Those leftover steak tacos are packed with savory goodness and perfect for any weeknight dinner! Topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and drizzled with a delicious roasted chipotle sauce, those tacos require very little prep work.

There’s nothing more appetizing than a juicy, tender steak just out of the grill or pan. But sometimes you’ll end with some steak leftovers that the next day turns into a rubbery mess.

So turning the already cooked steak into something unique and delicious can be a real challenge. Or not…

Those tacos are perfect to use your steak leftovers and you don’t have to worry about the meat being dried-out or too chewy because we’re using a little trick to make it juicy again.

Why you should make this recipe?

  • The recipe is pretty simple to make and perfect to turn those steak leftovers into a hearty midweek meal.
  • Those tacos are so easy to prepare on the stovetop in just 15 minutes!
  • They are highly customizable with different toppings, for example, you can add some chiles toreados, avocado slices, or guacamole.
  • You can skean in some vegetables, like zucchini or mushrooms.
Close-up of leftover steak tacos served with cilantro,  onions, radishes and salsa.

Let’s start by making the star of this recipe: A delicious, smoky, mild chipotle salsa that goes perfect with those leftover steak tacos.

And you know what’s the best? that you can have control of the spiciness and add as many chiles as you want.

How To Make The Chipotle Sauce

Wash tomatoes and place them on a hot griddle or a cast-iron skillet. Grill until charred spots appear and tomatoes soften.

Let tomatoes slightly cool down and then place them in a blender. Add garlic, salt, a pinch of cumin, and chipotle chilies. If you want your sauce spicier, add two or three grilled chile de árbol (dried red hot Mexican peppers).

Blend until you desired consistency and then transfer the salsa to a jar or bowl. Set aside.

A jar with roasted chipotle salsa.

Actually, you can make ahead this salsa and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

How to heat up leftover steak

In a small bowl, add beef stock, cumin, pepper, a pinch of salt, and oil. Mix and set aside.

Making beef stock mixture for leftover steak.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil on a cast-iron skillet or frying pan. Add the steak and stir for half a minute. Pour the beef stock mixture over the meat, mix and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Be careful and don’t let the meat dry out.

Place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and prevent the meat from drying out.

Make your leftover steak tacos

Heat up your tortillas, you can use a cast-iron skillet or a comal. If you want them to have charred spots you can also heat them up directly on the stove flame or on a grill.

You can also heat the tortillas in the microwave. Just pile them in batches of four to five tortillas and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave at high for about half a minute or until they’re warm and soft.

Place a tortilla on a plate, add meat in the center then top with cilantro and onions. Drizzle with the chipotle sauce and serve immediately with a squeeze of lime.

Leftover steak tacos served on a turquoise plate with various toppings.

Customize your tacos

We topped those delicious leftover steak tacos with fresh chopped onions and cilantro, added some diced radishes, and served with a squeeze of lime. But of course, you can make your version with whatever you have on hand at home!

So, let’s say you have carrots, cabbages and onions, well, make this amazing Mexican cabbage salad! or you can also make your own corn tortillas at home with our step and step recipe and video. No tortilla press is needed!

Speaking of tortillas, you can also use other types, such as flour tortillas (store-bought or homemade).

Got other grilled meat leftovers? Go ahead and make this recipe with leftover chicken, turkey, or pork.

What salsa to use?

The chipotle salsa we are sharing today is the star of those amazing leftover steak tacos, but if you don’t like it or you want to try other kinds of salsa, that’s not a problem because we have some other options for you:

  • What about you have an avocado sitting in your fridge? Let me tell you that this amazing guacamole sauce is the best for tacos. Try it and come to tell me if you liked it.
  • Got some zucchini? Have you heard about fake guacamole sauce? This is the time to try it then, for me, this is one of the easiest and most delicious Mexican salsas out there.
  • And, if you want to spicy up this meal, pico de gallo never fails, top your tacos with this fresh and popular salsa.
  • Speaking of, have you tried pico de gallo with a sweet touch? If you haven’t, then this pineapple pico de gallo is for you. It adds a tropical kick to this leftover tacos recipe.
Leftover steak tacos

Leftover Steak Tacos With Chipotle Salsa

10 tacos
Those leftover steak tacos are packed with savory goodness and perfect for any weeknight dinner! Topped with fresh onions, cilantro and drizzled with a delicious roasted chipotle sauce.
prep 10 minutes
cook 5 minutes
total 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups cooked steak (leftovers) (chopped)
  • 10 medium corn tortillas
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • oil
  • cumin
  • sant & pepper

For the chipotle salsa

  • 3 medium ripe tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 2 arbol chilies (optional)
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • 1 garlic clove (peeled)

To serve

  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • bunch of cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 cup radishes (diced)
  • limes

Instructions
 

Prepare the salsa

  • Roast tomatoes on a griddle until charred spots appears and tomatoes becomes soft.
  • Let them slightly cool down and then place them on a blender with garlic, salt, a pinch of cumin, and chipotle chilies. Add arbol chilies if you want salsa to be spicy.
  • Blend for half a minute, transfer to a jar or bowl and set aside.

Prepare the steak

  • In a small bowl, add beef stock, a pinch of cumin, pepper and salt to taste. Add oil and mix well.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil on a cast iron skillet or frying pan. Add the steak and stir for half a minute or until lightly crispy.
  • Pour the beef stock mixture, mix and cook for 1 to 2 minutes taking care of not letting the meat dry out.
  • Place the steak on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm and juicy.

Assemble the tacos

  • Place a cast iron skillet or a comal over medium heat and warm up tortillas (read notes).
  • Place a tortilla on a plate then add meat in the center. Top with cilantro, onions and radishes.
  • Drizzle with the chipotle sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

You can also heat the tortillas in the microwave. Just pile them on batches of four to five tortillas and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave at high for about half a minute or until they’re warm and soft.
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Similar Recipes

  • Tacos de bistec. Made from scratch, those steak tacos are the ultimate Mexican street food to try!
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  • Tacos al pastor. Flavored pork meat with a mild chili sauce and pineapple, grilled and served in soft corn tortillas.

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you! We had some grilled meat leftovers (beef, chicken, sausages) and this recipe was a lifesaver! The chipotle salsa omg! Best ever.