Machaca Burritos

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.

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

4. Cut the onions and peppers into rough chunks and set aside.

Sear the Steak

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Remove the meat to a cutting board and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle – about 15 minutes.
9. Continue cooking the onion and pepper mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
10. 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

11. 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.

Recipe

Machaca Burritos

Tender skirt steak simmered with peppers and spices for deep, rich flavor. These Machaca Burritos bring bold Tex-Mex taste to any table.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Southwestern

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

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

Note – the total time does not include 8 hours marinating time

Nutrition Information

Serving 1Calories 354kcalCarbohydrates 20gProtein 28gFat 19gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 71mgSodium 503mgPotassium 533mgFiber 2gSugar 3gVitamin A 416IUVitamin C 27mgCalcium 60mgIron 4mg

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.

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