Instant Pot Flank Steak (For Tacos or Burritos)

Instant Pot Flank Steak (for Tacos or Burritos) - a pressure-cooked, beefy Tex-Mex flank steak, great for filling tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls.

I think of flank steak as a tender piece of beef, something I grill quickly. But, it is also a tough cut, that holds up well to pressure cooking. (And, it was on sale at the grocery store, when I was looking for Taco Tuesday fillings.) When I made it, my kids gobbled down the flank steak, and my wife kept commenting on the big, beefy flavor.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make Instant Pot Flank Steak
• Pressure cook for 12 minutes with a natural release
• Serve
• Tips and Tricks
• Substitutions
• Storage
• What to serve with Instant Pot Flank Steak
• Instant Pot Flank Steak Recipe
• 💬 Comments

These are so great! They have such a beefy flavor!

My wife

Now Instant Pot Flank Steak Tacos are part of my regular rotation, a lifesaver when I need to get dinner on the table quickly. The only trick is slicing the steak into ½-inch thick strips across the grain. Cutting the long strands of meat tenderize it and shorten the cooking time to 12 minutes under pressure.

Ingredients

• 1½- to 2-pound flank steak, cut across the grain into ½-inch thick strips
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup water
• 10- to 15-ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies (Ro*Tel tomatoes)

ACCOMPANIMENTS (for tacos)

• "Fajita" size flour tortillas
• Salsa
• Shredded Mexican cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Sour Cream
• Hot sauce
• (And any other favorite taco toppings)

How to make Instant Pot Flank Steak

Everything in the pot

Sprinkle the sliced flank steak with salt, Ancho chile powder, and garlic powder. Put the steak into an Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker), and stir in 1 cup of water. Spread the tomatoes with green chilies over the top of the beef. (Don't stir the tomatoes - they may scorch if they're at the bottom of the pot.)

Pressure cook for 12 minutes with a natural release

Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and bring it to high pressure. Pressure cook at high pressure for 12 minutes in an electric or stovetop PC ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot). Let the pressure come down naturally for at least 10 minutes before quick-releasing any remaining pressure in the pot.

Serve

Remove the steak and tomatoes to a platter with a slotted spoon. Add a ladle or two of the liquid from the pot, just enough to moisten the beef, and serve with the tortillas and accompaniments. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Cut into pieces before cooking: This is the big trick for this recipe. I cut my flank steak into ½-inch strips, across the grain, before cooking. That speeds up the cooking time dramatically. It also makes tender meat; cutting the long muscle fibers into short pieces, giving us tender steak without long, stringy strands of beef.
• Steaming add-ins: I wanted this to be an easy recipe, quick to throw together on a weeknight, without many ingredients. A quick way to add extra flavor to the beef is to flavor the water. Replace the water with beef broth or chicken broth. Also, add a teaspoon of liquid smoke, soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce to the water (or broth) for extra depth and body in the beef.
• Browning the beef: I skipped this step for a weeknight recipe, but if you want to add extra flavor, brown the beef before adding the water. Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode - high (use medium-high heat in a stovetop PC). Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil or olive oil until it starts to shimmer, then add the sliced and seasoned beef, and cook until it is browned on the bottom. Add the water, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of beef. Pour the tomatoes over the top and continue with the recipe.

Substitutions

Different cuts of meat

If you can't find flank steak, you can substitute skirt steak, flat iron steak, or a chuck roast sliced into chuck steaks.

Spices

I like a simple spice rub of Ancho chile powder, garlic powder, and salt. Chili powder blend can substitute for the Ancho chile powder, and if you want to increase the heat in the recipe, add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the rub.

Cut the heat

I consider this a low-heat recipe, but I like it hot. If you (or someone you're serving) really don't want any heat, do the following: Substitute fire-roasted diced tomatoes for the diced tomatoes and green chiles and ground cumin for the ground Ancho chile powder.

Storage

This steak will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 2-3 months in the freezer. I store leftovers in 2-cup containers, with some of the cooking liquid to keep it from drying out.

What to serve with Instant Pot Flank Steak

This is the perfect carne asada filling for Mexican or Tex-Mex meals. I serve it in street tacos, with sliced bell peppers as fajitas, as a filling for burritos, or topping a burrito bowl. I like to serve it with Pinto beans or black beans, salsa, sour cream, sliced or pickled jalapenos and shredded lettuce on the side. I also like to serve with lime wedges; a squeeze of lime juice over the meat is a nice touch.

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What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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