Machaca Burritos are a southwest classic. They’re filled with tender, juicy, marinated, and slow-simmered skirt steak, along with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and chilies.
While my heart belongs to Southern cuisine, every now and then, I find myself craving the bold flavors of Tex-Mex and these Authentic Machaca Burritos make for a delicious change!
This recipe combines marinated skirt steak with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and chilies into an incredible meat sauce that is rolled into flour tortillas. Add a little sour cream and cilantro and…wow!
According to Wikipedia, the term “machaca” comes from the verb form machacado which means pounded or crushed. Makes sense, I guess, since the meat is thoroughly shredded after a long cooking time.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 3 Hours, 15 Minutes
Servings: 12
Primary Ingredient(s): Skirt steak, onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- The bold, beefy flavor. The skirt steak is slow-cooked until it turns tender and richly seasoned.
- Perfect for make-ahead meals. The beef filling stores well and easily reheats for dinner on busy days.
- It can easily feed a crowd. Great for get-togethers from potlucks and tailgates to summer pool parties.
- Highly customizable. Add your favorite toppings or sides to make each burrito just the way you like it.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“Doesn’t get any better than this. Amazing marinade, then slow cooked with onions, peppers. Drooling.”
— sensiblecooking
Ingredient Notes
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Even though it looks like there are lots of ingredients in this recipe, it’s very easy to make. And there’s nothing unusual or exotic in the list.
- Skirt Steak – I do highly recommend using skirt steak for your burritos. It has a bold, intensely beefy flavor that other cuts don’t have.
- Peppers – You’ll need both mild bell peppers and hotter jalapenos or serranos for this recipe. If you prefer a milder taste, choose jalapeno or, if you like it fiery, select serrano.
- Tortillas – I serve this in flour tortillas. However, corn tortillas are more authentic. Use your favorite.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Machaca Burritos
Marinate the Skirt Steak
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. You basically marinate the steak overnight and then cook it up with some vegetables the next day. That part goes very quickly followed by long, slow cooking to tenderize the skirt steak.
- To start, cut the skirt steak into about 3″ pieces. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Close the bag and shake well to combine.
- Add the skirt steak and toss to make sure each piece is well coated with the marinade. Place the plastic bag with the steak and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- The next day, allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Remove from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
Prep the Veggies
- Cut the onions and peppers into rough chunks and set aside.
Sear the Steak
- In a large, heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time. Transfer the meat to a plate or platter and set aside.
Saute the Veggies
- Without cleaning the pan, add the onions, peppers, garlic, and chilies (if using). Saute for approximately 5 minutes. The vegetables will pick up a lot of the browned bits left from the meat. This is exactly what you want!
Add the Beef to the Pan
- Add the beef broth, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Return the meat and any collected juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover. Simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
Shred the Cooked Beef
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle – about 15 minutes.
- Continue cooking the onion and pepper mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Using your fingers or two forks, shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot, stir to combine, and cook until the meat is very hot.
Roll the Burritos
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or the microwave. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of each tortilla. Add sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime juice if desired.
👉 PRO TIP: To roll a burrito, fold two sides in toward the middle. Begin to roll from the bottom until you make a nice, drip-free package!
Serving Suggestion
I serve these burritos with refried beans topped with cheese and salsa, along with a simple lettuce and tomato salad with guacamole dressing.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Make the meat filling up to three days ahead of serving and store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat when ready to serve. The finished filling may also be frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Recipe
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Machaca Burritos
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 serrano (or jalapeno) chili finely minced, seeds and ribs removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the Burrito Filling:
- 1 large white onion roughly chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 pounds skirt steak trimmed and cut into 3" pieces
- 2 serrano (or jalapeno) chiles chopped, seeds and ribs removed (optional)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes with juice
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- 12 6-inch flour tortillas
- Sour cream optional
- Salsa optional
- Cilantro optional
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Close the bag and shake well to combine.1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons water, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 3 garlic cloves, 1 serrano (or jalapeno) chili, salt and pepper to taste, ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Add the skirt steak making sure each piece is well coated with the marinade. Place the plastic bag with steak and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.3 pounds skirt steak
- Allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade.
- Prep the onions and peppers by cutting them into chunks. Set them aside.1 large white onion, 1 medium red bell pepper, 1 medium green bell pepper
- In a large, heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time.3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Transfer the meat to a plate or platter and set aside. Without cleaning the pan, add the onions, peppers, and chilies (if using). Saute for approximately 5 minutes.2 serrano (or jalapeno) chiles
- Add the beef broth, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Return the meat and any collected juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.1 cup beef broth, 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes with juice, ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, salt and pepper to taste
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle – about 15 minutes.
- Continue cooking the onion and pepper mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Using your fingers or two forks shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot, stir to combine and cook until the meat is very hot.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or the microwave. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of each tortilla. Add sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime juice if desired.12 6-inch flour tortillas, Sour cream, Salsa, Cilantro, Lime wedges
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on August 6, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
I left out the serranos and it was still delicious!
This recipe sounds like the burritos I used to get at “Burrito King” in Los Angeles @ Sunset & Alvarado.
Finished product looks similar. They cook in a huge pot and the finished product is rather soupy, but Oh so good.
Seeing your comment was a taste of warm, fuzzy nostalgia! That’s the same area where we used to get delicious machaca burritos 50 years ago. Never have experienced that same wonderful flavor in restaurants in other parts of the country.
i am going to cook this day.
thanks
i lived in AZ, and loved these burritos i am going to cook this tomorrow thanx lisa from england
well southern food and Mexican are part of my middle name, and Creole, Cajun, seafood, heck Lana, I like to eat… but this is really my kind of eating… glad you posted it….
Oooh yum! This looks so tender, flavorful, and delicious!! Best burrito ever!!
It really is simply delicious!
I just had a large salad for dinner, but now I wish I had myself a burrito. I really do.
I think you’d really enjoy this particular burrito, Jenn. So flavorful!
Doesn’t get any better than this. Amazing marinade, then slow cooked with onions, peppers. Drooling.
Your Mom shared this site with me. Good to see what my niece is up to. Loved it! We have lots of memories of southern cooking around Gama’s table don’t we?
Made this tonight for dinner! Yum!!! I used London broil (on sale), halved the recipe and cooked in slow cooker. I served it with fresh salsa. My husband, 1 and 3 year old enjoyed too! Thank you! I love the new Mexican show on FN but don’t get to watch it often.
This would be a winner in our house. We love Mexican-inspired dishes (hello, we’re native Texans!) and this would be no exception.
I should not have looked at this post so close to lunch time. Thinking there may be a last minute change to our dinner plans ;) Scrumptious looking indeed!
Looks like delicious comfort food to me! :)
Gee, this does sound good!
Why, thank you Frank! And it was good. Very good.
This is a keeper recipe for sure. Speaking of obsessions with Southern cooking, which I most definitely share, I can see this working well with smoked pulled pork or beef brisket too. What’s your advice on that?
Yes! I think either the pork or brisket would be great in this recipe. When trying a new recipe I tend to make it pretty close to the author’s directions the first time and after that I begin to experiment. I’m thinking I’ll try pulled pork in this next time.
This is a MUSTMAKE! And the possibilities with the marinade are endless! Ole’!
It’s definitely a keeper of a recipe for us. Everyone – even the picky kids – agreed that it was so good!
I saw that episode too and it looked so good. Now i know it is. I have to try this. Your pictures make me hungry even though I just ate. Mmmm…I want some now.
You’ll love this recipe. It’s packed full of flavor and you can adjust the chilies to your taste!