Lomo Saltado Tacos
These fusion Lomo Saltado Tacos feature the classic Peruvian-Chifa lomo saltado (beef stir-fry) wrapped in soft tortillas, and topped with Latin-American toppings like queso fresco, uchukuta sauce (rocoto pepper hot sauce), salsa criolla or Mexican quick-pickled onions, and avocado. These delicious and healthy fusion tacos provide 33 grams of protein, and can be ready in 30 minutes!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Fusion Tacos
Tacos are a thing at Andersen casa. Have you perused my Tacos and Tostadas category? While some of the recipes are more or less traditional, you’ll also find Irish tacos, Korean tacos, Indian tacos, and Peruvian-style fish tacos.
So why Lomo Saltado Tacos? I love beef fajitas once in a great while (I don’t eat much beef). Lomo saltado reminds me of fajitas. Why not wrap a flavorful, spicy stir-fry in a tortilla, and top it with wonderful things like avocado (palta), uchukuta (Peruvian spicy mayo), cilantro, and lime wedges. These fusion tacos are sure to delight your tastebuds!
🥩What is Lomo Saltado?
Lomo Saltado is a popular Chifa Peruvian dish that combines Chinese stir-fry techniques and ingredients with traditional Peruvian ingredients. It is typically made with beef (lomo), but I have a pollo saltado recipe on Beyond Mere Sustenance that is made with chicken (pollo). Sirloin or tenderloin cuts of beef are often used, and it’s cooked with a variety of vegetables and Peruvian spices. The dish is known for its fusion of flavors and textures.
Lomo Saltado features strips of beef, fresh tomatoes, onions, and Peruvian peppers or pepper paste. The dish is seasoned with a flavorful sauce made from a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, and spices. It is typically served with both rice and french fries (can you say carb overload?).
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
Lomo Saltado Tacos
- tortillas – The type of tortillas you use is totally up to you. We are trying to reduce our carbs, and I chose these low carb tortillas on photo day. Additionally, you can select tiny “street” tortillas, regular sized, or big tortillas. The choice is yours.
- beef – The best cut of beef for Lomo Saltado is a tender cut that cooks quickly and remains juicy and flavorful. Traditional choices include sirloin or tenderloin. I have used NY strip, and while it is incredibly tender, it has more marbling and more calories. These cuts are known for their tenderness and work well in stir-fry dishes like Lomo Saltado. DO NOT OVERCOOK, and avoid slow-cooking cuts like london broil, round steak, and chuck.
- tomatoes – When I make pollo saltado, I use roma tomatoes, and de-seed them. Of course they’re fine, but for tacos, I like smaller pieces. I like these mini San Marzano-style tomatoes. You’ll want small pieces, with less liquid and seeds.
- red onions – Peruvians love red onions. I include thin, vertically cut red onion, and I love salsa criolla as a topping.
- Peruvian ají peppers – I love Peruvian peppers. I cannot get them fresh. If you can, slice thin, and stir-fry with the onions. I can get frozen ají amarillo peppers, and will use them in the stir-fry. Ají limo is also available in the freezer section. I do not care for the whole peppers packed in water in a jar, but you can certainly use them if you prefer. Quite honestly, I love ají panca with beef (like this sopa criolla), and I have chosen to specify ají panca paste for simplicity’s (and availability’s) sake. Feel free to play with the recipe and the peppers or pepper paste you use!
- ground cumin
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- Peruvian ají paste – As I mentioned above, I usually use ají panca paste, but I do occasionally reach for the jar of ají amarillo paste. Ají amarillo has a bit of heat, but the ají panca has more of a smoky, earthy flavor that pairs really well with beef. Either one is great if you’re not using thin-sliced whole peppers.
- soy sauce
- vinegar – Peruvians use red wine vinegar, and that is what I recommend. However, you can use sherry or white wine vinegar as well. You want a smooth, mild tasting vinegar.
- scallions
street-sized and full-sized low carb flour tortillas.
Taco Toppings
- rocoto sauce – Known as uchukuta (Quechua) or uchucuta sauce (Spanish) in Peru, uchucuta sauce can vary, and different regions or households have their own variations. The use of rocoto peppers gives the sauce its characteristic heat. It may be as simple as mayonesa (mayonnaise) and rocoto pepper paste, as elaborate as this rocoto aioli, or a green sauce that features green rocoto peppers, cilantro, huacatay (black mint), peanuts, and cheese. We’ll keep it simple for these lomo saltado tacos. If you prefer a milder sauce, this ají verde is a great alternative! You can buy uchucuta sauce online and find it in many Latin foods stores.
- salsa criolla – I make Peruvian salsa criolla with almost every Peruvian main dish. It’s similar to pickled onions on a Mexican taco.
- avocado – AKA palta (Peru and other South American countries) or aguacate (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America), no taco is complete without them!
- cheese – In Peru, I would suggest queso andino. In the US, queso fresco or fresh mozarella are good options. I always have queso cotija, and if I want cheese, it’ll probably find its way into my taco…
- garnishes – Cilantro sprigs and lime wedges are perfect!
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- NOTE: We want to cut smaller pieces of beef, tomatoes, and onions than we would for a regular lomo or pollo saltado because it needs to fit into a tortilla, and be easy to eat. Mis en place is important for stir-fry recipes. Have all ingredients prepared and at the ready!
- Prepare toppings – The stir-fry goes really quickly! I make salsa criolla and uchukuta in advance. I slice avocado and warm the tortillas last.
- Stir-fry the beef – Add oil to a hot wok or cast iron skillet. Add the beef, and stir-fry until you see some caramelized edges. NOTE: You want to see some browning, but the pink is fine. You DO NOT WANT TO OVERCOOK! Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove from the pan.
- Stir-fry the onions – If the skillet is dry, add a little more oil. Add the sliced red onion to the skillet, and stir-fry until the onion begins to soften and brown.
- Add the aromatics and tomatoes – Add the tomatoes, ají panca paste or sliced ají pepper, ginger, garlic, and ground cumin to the skillet.
- Stir-fry the tomatoes and aromatics – Stir-fry until the tomatoes begin to burst, and the onions are soft. NOTE: You don’t want to burn the garlic, so reduce heat if the pan is too hot.
- Finish the lomo saltado – Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Add the beef back into the pan, along with the scallions. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. Reduce heat to keep warm until toppings are ready.
- Assemble tacos – I slice avocados just before serving. I use one of three methods to warm my tortillas. See below!
🌮How to Warm Tortillas
Warmed on a comal or cast iron skillet:
This is my favorite way to heat up tortillas if I have time. Get the comal or skillet really hot. Once it’s ready, place your tortillas on the skillet and allow them to heat for about 30 seconds on each side. You will start to see the tortillas bubble up and that is how you know they are ready to enjoy. The little bit of char gives them a toasty flavor. Place them in a tortilla warmer until ready to serve.
Warmed in a tortilla warmer in the microwave:
Put six or fewer tortillas in a tortilla warmer, and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30-60 seconds until they are warmed through. I’m cooking for two, so this works really well for us (3 corn tortillas each). This is the method I use most often! If you need to do more than 6, transfer them to a warmer until ready to serve.
Wrapped in foil in the oven:
I rarely use this method because it heats up my kitchen, and I live in McAllen, Texas! Wrap a stack of six or fewer tortillas in a foil packet, and heat in a pre-heated 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, until heated through. You can do multiple packets of five tortillas each all at the same time. This is probably the most efficient method if serving a lot of people.
❓ FAQ
You’ll want a tender and quick-cooking cut, one that’s low in tough, connective tissue. These quick-cooking cuts are better suited to being briefly seared or grilled since there’s not much time for the heat to transform the meat. Prolonged cooking does little more than dry these sorts of cuts out. That means strips of tenderloin (also called the filet mignon), sirloin, and other popular cuts of steak, like the strip are great choices. The tenderloin is the most tender of the bunch, but it’s expensive and not as deeply flavored as some of the other options. Still, if buttery-soft pieces of meat are what you’re after, it’s the way to go. I use petite sirloin, and I’m always happy with the results!
💭 Tips
To make a quick uchucuta/uchukuta sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons non-fat greek yogurt, 1/2 lime juiced, and rocoto paste to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Leftover lomo saltado is great the next day. You can warm it up in the microwave and make a taco, or serve it with rice, quinoa, or french fries!
One can never have too many taco recipes, right? These fusion tacos are so quick and easy to make, you may want to double the recipe for leftovers… What are you waiting for?
Lomo Saltado Tacos
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil - canola, vegetable, refined coconut oil
- 8 ounces tender beef - sirloin, petite sirloin, NY strip, etc.
- 1 medium red onion - about 6 ounces; sliced in thin wedges
- 5 ounces tomatoes, sliced in bite-sized pieces - see Ingredients photo for reference
- 1 long fresh ají pepper (amarillo, limo, etc.) - sliced thin OR
- 2 tablespoons ají panca paste - OR 1 fresh ají pepper (above)
- 1 inch ginger - grated or minced (or 1.5 teaspoons)
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 scallions green parts cut in 3/4" pieces - white parts chopped
- ½ lime - squeezed
- tortillas - warmed by your preferred method
Instructions
- Prepare toppings and garnishes with the exception of the avocado. Prep all of the ingredients.
- Add oil to a hot wok or cast iron skillet. Add the beef, and stir-fry until you see some caramelized edges. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sliced red onion to the skillet, and stir-fry until the onion begins to soften and brown. Add the tomatoes, ají panca paste or sliced ají pepper, ginger, garlic, and ground cumin to the skillet.
- Stir-fry until the tomatoes begin to burst, and the onions are soft.
- Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Add the beef back into the pan, along with the scallions. Squeeze half a lime over the top. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.
- Warm tortillas, and slice the avocados. Assemble the tacos, and garnish with lime wedges and/or cilantro as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
These were amazing; they were great for dinner and great warmed up for lunch the next day. They’d probably also be great left over for breakfast, as a variation on steak and eggs.
That’s a great idea, Mark! Thanks! Steak and eggs for breakfast. YUM!