These grilled flank steak tacos are delicious and made with simple ingredients. Since it's citrus-free, this is a migraine-friendly recipe that your whole family will love. Made without onions and gluten free (if using corn tortillas), the steak pairs wonderfully with the bright flavors of the tomatillos.
As a Texas girl, you can imagine my huge disappointment when I read that I had to give up citrus, avocado, and aged cheeses on the Heal Your Headache diet. Would I ever be able to have a delicious taco again? Is life even worth living without tacos?! If you answered "NO!" to that last question, then I have the perfect migraine safe taco recipe for you.
These grilled flank steak tacos are marinated for at least an hour, although I usually like to do about 6-8 hours. Then simply grill them for about 12 minutes total. If done correctly, no dishes will be harmed in the making of this dinner - total easy cleanup!! Chili powder mixes well with the garlic and smokiness of the paprika to create a delicious marinade.
Taco Toppings
Toppings for these steak tacos are completely up to you, although I like a little bit of shredded cabbage, scallions and cilantro.
I do still miss sour cream, which isn't recommended on a migraine-elimination diet due to the fermentation, but I find that a good quality cottage cheese can make up for it. If you whip it in a food processor till it's smooth, you almost can't tell the difference!
How to Marinate Flank Steak Tacos
After playing around with different marinades, I liked using tart cherry juice the best for adding that citrus-like bite to the meat. I've also used cranberry pomegranate juice with great results as well. I know it sounds super weird to give this a try in steak tacos, but just trust me. If you hate it you can yell at me in the comments.
Obviously this is better the longer you can marinate it, but if you are concerned about tyramine build up you could marinate it for 2-3 hours and still be ok. I do find it's best to not exceed about 8 hours or the fibers in the meat tend to break down. You want it to be just enough that it's more tender, without being mushy.
Most of the time I just dump my marinade into a ziplock bag or a large glass dish. If you can use a bag, you don't have to worry about flipping it so both sides get
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
I have one last surprise for you....salsa verde! So if you're on a migraine elimination diet you can't use onions or lime juice, but I find that roasted tomatillos are the perfect way to get that citrus flavor without adding potential trigger foods. They are those greenish looking ones with the funky, paper skin you always pass by in the grocery store.
As for clean tortillas these can be tricky to locate. I buy the fresh made flour tortillas at Central Market, but you can also find clean corn tortillas it just requires some digging. I've seen a few ok ones at Trader Joe's, but they are hit and miss with adding in malted barley flour. The corn tortillas at TJ's have traces of lime, but I personally think you could get away with them since it would be so minimal. I've seen people have luck with these. Check my pantry staples post for more suggestions. If you're still having trouble, you could ask a local Mexican restaurant as they could be the best you'll find.
PS - please excuse the poor picture. I'm working on my photography skills for better taco photos in the future.
This recipe and post have been updated on March 23, 2020 with new pictures and a few recipe tweaks.
Grilled Flank Steak Tacos
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- ¼ cup tart cherry juice pomegranate juice can also be subbed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2-3 teaspoon smoked paprika can also use regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tacos
- 1 ½-2 lbs flank steak
- 4-6 tortillas
- queso fresco optional
- tomatoes and cilantro optional
- 2 green onions chopped optional
Instructions
- Whisk all the marinade ingredients together and place in a large ziplock bag or roasting pan.
- Add the flank steak to the marinade and let sit in the fridge for 2-8 hours.
- Heat charcoal or gas grill to about 425-450 and add steaks 8 min on first side. Flip and grill about 6 min on other side for medium/well. Remove and place on cutting board.
- Cover steak and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing across the grain of the steak (rather than with the grain).
- Add toppings and enjoy!
Tortillas can be covered in tin foil and heated in the oven for 5 minutes or, if you have a gas grill, you can toast them over the open flame about 1 minute per side to get a nice char.
Notes
- If you can't find tart cherry juice, I've also used cranberry pomegranate juice with good results.
- For gluten free, use your favorite tortillas like corn or cassava flour.
Nutrition
Onion Free Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 4-6 tomatillos
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic skin on
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed) optional if you like it SPICY
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high heat.
Peel the tomatillos from the outer paper-like skin and wash them under warm water to remove some stickiness. Remove the top stem and place on a cooking sheet. Add garlic to the sheet with skin on. - Place under broiler for about 10 minutes, watching to make sure you get a nice char. Turn the tomatillos so they get charred on all sides.
- Remove garlic from skins and add garlic, shallot, cilantro, and jalapeno to a food processor and pulse till fully chopped. Add charred tomatillos and pulse till desired consistency is reached.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
This recipe sounds delicious! Have you tried making this in the instant pot, similar to your other flank steak taco recipe (with the tomatillo marinade)?
I haven't but I imagine it would work. You'd just have to add some broth for liquid!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Of course, I did not have the proper juice (I used apple) but it was tasty, flavorful and awesome. I can't wait to try it with cherry juice.
Oh!! I'll have to try that! Thanks for sharing that with me.
This salsa is the BEST! We make it twice a week as it never lasts long.
Thank you, Meghan!
Perfect marinade keeps this meat juicy and tender. So yummy!
Thank you for another great recipe
Delicious!!
OK, not long ago we got a call from Alicia offering to trade food for TP and paper towels (welcome to the age of CV-19). As these items were until recently "somewhat" easier to get away from the big city. It was a good trade, since she brought this over (while maintaining social distancing). I think we got the better end of the deal as they were so good, it was hard not to eat it all in one sitting. Since then, I've been trying to get her to trade again, but alas, the paper products have become "easier" to get. Guess we are just going to have to make our own. This is a CAN'T MISS recipe.
This salsa verde is THE BEST!! Thanks Alicia!
Can you recommend a gluten-free tortilla? Thanks!
Hey Jolie! Look for corn tortillas at your local grocery store. They are gluten free. I buy the Central Market brand if you're in Texas, but many grocery stores just carry local brands.
Thank you! 🙂
SO delivery!! Thanks for the great recipe ????
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Alicia,
To make a long story short... I didn't have the tomatillos handy for the Salsa Verde recipe, so I used regular tomatoes recipe instead and it turned out great. Husband loved that version of it too.
Nancy, what a great suggestion for others too!
Thank you so much for these recipes! I’ve made several now and my family is loving them. My neurologist gave me HYH book about four months ago and it has made so much sense. This website has save me from eating the same thing over and over . Really wonderful work and beautiful site.
Thank you so much, Melissa! That's wonderful to hear. I just made these tacos last night too and they're one of my favorites. 🙂 If you ever have any suggestions for recipes you'd like to see. Just let me know!
We use this salsa verde recipe every time we make Mexican now! Goes great on everything. Thank you!
Haha, I'm there with you! It's got a great, tangy flavor without the citrus or onion.
What is the name brand of the hyh tortillas you use? I’m new to the dirt so I’m trying to find my usual “staples” that are hyh safe.
Thank you!
I am lucky to live near a Central Market, it's a brand of HEB stores, but I believe they're just in Texas. Their flour tortillas are fresh made in house and contain basic ingredients. But clean tortillas are tough to find. If you can find Tortillaland tortillas, they are clean http://www.tortillaland.com/tortillas/flour-tortillas. I've seen a few at Trader Joe's, like their "Truly Handmade" tortillas, but you have to dig through all the different kinds. If you're looking for gluten-free and can tolerate coconut, Thrive Market has organic coconut wraps that only have 3 ingredients. I've even gone so far as to get them from my local Mexican restaurant! I hope that helps a little bit.
I was able to find the tortilla land brand flour tortillas at my local market today, thank you!
Do you know if the Mexican type cheeses are okay on the hyh diet? Like queso fresco, what is it in the cheese that should be avoided? Thank you.
Yay! That's wonderful. Queso fresco and queso blanco should be ok. Although it's not specifically called out in HYH, it's similar to farmers cheese which is cleared in HYH. I've also tried monterey jack with good results. American versions are only aged around 2 months.