Slow-Cooker Mongolian Skirt Steak Tacos
One of the best things about this recipe is filling your house with the smell of a delicious dinner that's just on the horizon. All you have to do is make a sauce, and then toss it along with the steak into your slow cooker. A few hours later you have delicious, aromatic, tender skirt steak. Like the term Mongolian barbecue, the dish we commonly know as Mongolian beef was popularized by Taiwanese and later American Chinese restaurants. The steak in this recipe is loosely based on those versions, with the addition of tahini for richness and depth of flavor. Here we serve the melting tender beef with rice and cabbage slaw in tacos, although you can enjoy it more traditionally just over rice if you prefer.
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker Essential for tenderizing the skirt steak over a long period.
- 1 Whisk For thoroughly combining the sauce ingredients.
- 1 Cutting Board For preparing aromatics and cabbage.
- 1 Chef's knife For chopping scallions, slicing ginger, and preparing cabbage.
- 1 Medium Bowl For preparing and mixing the cabbage slaw.
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 4 scallions finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- One 2-inch piece ginger thinly sliced
- 1 pound skirt steak
- 1 1/2 cups green or purple cabbage finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 small flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Whisk the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, tahini, scallions, garlic and ginger together in the insert of your slow cooker until the brown sugar dissolves. Add the skirt steak to the mixture, cutting the steak as necessary to fit into the cooker. Add more broth as needed to cover the steak, depending on the size of your cooker. Cover and cook until the steak is fork-tender, 6 to 8 hours on low.
- Meanwhile, combine the cabbage, sour cream, lime juice and paprika in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate if not serving the slaw immediately.
- Shred the beef with two forks in the cooker, or remove from the sauce, cut into strips, and return the strips to the sauce. To assemble the tacos, fill each tortilla with steak, rice and cabbage slaw. Enjoy!
Notes
1. For enhanced depth of flavor, consider searing the skirt steak in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes per side before adding it to the slow cooker. This caramelizes the exterior, locking in juices and adding a layer of savory complexity. 2. The tahini in the sauce provides a unique nutty richness; ensure it's well-whisked to prevent clumping. If the sauce seems too thick, a little extra broth can thin it out. 3. The cabbage slaw offers a crucial fresh, tangy counterpoint to the rich, savory beef. Adjust lime juice to your preference for brightness. For extra texture, add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds to the slaw or over the finished tacos. 4. Skirt steak can become stringy if overcooked; it's done when easily shredded with a fork but still moist.