Margarita-Inspired Marinated Flank Steak Recipe

One of my favorite combinations is smoky, savory carne asada with a bright, refreshing margarita. Made with high-quality skirt or flank steak, carne asada is a simple, char-grilled cut of beef that can be eaten on its own or inside of fresh cilantro-and-onion topped tacos. While some recipes insist on marinating carne asada in ingredients like soy sauce and orange juice, others rely on making the perfect carne asada with salt, pepper, and seasoning alone. There's also a perfect in-between, and it uses all of the same ingredients as its accompanying cocktail.

This margarita-inspired marinated flank steak recipe combines lime juice, tequila, and agave with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a perfectly tender, flavorful, juicy grilled steak. The tequila in the marinade acts as a tenderizer, denaturing the meat's tougher fibers into buttery tender bites. Although the steak doesn't exactly taste like a margarita, the savory, peppery flavor pairs well with the cocktail-inspired ingredients and is versatile enough to be used in tacos or on its own with a side of vegetables, rice, or potatoes. This margarita marinade is an easy way to make flank steak feel just a little bit more luxurious, and make serving dinner (and drinks) a breeze.

If you make a lot of margaritas, you'll recognize some of the ingredients for this steak marinade: tequila blanco, lime juice, agave, and salt. You'll also need olive oil, garlic, cracked black pepper, and lime zest to put together the marinade. Lastly, you'll need flaky salt and flank steak or skirt steak — I use flank steak here, but either cut will work.

Combine the lime juice, tequila, olive oil, garlic, agave, salt, pepper, and lime zest in a bowl.

Pat steak dry and add to a large zip-top bag. Cover with the marinade. Marinate for 2 to 8 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat a grill to 350 F.

Add steak to the grill directly from the marinade and grill for 3 minutes on the first side.

Flip the steak and cook for 3 minutes on the other side, or until cooked to medium doneness (or desired doneness).

Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the steak with flaky salt and slice to serve.

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While flank steak seems to be the best and most common steak to use for a marinade, there are actually eight other cuts of steak that benefit from a marinade. Steak famously doesn't need marinating, being that it is flavorful on its own with a simple boost of flavor from salt and pepper. For cuts like flank steak, though, a marinade can make the leanness a little more tender and infuse the meat with unique flavor, which is helpful for using in composed dishes like tacos or stir frys.

The next best steak to marinade is a skirt steak, which is a similar cut to flank as it is also taken from the abdominal area of the cow, and as such, has a similar makeup of lean muscle fibers. Being a thinner cut, it also needs to be cooked quickly over high heat, meaning that a marinade can help tenderize the steak to avoid overcooking. Both flank and skirt steaks can be a little pricey, so if you are looking for a budget-friendly cut to transform with a marinade, sirloin or chuck steak (not chuck roast) are the most affordable options.

This tequila-based marinade has a subtle, mild flavoring that tenderizes the steak while bringing out its natural flavor. The tequila and lime tenderize while the oil adds moisture, and the garlic, salt, and pepper emphasize the steak's flavor. The agave, then, helps with a combination of the three, while also aiding the browning process when the steak hits the heat. Together, the ingredients make a perfect, beefy steak, and are versatile enough to add other ingredients to for more flavor.

For a steak that has a distinctly seasoned flavor (like one you might use in a grain bowl or in tacos), add cumin, chili powder, and onion powder. If you prefer a more salty steak, instead of using more salt, try adding a few tablespoons of soy sauce. For a smoky flavor (more than that you'd get from the grill), try adding smoked paprika or chipotle powder. You can also add a spoonful of chipotle in adobo sauce, which will also add a spicy, smoky flavor to the steak.

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