Easy Carne Asada Tacos

So, I made a life altering discovery a few weeks ago. I was at Smith's buying my favorite Tortilla Land fresh (uncooked) tortillas in the cheese aisle, when LO and BEHOLD.....there was a corn version!! Walmart has them now, too, I just saw them there.

I've never really used corn tortillas for anything other than enchiladas, because the prepackaged ones are just....meh....although I love to stop and smell them when I walk past them in the bread aisle. (It is a very potent smell! Try it sometime!)  Living in New Mexico spoiled me, tortilla wise.  However, once I cooked up the fresh Tortilla Land ones, I was hooked.

They cook in 1 minute and come out soft, puffy and SO GOOD! I've been eating them plain as a snack every day. They are practically fat free, have no cholesterol (are gluten free, vegan, etc.). It was time to try them with tacos.

 I barely made it through this photo shoot before inhaling this.

The marinade I used for the meat is one I use all the time for chicken or beef (can probably be used for fish, too, I've just never tried it). It's great for grilling or pan frying, and I've had great results using it for chicken fajitas and grilled chicken spinach salads. It's so easy and is super flavorful. I usually just eyeball the ingredients, so you can add a little more or less if you need to.

Carne asada is made with thin cut beef steaks, so that's what I used here, but you can substitute another meat. You'll feel like you're in Mexico!

 

 Easy Carne Asada Tacos

by Melissa Yoder

Marinade

2/3 cup Italian dressing

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. dried chili powder

1-2 lbs. thin cut steak (can substitute chicken or fish)

Fresh corn or flour tortillas*

diced tomato, avocado, salsa, cheese, sour cream, or lettuce for toppings, if desired

Combine Italian dressing, cilantro and chili powder in large Ziploc bag. Add meat and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat up grill or frying pan to med-high heat. Remove meat from bag and let excess marinade drip off before cooking. When cooked through, set aside on cutting board to rest for five minutes while preparing the tortillas.

Chop meat into bite sized chunks and place in warm tortilla, and layer with desired toppings. EAT!

* To separate the uncooked tortillas, try sliding a butter knife in between the layers.

Need a Mexican side dish to go with it? Try my Restaurant Style Avocado Salsa, Spanish Rice, Refried Black Beans, Guacamole or Seven Layer Dip.