Grilled Chipotle Steak Tacos with Grilled Corn Salsa

By Greens & Chocolate

July 29, 2024

Make the most of the summer grilling season with this flavorful dinner recipe from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate.


While some people start thinking of autumn as soon as August hits, I like to think we are still in the thick of summer. It’s still hot. There are still weeks before school starts again. And no one has put their dock away for the year yet. So let’s just hold our horses on the pumpkin muffins/lattes/bars/whatever and just embrace the rest of this summer.


Of course, this means grilling all the things. I try to plan our meals around the grill during the summer months and this recipe is absolutely no different. Not only is the steak grilled, but so are some of the vegetables for the corn salsa. Winning!


The steak is super flavorful, as it is marinated in a mixture of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic, onion, lime juice and spices. The main flavor comes from the adobo sauce and gives a smoky and spicy kick. I’m always a little shy with the amount of chipotle adobo sauce that I use because my taste buds are as wimpy as they come, but I include a range in the recipe of how much to use. If you have ninja taste buds, add the full amount. If you’re not sure what you can handle, add two peppers to start off with and give it a little taste test.


To top off the tacos, I made a grilled corn salsa. I simply grilled a few ears of corn, a jalapeño and red onion, and chopped them up with some tomatoes and cilantro. I love the extra boost of flavor that grilling gives to the salsa, which we not only served on top of the tacos but alongside for chip dipping. You could stop there (because that’s all these tacos really need) or you could be extra fancy and drizzle the tacos with some sour cream or a dollop of guac.


This recipe makes enough tacos for about 4 people, but if you’re cooking for two (or two big humans and one and a half small humans like us) I’d highly recommend making the entire amount and then using the leftovers for steak nachos the next day. Just saying!


SERVINGS

4

PREP TIME

25 min

COOK TIME

20 min

Ingredients

  • 1
    pound flank steak
  • Flour tortillas
  • Optional toppings: sour cream, avocado, guacamole and queso fresco

For the marinade:

  • 2-3
    chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 1/4
    white onion
  • 2
    cloves garlic
  • 1
    teaspoon cumin
  • 1
    teaspoon salt
  • 2
    tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from 1 lime

For the salsa:

  • 4
    ears sweet corn
  • 1
    jalapeño
  • 1/2
    red onion
  • 2
    tablespoons olive oil
  • 1
    Roma tomato, diced
  • 1/4
    cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. 1

    Place all marinade ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until pureed.

  2. 2

    Place flank steak in a large Tupperware and spread marinade on both sides.

  3. 3

    Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight.

  4. 4

    Once marinated, heat the grill to medium-high.

  5. 5

    Brush sweet corn, jalapeño and red onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

  6. 6

    Place vegetables on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes. For the onion, place flat side down to begin with and then flip once to the curved side. Remove from the grill and let cool for about 10 minutes.

  7. 7

    Place steak on the grill and cook approximately 4-5 minutes on each side.

  8. 8

    Once cooked, let steak rest for 5 minutes, allowing the juices to settle into the meat.

  9. 9

    Once the vegetables are cool, cut the kernels off the cobs, dice the jalapeño (removing the stem and seeds) and dice the onion.

  10. 10

    Combine vegetables in a medium bowl with diced tomato, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

  11. 11

    Slice the steak against the grain into thin slices.

  12. 12

    Assemble the tacos by filling with a few slices of the steak and top with corn salsa. Serve and enjoy!

Note: For the timing of cooking the vegetables and steak, I prefer to grill the vegetables first and let them cool. While they are cooling, grill the steak. While the steak is resting, chop the vegetables for the salsa. Then you can slice the steak and serve! I also like to throw my tortillas on the grill for a minute on each side to warm them up and give them a little char.

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