These easy Slow Cooker Steak Tacos are a great dinner that you can set and forget using your crockpot. Simply combine sirloin steak, seasonings, peppers, and onions for a tender beef taco that’s tortilla-ready. Great for weeknight dinners and delicious leftovers!
Easy slow cooker street tacos
Whether it’s taco Tuesday or any day of the week, making tacos in your slow cooker is always a good idea! The ingredients are so easy to prep the night before and you can set it and forget it in your crockpot. After a few hours, you’ll be indulging in deliciously tender and seasoned beef loaded into tortillas with your favorite salsa.
Beef sirloin, peppers, onions, and taco seasonings are combined in a crockpot along with some broth and cornstarch. After letting the slow cooker work its magic, you’ll end up with taco-ready carne asada and a thick and flavorful sauce that goes so well over the beef.
When you’re ready to eat, simply serve the beef on tortillas with your favorite toppings like shredded lettuce, cheese, or Homemade Tomato Salsa. Pair them with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice or a Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad. And if you like these pepper steak tacos, don’t forget to try my easy recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tacos and Slow Cooker Taco Soup!
Cooking Video
What is carne asada?
Mexican-inspired carne asada is grilled beef that has been marinated in dry spices and lime juice. Cooking it on the grill gives it a char on the outside and helps it taste smoky and tender on the inside. Once it’s cooked, the meat is cut into thin strips so it’s easy to add to a tortilla.
This recipe is similar to traditional carne asada but made easier in the crockpot. It’s best served with a side of rice, beans, or green salad or can be put into tacos, enchiladas, burritos, or even used to top a plate of nachos.
The best meat for steak tacos
When choosing meat for steak tacos, you want to make sure your choice has a good amount of fat and marbling for plenty of flavor. I like using beef sirloin but you can also use flank steak, strip steak, skirt steak, or even beef tenderloin.
When it comes to tougher cuts of beef such as skirt and flank steak, make sure you slice it thin to keep it as tender as possible when cooking.
How to make carne asada in a slow cooker
Cut the beef into strips and season it with garlic powder. Rub it thoroughly into the meat and add it to a skillet over medium heat until the strips have browned.
Stir the beef broth and cornstarch together in the bottom of the slow cooker. Next, add in the beef strips, onion, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir it all together.
Slowly cook the carne asada on high for 2 and a half hours. Afterward, throw in the sliced green peppers and cook for an additional 1 hour on high. After 3 hours, 30 minutes total, the carne asada beef will be done.
Remove the beef from the crockpot and serve on tortillas or hard shells with cheese, salsa, lettuce, avocado, or whatever else you like on your tacos.
Steak taco toppings
Customize these carne asada tacos by adding all of the toppings you love! Here’s what I suggest using for a loaded and flavorful steak taco:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomato
- Shredded cheese
- Pickled onions
- Sliced, pickled or candied jalapenos
- Tomatillo salsa
- Sliced radishes
- Guacamole
- Tomato salsa
- Black Bean corn salsa
- Sour cream
- Coleslaw
- Hot sauce
- Roasted corn
- Caramelized onions
Storing and reheating leftovers
To store: Any leftover pepper steak taco mix can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Store the cooked and cooled carne asada in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with the air removed for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating and serving.
To reheat: To reheat the beef taco mix, add it to a skillet over medium heat until warmed through for the best results. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
More taco recipes to try
- Baked Black Bean Tacos
- Instant Pot Cherry Tomato Chicken Tacos
- Taco Enchilada Casserole
- Leftover Rice Tacos
- Stovetop Taco Soup
Pin for later:
Slow Cooker Steak Tacos
PrintIngredients
- 2 pounds beef sirloin (or ribeye)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup beef broth heated up
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 small onion chopped
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 green peppers sliced
Instructions
- Cut your beef sirloin into 2 inch strips. Sprinkle garlic powder on top of them, rubbing it in.
- In a skillet over medium high heat, add vegetable oil and beef strips. Brown sirloin strips (takes about 10 minutes), drain grease and set aside.
- Add beef broth and cornstarch to the bottom of the slow cooker and mix so cornstarch is dissolved. You want your beef broth to be hot so the cornstarch is dissolved, I throw mine in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Add beef strips into the slow cooker on top of broth mixture.
- Add onion, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder and salt into the slow cooker mixing to combine all ingredients.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, 30 minutes. Add sliced green peppers and cook an additional 1 hour on HIGH. So the total time is 3 hours, 30 minutes.
- Serve on tortillas or hard shells, add cheese, salsa, lettuce, avocado or whatever else you'd like on top.
erica says
what would happen if you dont brown the meat.. i’m all for the quickest way out the door before work in the morning, and less dishes when it comes to the to the crock
Pamela says
Hey Erica, I would brown to be safe it’s cooked. Maybe it’s about browning the meat the night prior and keeping in the fridge until you leave in the morning?
Nik@ABrownTable says
Your tacos look perfect! Love them.
Pamela says
Thanks Nik!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
I LOVE tacos of all kinds so these automatically look delicious to me! I really like your dancing taco up there, too! Ha ha. My husband does a similar dance whenever we have tacos for dinner 😉
Pamela says
Thanks Amy! Who doesn’t love a dancing taco, right? I’d like to see some video of your husband’s taco dance!
The Café Sucre Farine says
Oh yum! We have a Mexican restaurant we just love. This looks like something they would serve!
Pamela says
Hope you’re able to make it at home and have a great night in! 🙂
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
I love things I can make in the slow cooker, and tacos are one of our favorites. Definitely adding this to our list to make soon! Yum!
Pamela says
Thanks Kristi! Have a great taco night!
yummychunklet says
The steak looks so tender! Yum!
Pamela says
Thanks! It sure is tender and oh so moist!
Nora @ Buttercream Fanatic says
Yet again, I feel like I am really missing out by not having a crockpot. I have to get on that!
Pamela says
I hope you get one Nora! It’s magic in the kitchen!
Amy @ Elephant Eats says
These tacos look great! And they’re especially awesome because of all the home-grown ingredients you threw in 🙂
Pamela says
Thanks Amy! Garden happiness!
Sophie33 says
I made these beauties &loved them a lot, so did my hubby! I topped min with a spicy guacamole & fried red onions! 🙂 They were superb, my dear friend! xxx
Pamela says
Thanks for letting me know Sophie, so glad you guys enjoyed them! Guacamole sounds awesome on top!
The Squishy Monster says
I just loooove the energy you have for interesting and fun food! I enjoy that these are slow cooked without a lot of muss and fuss. Looks faaabulous, my friend!
Pamela says
Thank you! The slow cooker is my best friend, it does all the work and I just eat the yummy food! 🙂
hani/[email protected] says
I love the way you cook. I don’t eat much beef but I think I could pull this off with chicken, too. What do you think. Always a good idea to add peppers..especially now, since I have load of it. I can smell this, delicious! Thanks for sharing all your ideas!
Pamela says
Hi Hani! Chicken would absolutely work, have a great taco night! The smell is amazing! 🙂
veganmiam.com says
I think my other comment is awaiting moderation, hope it pops up soon.
Pamela says
I got it, thanks for the heads up! 🙂
veganmiam.com says
🙂 Now I want to make tacos here in Spain!
Pamela says
Taco party in Spain!
veganmiam.com says
What a cute animation! I LOVE TACOS especially making my own corn tortillas!
My favorite tacos are the Chipotle seitan tacos with jicama slaw and charred corn with avocado dressing: http://veganmiam.com/recipes/chipotle-seitan-tacos-with-jicama-slaw-charred-corn and the chili-rubbed portobelo tacos with cilantro-jalapeno crema (gluten-free/vegan): http://veganmiam.com/recipes/chili-rubbed-portobello-tacos-with-cilantro-jalapeno-crema-gluten-free
The tacos are so good in Mexico City, too, at this small eatery, Taco Hola: http://veganmiam.com/the-americas/mexico/mexico-city-tacos-hola-el-guero
Pamela says
You got me all taco worked up now with those links! SWOONING!!!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Oooh! I just LOVE Pepper Steak and it is a fantastic idea to let the slow cooker do all the work for some tasty tacos! I just adore Southwest/Tex-Mex food and I’m glad you shared two special recipes this week. We eat Tex-Mex at least once a week. Thanks for sharing! Cannot wait to make these!! xoxo
Pamela says
Tex Mex is one of our favorites for dinner, if you have any other great Tex Mex recipes, feel free to share them! Have a great weekend!
Ash-foodfashionparty says
All I want now are those tacos and I know how fresh the ingredients are and how fantastic it would taste.
Pamela says
I think you need a taco night Ash!