Texas Shoulder Steak Tacos with Pico de Gallo
October 3, 2025 • 0 comments
These grilled shoulder steak tacos with pico de gallo are fresh, bold, and perfect for taco night. Juicy seared shoulder steak pairs with smoky, charred cactus and a zesty pico of red onion, tomato, Fresno chile, lime, and cilantro. Served in warm blue corn tortillas and topped with avocado, crema, and a squeeze of lime, they make a vibrant, flavorful dinner for any night of the week.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- (1) Grass-fed Shoulder Steak
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Olive oil
- (1) Nopal (cactus pad), cleaned
- (1) Small red onion, diced
- (1) Lime
- (1) Fresno chile, diced
- (3) Scallions, roots discarded, sliced thick
- (1 bunch) Cilantro, roughly chopped
- (1) Tomato, diced
- (1 clove) Garlic, finely chopped
- (1) Avocado, sliced thick
- (4) Blue corn tortillas
- Sour cream
Directions
- Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat and place a cast-iron skillet on the heat to get hot as well.
- Generously season the steak with salt and pepper, then roll it in any leftover seasoning on the plate to ensure an even coating.
- Once the skillet is hot, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and sear the steak. Tilt the skillet so the steak makes full contact with the edge, allowing two sides to sear at once, about 2 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, season the nopal with salt, rub with olive oil, and grill for about 2 minutes per side until lightly charred.
- In a bowl, combine the red onion, lime zest, juice from half the lime, and the diced Fresno pepper. Stir in about a tablespoon of olive oil, then add scallions, two-thirds of the cilantro, a little more olive oil, diced tomato, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and gently fold everything together to create your pico de gallo.
- When the steak reaches rare, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cooling rack. Pour the pan juices over the steak. Dice the grilled nopal and mix it into the pico de gallo.
- Lightly toast the tortillas on the grill, then place them in taco holders to set their shape. Spoon about ¼ cup of pico de gallo into each tortilla. Slice the steak into thick pieces and arrange on top, then add a bit more pico de gallo, avocado slices, crema, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkle of cilantro to finish.
