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    Home » Holidays » 4th of July

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats

    Published: Jan 14, 2016 · Modified: Oct 23, 2022 by Kim Beaulieu · This post may contain affiliate links

    1.4K shares
    • 56
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    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.

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    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.

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    Places to stalk Cravings of a Lunatic!

    Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Kiss My Smoke

    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.
    Print Pin
    5 from 4 votes

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats

    This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Tacos
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Author Kim Beaulieu

    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

    Recipe created by Cravings of a Lunatic
    If you substitute the beef for tougher cuts you can marinate longer. Flank, skirt, sirloin and round can marinate for longer, up to 24 hours. Striploin needs very little marinating so I only marinated mine for a short time. It's okay to swap the meat, just adjust accordingly.
    If you don't want to take the time to caramelize the onions that's okay. This works well with cooked or raw onions. If you don't caramelize the onions it will cut your cooking time down dramatically.

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    We love fusion food. We're huge BBQ people, but we also Mexican food. So we combine them any time we can.

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    The photo above is the meat and vegetables after the pan is deglazed and everything is mixed back in. It's delightful!

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    Top with all your fixings and it's a party. Homegate at its finest. Look at those tacos!

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

     I hope you enjoy this recipe and head over to Walmart for your own Old El Paso®, Budweiser® Homegate Party needs.

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    Cheers to a successful game day menu! Whip these up TODAY!

    Steak Bites Mini Taco Boats from cravingsofalunatic.com- This taco recipe uses steak marinated in beer, then cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and topped with Barbecue Sauce. It's Tex-Mex in mini form. Every bite is full of flavour. (@CravingsLunatic)

    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

    « Weekly Meal Plan: Week 26
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    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. The Food Hunter

      January 15, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      I love the boat idea!!

      Reply
    2. Nikki @ Nik Snacks

      January 17, 2016 at 10:42 pm

      Oh, wow! These look good! I'm impressed. I need to try these taco boats.

      Reply
    3. Jenny Flake

      January 25, 2016 at 8:01 am

      Great looking steak taco boats!!!!

      Reply
    4. Charlie Ralph

      June 10, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      Hi Kim!
      No beer here, any suggestions of what else I could use?

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        June 12, 2016 at 2:10 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Charlie

          June 12, 2016 at 10:22 am

          Thanks Kim!

          Reply
    5. Jen Dart

      May 04, 2022 at 2:05 pm

      5 stars
      My kids went crazy for these boats! Thank you so much, we will definitely make them again!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        May 16, 2022 at 3:22 pm

        Thanks so much. Glad the kids enjoyed them.

        Reply
    6. Toni

      May 05, 2022 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      This is such a great idea and really tasty! It was a huge hit! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        May 16, 2022 at 3:21 pm

        Thank you so much. Happy to hear everyone liked them.

        Reply

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