Carne Asada Taco Cups

These hearty, flavorful carne asada taco cups are the perfect two-bite appetizer. With citrus marinated steak, crisp homemade tortilla cups, and plenty of fresh toppings, this miniature spin on classic steak tacos is guaranteed to please a crowd. To see how to make them yourself, check out this episode of Cooking Together featuring Joanna Saltz, Delish editorial director, and her helpful sous chef—and son—Teddy.

Before you start whipping up your own taco cups, make sure you’ve got the necessary kitchen gear. For Joanna, the GoodCook Meat Tenderizer is an absolute must for prepping tender meat to absorb as much flavor from the marinade as possible and cook evenly throughout. Bonus: It’s super-easy to clean.

In order to make sure that delicious steak is cooked exactly to her and her family’s liking, she turns to the GoodCook Digital Folding Thermometer. Featuring a fold-out probe that accurately reads temperature in less than 3 seconds—which is especially important for meat that can go from perfect to overcooked in a flash—it takes the guesswork out of cooking temperature-sensitive ingredients.

Lastly, make sure you have a muffin tin on hand for those nifty tortilla cups, along with a heavy cast-iron skillet to achieve a gorgeous, golden crust on your steak. Happy cooking!

Yields: 24

Prep Time: 2 hours

Process Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 c.

  fresh orange juice

• 2

  cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp.

  plus 1 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

• 2 tbsp.

  chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

• 2 tbsp.

  fresh lime juice

• 2 tbsp.

  reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 lb.

  flank or skirt steak

• 12

  (6″) flour tortillas, cut into quarters

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

• 3/4 c.

  salsa

• 1/3 c.

  sour cream

• 1/3 c.

  sliced scallions

• 1/3 c.

  finely chopped tomatoes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk orange juice, garlic, oil, cilantro, if using, lime juice, and soy sauce.
2. Place steak between 2 pieces of parchment and pound with the spiked side of a GoodCook Meat Tenderizer until just tenderized. Place steak in marinade, cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350º. Let steak come to room temperature.
4. Press 2 cut tortilla triangles into each cup of a 24-cup mini muffin tin, forming a mini tortilla bowl.
5. Bake tortillas until crispy and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
6. Lightly oil a cast-iron pan and heat over high until it starts to barely smoke. Cook steak, turning occasionally, until a GoodCook Digital Folding Thermometer inserted into thickest part of steak registers 145º for medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer steak to a cutting board; season all over with salt and pepper. Let rest 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Slice steak against the grain, then cut crosswise into small pieces.
8. Place a spoonful of salsa into bottom of each tortilla cup, then add a few pieces of steak and top with sour cream. Garnish with scallions and tomatoes.

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