Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos | Whole30 & Paleo
This Paleo/Whole30 slow cooker flank steak recipe is keto, dairy free, and quick and easy to make! With just a few ingredients, you can have a delicious taco dinner ready with almost zero time in the kitchen.
If you follow my blog, you might notice that this is my third Whole30 slow cooker recipe I’ve shared in a row. That may cause you to wonder if I’m suddenly on top of things in the kitchen, or if my life is a bit of a mess. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions there.
I’ll also encourage you to check out both my slow cooker buffalo chicken and my buffalo chicken egg muffins if you haven’t already. Then I’ll STRONGLY suggest you add this slow cooker flank steak taco recipe to this week’s menu.
This Paleo/Whole30 flank steak recipe is keto, dairy free, and is going to knock your socks off – and maybe your pants too!
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos
So of course this healthy recipe starts out with me forgetting to prepare anything for dinner. Well, sort of. I did get this going at about 10:30 in the morning, so that’s better than usual for me.
But it went something like this:
“Babe, do we have any food for dinner? I’ll check the basement fridge. We have 3 pounds of flank steak in the freezer, frozen solid. Can it go in the Crockpot? Yes, I CAN put frozen meat in there – just watch me.”
And that’s what I did. I had to run warm water over the meat long enough to be able to pull the styrofoam tray off the bottom, but that frozen chunk of beef went right into my Crockpot. It was in two pieces, which probably helped a little.
After a quick Pinterest search, I found a couple of recipes for inspiration. I took some ideas from this slow cooker carne asada recipe and this one for slow cooker flank steak fajitas, took inventory of what we had in the fridge and pantry, and created my own Whole30 version of slow cooker flank steak tacos that wouldn’t require me to go to the store.
Lazy cooking for the win!
Whole30 Tacos
When making tacos that are Whole30 compliant, I typically use romaine or green leaf lettuce in place of my tortilla. I just didn’t want to do that today. I wasn’t feeling the cold lettuce wrap and I really wanted more of a comfort food.
In the carne asada recipe, I saw that it was tasty served over a bed of fries, and that got me thinking. We had a handful of potatoes on the counter from our last Misfits Market delivery. I could easily dice up some potatoes and roast them while I prep the rest of the toppings for dinner.
No clue at all what that would be called – Tortilla-less Whole30 flank steak potato taco? Gluten free steak taco bowl? Someone with a little more creativity can help me out here.
But it ended up being the PERFECT paleo/Whole30 compliant way to eat my “taco” that isn’t really a taco. (By the way, white potatoes are now allowed on Whole30. Just not fries or chips.)
Whole30 Flank Steak
Ok back to cooking three pounds of frozen steak.
I mixed up a marinade of orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, chopped garlic, chili powder, and honey (honey is paleo, but NOT Whole30 compliant – so leave out the honey if you’re following a strict W30 plan), and warmed it in the microwave for a minute. That isn’t entirely necessary, but I thought it might help warm up the meat to cook faster. I poured the marinade over the meat and left it to cook on high.
The last thing I wanted was to still have a frozen chunk of meat at 6 PM and have to admit I was wrong. That’s the WORST.
I’ll never know if warming up the marinade really helped or not, but I can proudly say that when I checked the meat 4 hours later, it was done! I was a little worried about the meat being tough after cooking it on high instead of low, but it wasn’t tough at all!
One trick to making your meat easier to chew: cut against the grain when you serve. It shortens the fibers so there’s less work for your teeth to do.
Flank Steak Taco Toppings
Whether serving over a bed of roasted potatoes or on a soft flour tortilla, the toppings are like the icing on the cake. I like to pull out an assortment of toppings so my family can arrange their tacos the way they like.
We use salsa, chopped cilantro, jalapeños, avocado, shredded cheese and either sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (for the non-paleo/Whole30 people).
When eating dairy, I prefer Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because of the extra protein.
Not only do the yummy toppings add extra flavor to the dish, but the colors and textures make it pretty too! You know what I always say – pretty food tastes better.
This Whole30 flank steak recipe is one that my husband has asked to be cooked frequently – and not just in January either! It just has an amazing flavor and makes for delicious leftovers. After a couple of days, he gave it a quick sizzle in a pan on the stove and I think it tasted even better than the day I made it.
Whether you’re on a Whole30 journey or no special diet plan at all, this recipe is bound to be a hit with the whole family!
Try out my Paleo Zuppa Toscana recipe if you’re in the mood for soup!
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos Recipe
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos | Whole30 & Paleo
This Paleo/Whole30 slow cooker flank steak recipe is keto, dairy free, and quick and easy to make! With just a few ingredients, you can have a delicious taco dinner ready with almost zero time in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds flank steak
- 1/2 c orange juice
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp honey (omit if following Whole30/Paleo diet)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- Toppings (optional): cilantro, salsa, avocado, jalapeno
Instructions
- Place flank steak in slow cooker.
- Mix orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, and chili powder in 2 cup measuring cup. Whisk to combine.
- Pour over steak.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high about 4 hours, until tender. (Thawed meat will cook faster than frozen.)
- Remove meat and shred or cut to desired size.
- Serve on lettuce leaves, over roasted diced potatoes, or on tortillas (if not following Whole30). Add desired toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 456Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 48g
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how it goes!
If you’re short on time and need a faster way to cook dinner, this Instant Pot Flank Steak recipe is another delicious option!
MEET AMANDA
Amanda is a mom of 4 living a mostly crunchy lifestyle outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 dogs, and a cat. As a former special education teacher who also has her personal training certification — Amanda really enjoys teaching others how to do things!
When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys DIY projects, exercising, photography, hiking, and long walks through Target.
Honey is not compliant on Whole30. Thanks for the recipe!
Oops, good catch! I meant to include that as a paleo-only option and totally forgot to add the disclaimer. Thanks for pointing that out!