For me, the perfect taco is simple: a good tortilla + seasoned protein + simple slaw + avocado + sauce + cheese + salsa or pickled things. For this taco we’re using the classic steak and chimichurri sauce combination and it is to die for. We’re cooking the steak really simply – seasoned with salt and pepper and pan seared for that delicious brown crust. A yogurt slaw adds a tangy crunch and creamy avocado rounds it all out. We’re making a classic chimichurri but adding in pumpkin seeds to make it thick and creamy. Top it off with salty feta cheese and punchy pickled onions. It’s basically the perfect taco!
Ingredient highlight
Beef! Is an extremely nutrient-dense meat with lots of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium to name a few. Try to buy grass-fed organic (and local if that’s an option) beef when possible.
This is a great article to help you understand what to look for when buying grass-fed beef.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 6 minutes Ingredients
For the steak and tacos:
- 1 lb skirt steak*
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- Pickled red onions, for topping (optional)
- Crumbled feta cheese, for topping
- Toasted pumpkin seeds, for topping (optional)
- Chopped herbs, for topping (optional)
For the chimichurri:
- 2 cups loosely packed mixed herbs (parsley, mint, and/or cilantro)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup toasted (or sprouted) pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
For the slaw:
- ¼ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (or other raw crunchy veg)
- *Any cut of steak would work – flank or skirt work best for tacos. You could use any protein here (see subs).
- *You could also grill the steak instead of cooking in a skillet – up to you!
Instructions
For the chimichurri:
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the chimichurri ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
- For the slaw:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, and salt. Add the cabbage and toss to coat.
For the steak:
- Cut the steak into 3 pieces. It’s best to let it sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes before cooking. Pat the meat dry, then season all over with salt and pepper. Right before you’re ready to cook it, pat it dry one more time (salt can draw out water), then drizzle each piece with olive oil to lightly coat and use your hands to rub it all over on both sides.
- Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over high or medium-high heat. Once the pan is very hot (the moment you start to see a little bit of smoke or a drop of water sizzles aggressively), add the steak pieces. Cook, undisturbed, for about 2-3 minutes or until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and repeat.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing (this is essential for juicy steak!). Slice against the grain as thinly as you can.
To assemble:
- Warm your tortillas on the stove or in a skillet. Place avocado slices on top and mash it into a thin layer. Top with steak slices and slaw. Drizzle chimichurri over top. Top with pickled onions (if using), and feta cheese.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Pickled red onions (optional)
- Make chimichurri
- Thinly slice 4 cups cabbage + make the slaw
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, you can pan-fry slabs of tofu until golden. Alternatively, you could use canned beans (just make sure to warm them up and season then with salt/pep).
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt or skip the yogurt all together and use 2 tablespoons vinegar.
- You can use any sliced (or even ground) protein in place of the steak (use chicken, pork, bison, or lamb). You could also use fish or shrimp. Just season it simply with salt and pepper – let the sauce do the rest!
- Easily skip the pumpkin seeds for a more traditional/less creamy chimichurri.
- Any veggies can be used for the slaw (carrot, radish, bell pepper, etc…)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container:
- Steak: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months
- Slaw: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Chimichurri: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Pickled red onions: up to 2 weeks in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover steak in the microwave until just warm or reheat in the skillet. Warm your tortillas. Assemble your tacos.
- Make it a steak + chimichurri taco bowl. Serve everything over rice (or any grain) or roasted potatoes. I prefer to chop up the steak into small pieces for bowls since it is a bit chewy.
- Stir leftover chimichurri into Greek yogurt for a delicious topper for bowls, etc…It’s really good on the Curried Lentils and Rice!
- Leftover chimichurri is delicious on everything – eggs, meat, roasted/grilled veg, grain bowls, tacos, etc…
