Steak Tacos with Chipotle Salsa and Avocado Crema

By Chef Patty Morrell-Ruiz · The Mad Table

Chef Patty Morrell-Ruiz, founder of The Mad Table and author of The Essential Cuban Cookbook, shares her steak tacos: diced beef tenderloin tossed in a homemade Mexican seasoning, a smoky chipotle salsa, and a cool avocado crema, all piled onto a corn tortilla crisped in the pan with melty Oaxaca cheese.

Every component is made from scratch, and none of them takes long. Mix the seasoning, blitz the salsa and the crema, then the tacos themselves come together in one pan in minutes. The recipe serves six.

Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings

Mexican seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Chipotle salsa

• 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup cilantro
• 1 fresh lime, juiced

Avocado crema

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• ½ fresh lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Steak tacos

• 2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into small dice
• ¼ cup Mexican seasoning
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more as needed
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 6 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 cup grated Oaxaca cheese
• ½ cup chipotle salsa, plus more for serving
• ½ cup avocado crema, plus more for serving

Instructions

Mexican seasoning

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, oregano, and salt. Set aside until ready to use.

Chipotle salsa

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until evenly blended. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as needed. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Avocado crema

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt, as needed.

Steak tacos

1. Place the diced beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with the Mexican seasoning, tossing to coat evenly.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate.
3. In the same pan, add the seasoned beef and cook for about 2 minutes, or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness. Transfer the beef to a separate plate.
4. Add additional oil or butter to the same pan over medium-high heat. Working with 2 tortillas at a time, add the tortillas and cook for 1 minute. Flip and top each tortilla with Oaxaca cheese, steak, onions, chipotle salsa, and avocado crema.
5. Remove the tacos from the pan and repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
6. Serve the tacos with additional chipotle salsa and avocado crema on the side. Enjoy!

About Chef Patty Morrell-Ruiz

Chef Patty Morrell-Ruiz is a cookbook author, culinary instructor, corporate chef, private chef, food stylist, and recipe developer based in Miami, and the founder of The Mad Table. Rooted in her Cuban heritage, she creates modern, approachable recipes infused with Latin flavors and a focus on bringing people together around the table. She teaches at the Miami Culinary Institute, serves as a Corporate Chef for Miele USA, and is the author of The Essential Cuban Cookbook. Her work has been featured on Food Network, NBC 6, and Telemundo and in Better Homes & Gardens, The Spruce Eats, and Women’s World, and she has served as a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York City.

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