Ribeye Steak Tacos are the perfect meal for when you want to take an expensive cut, like ribeye steak, and stretch your dollar by turning them into the most incredible and indulgent tacos. Includes wine pairing.
This is moreover a unconfined recipe for any leftover prime rib.
If you’re a fan of tacos, then you know how versatile they can be. From traditional beef tacos to vegetarian corn tacos, there are uncounted possibilities when it comes to this succulent dish. However, if you’re looking for a new and heady twist on the archetype taco, then squint no remoter than ribeye steak tacos. These tacos are perfect for anyone who loves the rich, juicy savor of ribeye steak and wants to enjoy it in a fun and flavorful way.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Ribeye Steak Tacos Ingredients
The key to making wondrous ribeye steak tacos is to start with the right cut of meat and alimony it simple with the taco filling. When it comes to steak, the ribeye is one of the most flavorful and tender cuts. Squint for a well-marbled ribeye steak that is at least 1 inch thick for the weightier results.
For the taco topping we love a fresh chimichurri sauce, some coleslaw or lettuce for crunch, maybe a touch of shredded cheese, and a slice or two of fresh slices of avocado. Then we top with fresh cilantro.
Quality? Grade? Does it Matter?
For me, I truly believe in investing in quality foods that are going into my soul as well as my family’s. This is a personal preference here. I don’t skimp when it comes to quality. That stuff said, I moreover don’t like going overboard when it comes to my grocery shopping bill. To me, “quality” ways a trustworthy source.
So if we want to take a moment and pinpoint what quality ways to us; it’s well-nigh meat that is raised in a sustainable way – no antibiotics, a life in pasture and self-ruling range, and sometimes finished on a non-GMO grain and then slaughtered humanely. All of that takes time and money and ends up making the price per pound more. I’m okay with that.
Related Article: Understanding Prime versus Choice Beef
Buying The Steak
When selecting ribeye be sure it’s at least 1-inch thick (ideally 1 ½). Buying a thicker cut steak avoids overcooking it. If the steaks are once cut up and thin, then ask the butcher to cut more. They come from the Prime Rib and can hands be custom cut to your desired thickness.
And we use boneless ribeye for this taco recipe versus unorthodoxy in – both options work.
Since we do tend to invest in higher quality (and thus increasingly expensive) meats, like Snake River Farms and Double R Ranch Beef, we just segregate to eat them less frequently. We’re not eating expensive steak every day, but instead, maybe once every two to three weeks. This moreover makes me stop and fathom the times and the meals when I do eat a steak.
By using the meat in a dish like these tacos, you’re stretching your dollar when it comes to eating a unconfined cut of meat. So one large ribeye steak can be used for at least 4 people.
Taco Prep
Before we put the steak on the grill we like to make sure all our toppings and ingredients are prepared and ready so the ribeye tacos can be enjoyed warm.
- Make Sauce and/or Salsa – we love our simple chimichurri sauce, or you can make a fresh roasted salsa or a blender salsa for a increasingly traditional flavor. Want a verde (green) salsa? Try our smoked tomatillo salsa.
- Cut and Layout Veggies – Be sure you have small bowls and have sliced up your onions, cilantro, and cheese.
- Warm Tortillas – We scrutinizingly exclusively use corn tortillas in our household and the quick hack for warming tortillas, expressly for a crowd, is to wrap a stack of 8 tortillas in a dam sheet of paper towels. Then microwave for 30 seconds to both steam and warm. Otherwise my favorite way to prep tortillas is to throw them on the grill for well-nigh 10 seconds, then flip, and alimony flipping in 10 second increments until you get a summery char on the outside.
- Sides – Be sure any sides are ready to go or cooking while the steaks smoke.
By preparing these early you can go right into eating with no fuss. Finger self-ruling to add any other favorite ingredients like sour cream, grilled corn, or plane a fresh pico de gallo.
Seasoning
Start by seasoning the steak with olive oil and our beef seasoning. If you want to alimony it simple use an SPG rub (equal parts kosher salt, granulated garlic, and woody woebegone pepper).
The olive oil will help the seasoning stick while it smokes and then sears.
Tools
We strongly encourage you to own a good instant read digital thermometer. It reads the internal temperature of the steak in seconds (or less), which ways no increasingly overcooked steaks. We use the Thermoworks Thermapen One.
Long tongs are moreover important when grilling steak.
Cooking the Steak – Reverse Sear
Sure you can pan sear your ribeye or just use grilled ribeye steak. But to add a layer of savor and if you have a smoking or smoking zipper for your grill consider reverse searing. Basically smoke it first at a low temperature and then finish over a hot and fast flame or heat source.
- Prep: Prepare your smoking or grill for low heat cooking targeting 200 – 225 degrees Fahrenheit. We love fruit woods (cherry or apple), oak, or hickory for steak and reverse searing for the right smoke flavor.
- Smoke: Place your seasoned ribeye steak in smoking on grill grates and smoke for 30 – 45 minutes covered or until the internal temperature reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Transfer: When the internal temperature of the steak reaches 110 degrees remove from the smoker. If your smoking moreover hits upper heat, like our Big Untried Egg, then prepare your grill for direct, upper heat, grilling and rest the steak as the grill comes to temperature. Otherwise have your upper heat grill or other source ready once the steak is at 110 degrees.
- Grill: Place the smoked ribeye on the grill over uncontrived heat. Sear each side for 2 minutes. Closely monitor the meat with a upper quality instant read meat thermometer. Then remove the steak when it hits 127 degrees (you want it between 125 and 130 for rare). Once you remove the steak, let it rest, permitting the juices to settle. It’ll moreover alimony cooking a little bit with that residual heat.
- Make Tacos: After the rest period slice the ribeye steak versus the grain into thin slices no thicker than a pencil. Then make the tacos.
Since we’re using such a unconfined cut of meat and we took the time to reverse sear it, we didn’t want it drowning in toppings that would have taken yonder from our nonflexible work. So we kept it simple with some chimichurri sauce and a slice of fresh avocado. Veritably perfect.
Wine Pairing for Ribeye Steak Tacos
When it comes to stretching your upkeep with wine the same can wield by using a winery’s “second label”. There are several wineries that have their main label, like Soter Vineyards for example. They then have flipside label that still offers unconfined quality but at a increasingly affordable price. Now there are several reason for doing this. In Bordeaux for instance, a winery (or Chateau) may use only their very weightier fruit for their main wine. And then the remaining in their second label. The vineyards are often the same, but the fruit just didn’t meet a specific standard. The second wine is often pretty darn wondrous too.
In this case, Planet Oregon, made by one of my favorite winemakers, Tony Soter of Soter Vineyards. It was founded with a goal to, “make delicious, environmentally responsible wine at an wieldy price. In short, a wine you can enjoy on a Tuesday and finger unconfined about.”
It’s a succulent wine, and a unconfined value for Oregon (found under $20).
We’re still not skimping here. Instead we’re receiving unconfined value for a upper level of quality. The wine has some deep visionless fruit, unconfined richness and texture. This is the kind of Pinot that has the umph to stand up to steak tacos!
More Taco Recipe Ideas
- Spicy Chicken Tacos with avocado crema
- Verde Chicken Tacos
- Brisket Tacos
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Mexican-Inspired Pulled Beef Crispy Tacos
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Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically well-known cookbook, Fire Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a sublet just outside Portland.
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Ribeye Steak Tacos Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Reverse Sear Smoked Ribeye Steak:
- 1 pound Ribeye steak, 1 ½ inches thick
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon beef seasoning
For the Tacos:
- 8 corn tortillas
- ½ cup chimichurri sauce
- 1 avocado, sliced
Optional Taco Toppings:
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup cole slaw
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 2 limes cut into small wedges
Instructions
For the Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak:
- Preheat Smoker: to 160 degrees (we used cherry wood).
- Season Ribeye Steak: Coat the steaks with olive oil and then season the steak liberally.
- Smoke Steak: Place ribeye on the smoker, and melt 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature (IT) reaches 110 degree. Remove from the smoking and prepare for the grill for upper heat.
- Grilling: Prepare your cooker for uncontrived heat. In this specimen we used a simple kettle grill. Once the grill is HOT, place the steak over the hot uncontrived heat for well-nigh 2 minutes at the most, then flip and melt flipside two minutes or until the steak reaches your desired the internal temperature (we aim for 125 – 130 degrees). Remove, let rest a couple minutes, then slice into thin strips.
For the Tacos:
- Warm up your corn tortillas.
- Load up the tortillas with a couple slices of the steak, a drizzle of chimichurri sauce, an avocado slice, and any other spare toppings.
Nutrition
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