Tacos Rancheros

Debney
Dec 14, 2025
2 min read

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Tacos Rancheros are about restraint. This is ranch cooking at its core—direct heat, simple ingredients, and no excess. Grilled skirt steak, a lightly blistered salsa verde, and warm corn tortillas come together in a way that feels timeless and unfussy.

The term “rancheros” refers more to style than a strict recipe. Across rural Mexico, tacos rancheros are built from what’s available: a hot grill, a sturdy cut of meat, and a quick salsa made by hand. The focus is always on technique and balance rather than complexity.

This version starts with skirt steak grilled hard and fast, then chopped into bite-sized pieces. The salsa verde ranchera is made by lightly blistering tomatillos, serranos, and garlic, then smashing everything in a molcajete for a loose, rustic texture. Raw onion and cilantro are folded in at the end to keep the salsa fresh and bright.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED (scroll to full ingredient list)

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: SALSA

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
Add the tomatillos, serrano peppers, and garlic (in their peels).
Cook until lightly blistered and softened, keeping the color mostly green.
Transfer everything immediately to a bowl, cover, and let steam for 3–5 minutes.
Peel the garlic, then add the tomatillos, serranos, garlic, and salt to a molcajete. Smash to a rustic texture.
Fold in the chopped onion and cilantro.

STEP 2: STEAK

Season the skirt steak generously with salt.
Grill over high heat until deeply charred on the outside and juicy inside, about 2–3 minutes per side.
Remove from the grill and rest briefly.
Slice across the grain, then chop into small pieces.

STEP 3: BUILD

Warm the corn tortillas.
Add chopped steak, spoon over the salsa verde ranchera, and finish with diced onion and cilantro.
Serve with lime wedges on the side.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-6

STEAK

2 lbs skirt steak
Kosher salt or flaked sea salt

SALSA VERDE RANCHERA

6–7 tomatillos
2–3 serrano peppers
2 cloves garlic
1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
Small handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt

ASSEMBLY

Corn tortillas
Diced white onion
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

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