyright © 2016 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress