This recipe for steak bites mini taco boats uses beef marinated in beer, which is cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, then topped with barbecue sauce. Every bite is full of flavour.
This is a sponsored post for General Mills. All opinions are my own, as always. Thanks to all the companies, and readers, who help support Cravings of a Lunatic.
I am so happy to be partnering with Old El Paso®, Budweiser®  and Walmart for Homegate. For those of us watching the big game from home having fabulous food is a MUST!
Let's face it, football food is HUGE these days. People take tailgating and football recipes to a whole other level these days. That's a good thing. Food is an important part of the experience.
If I'm being honest, the food is the main reason I'm down for throwing a party for the big game. I'm all about party food, appetizers and tailgating. It's what I live for.
One of my favourite tailgate recipes is Steak Bites. It's so easy to make and you can make a little or a lot. Plus you can dress it up or down, depending on your own personal taste.
You can toss in roasted red peppers, onions, mushrooms, or anything else your little heart desires. I love recipes like that, the more versatile the better in my opinion.
I started to plan out what I wanted to make then hit Walmart for all the supplies. Walmart is always my go-to for Taco Night at our house. I can find anything I crave in one place.
I picked up some Old El Paso® Mini Taco Boats because I knew I wanted to make the steak bites tacos in mini form. People love small bites when attending football parties. Portability is key!
Budweiser® was also on my list. First of all I wanted some for the guys to enjoy while they watch the game. Plus I wanted to marinate the steak in some beer. It works amazing for marinating.
I got home and started to plan out how I wanted to top them. I knew my daughter was going to want hers plain. She is a plain jane kind of girl when it comes to food. So just steak bites would be her choice.
Myself and hubs would go for the loaded versions. I wanted a pop of flavour and colour in the steak bites so I mixed them with onions and roasted red peppers. Perfection. Not. Even. Kidding.
I laid out all the choices for photo day and this is what we came up with. Steak Bites cooked with onions and roasted red peppers, smothered in Barbecue Sauce, then topped with all the fixings.
Homegate is going to rock it out this year.
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Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strip loin steak
- ¾ cup beer divided
- 1 Vidalia onion sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 jar roasted red peppers
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce use your favourite
- 1 head lettuce shredded
- 2 cups Tex-Mex cheese
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 to 2 packages of Old El Paso Mini Taco Boats
- 1 bunch cilantro or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut steak into small cubes. Place in a container and add ½ cup beer. Marinate for 30 to 60 minutes, maximum. Strip Loin is pretty tender so it doesn't require much time.
- In a large cast iron pan start to caramelize the onions in butter and oil. They take the longest so start them first. Cook the over medium low heat until they start to turn brown. This can take about 30 to 40 minutes if you go low and slow the whole time. Add more oil or butter if needed at any point. Move them around with a wooden spoon when needed. Once the onions are golden brown transfer them to a plate. Keep the heat on and place the skillet back on the heat, pour ¼ cup of beer into the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Deglaze the pan by scraping the bits of yummy goodness off the bottom of the pan. Allow liquid to reduce a bit, takes about 5 minute for that little bit of liquid. Pour the liquid over the onions and set aside.
- In the same pan add the steak and cook over medium heat until the edges are brown and gorgeous. You can add a little bit of olive oil or butter to help if you like.
- Add the onions back to the pan and also the roasted red peppers. Move around to mix. Now pour in the barbecue sauce. Cook just until it coats the meat perfectly and thickens just slightly. It should only take a few minutes.
- Toss some of the steak bites mixture in the bottom of each mini boat.
- Top each taco boat with all your favourite toppings.
- Serve with a big old game day loving smile!
Notes
We love fusion food. We're huge BBQ people, but we also Mexican food. So we combine them any time we can.
The photo above is the meat and vegetables after the pan is deglazed and everything is mixed back in. It's delightful!
Top with all your fixings and it's a party. Homegate at its finest. Look at those tacos!
 I hope you enjoy this recipe and head over to Walmart for your own Old El Paso®, Budweiser® Homegate Party needs.
Cheers to a successful game day menu! Whip these up TODAY!
If you're looking for more tailgate recipes you can visit my grill blog Kiss My Smoke. Or hit up my recipe index here on Cravings, peek under appetizer recipes or tailgating recipes for tons of football food options.
You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for tons of recipe inspiration! You can also follow my Kiss My Smoke Recipes Board, or my Appetizer Recipes That Will Rock Your World Pinterest Board. I also have a Tailgating Recipes That Will Rock Your World Pinterest Board. I love party food, clearly!!
Have a great week! Make sure you get your game day plan ready!
Toodles! xx
The Food Hunter
I love the boat idea!!
Nikki @ Nik Snacks
Oh, wow! These look good! I'm impressed. I need to try these taco boats.
Jenny Flake
Great looking steak taco boats!!!!
Charlie Ralph
Hi Kim!
No beer here, any suggestions of what else I could use?
Kim Beaulieu
Hey Charlie, thanks for stopping by to ask.
My recommendation would be to marinate in Italian Dressing, I use that ALL the time for marinating meat. You can just use oil too. Or skip marinating altogether.
When the recipe asks you to deglaze the pan with beer, you can substitute any liquid of your choice. My recommendation would be to use chicken, vegetable, or beef broth (liquid broth). You could also use plain water. I do that on occasion when I don't have beer or wine on hand to deglaze my pans. Totally acceptable.
Let me know if you need any more help.
Charlie
Thanks Kim!
Jen Dart
My kids went crazy for these boats! Thank you so much, we will definitely make them again!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much. Glad the kids enjoyed them.
Toni
This is such a great idea and really tasty! It was a huge hit! Thanks!
Kim Beaulieu
Thank you so much. Happy to hear everyone liked them.