Slow Cooker Carne Asada (Steak Tacos)

This recipe has the advantage of tasting like you worked much harder than you actually did to prepare it. Which is perfect when you have a house full of guests and want to spend more time entertaining and less time in the kitchen. I found myself in just this situation on Thanksgiving weekend. We were lucky enough to be surrounded by a lot of family, all staying the weekend with us at our country home in upstate New York. After cooking (and eating) the whole holiday meal, we were ready to spend the next day out of the house hiking to a nearby waterfall. I was able to toss the ingredients for this dish into my slow cooker, head outside for the day and return home to the delicious aroma of dinner. 

I know, these days folks love to rave about their fancy instant cookers, but like the title of the blog says, I'm old school. I love my slow cookers, otherwise known as the humble CrockPot. In truth, I own four. Yes, I said four. We've thrown many parties together and they have never let me down. They are easy to use and with the right recipe, they are my go to kitchen tool for minimal effort and maximum results. 

Once again, simple ingredients, complex flavors. A recipe for success.

The mighty CrockPot. Always there when I need her.

Toss the ingredients into the pot and stir. It's that easy.

Here's my recipe:

Slow Cooker Carne Asada (Steak Tacos)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2lbs London broil or chuck steak (cut into 1/4" slices)

1 cup medium (or mild) salsa

1 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes

1 4oz can of diced (or chopped) jalapeño peppers

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

tortillas of your choice (I like corn, but flour is good too)

condiments: guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, torn lettuce-I think iceberg works best for tacos

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with a non-stick spray. 

2. Place the London broil slices, salsa, stewed tomatoes, jalapeños, cumin and chili powder into the slow toss. Using a large spoon, stir to combine the ingredients.

3. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Every slow cooker is a little different. 

I find mine works best at the lesser cooking times.

4. Serve the cooked steak spooned into tortillas, topped with condiments.

Enjoy!

*A note about slow cookers: I recommend buying one that is at least 6qt. This is typically large enough to accommodate most recipes. Also, and I can't stress this enough, be sure it has a manual time setting feature and that it can switch to warm when the cooking time has elapsed. These features are important for controlling your cooking time and being sure your meal won't overcook and stays warm for whenever you need it.