There are nights when you need to put food on the table really fast, and there is no inspiration. This Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado- Steak And Onion will take you out of trouble and help you deliver an excellent dinner for your family.
This recipe is one of the most popular recipes in Mexico but also popular in many other Latin countries.
Each country has a version of it, by adding different ingredients or marinating the meat quickly or overnight.
However, the two main ingredients for the recipe are steak and onions.
I absolutely love this dish because it is such a simple recipe to make and delicious. It is an easy way to put dinner on the table in no time, especially when you crave Mexican food.
Bistec encebollado ( BEE-stake) means thinly cut beef filets. They cook rapidly in a pan with a little bit of oil.
Onions are cooked in the same pan with salt and pepper, sometimes with thin slices of jalapeno peppers for a spicier version, and sometimes with thin slices of potatoes added to the onions.
My version is simple, without the jalapeno peppers, but equally delicious.
I personally love caramelized onions. I would be able to eat a ton of them if I would not have some common sense.
I love them on fresh slices of good bread with salt and pepper. As I like them so much, you can imagine this dish is heaven for me.
I usually serve this recipe with a bean salad, sometimes with rice, sometimes with Mexican-style cooked beans, and a delicious cactus leaves salad or nopales.
Traditionally, this dish is served in Mexico with rice and beans, so keep that in mind if you want to re-create an authentic Mexican dish.
How to make this steak and onion or Mexican Bistec encebollado recipe:
First, start with the meat. Buy thin beef steaks or go to a Mexican store where they sell these types of cuts. I noticed that American steaks are sliced differently than Mexican ones.
However, use what you have around. Flank steak is good too. The idea is that they have to be thin to cook really fast.
Place the steaks on a plate and sprinkle salt, pepper, a little bit of oil, and lemon juice on them. Let them sit on the plate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, use a regular pan or a cast-iron one and heat it on the stove. Let it be really hot.
If you have a grill pan, use that. Just make sure the pan gets hot.
Add the meat and cook it until no longer pink. The meat should sizzle when you put it in the pan.
I cannot tell you how many minutes you have to cook it because each cut is different and could take more or less time, but in general, I think that 3-4 minutes on each side should be enough if the meat is thin enough.
Obviously, if the steaks are thinner, use your judgment and don’t cook the life out of them. When done, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate to rest.
While the meat is cooking, slice the onions. Again, use your judgment on this one. If you cook for four people, for example, cut about 2-3 large onions.
About the onions:
In Mexican cuisine, white onions are the thing. They are large, not very sweet, and delicious. However, if you don’t have white onion, use the regular yellow onion that is sweeter (more sugar content) and caramelizes beautifully if you cook it slow.
Slice the onions thinly.
Tip: Use a sharp knife. There is nothing more annoying than having a knife that doesn’t cut properly. Here is my favorite set of knives that I use every day.
The amount of chopped onion might look like a lot, but they cook down fast. In the same pan, add a little bit of butter and let it melt.
Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium-low. You need to cook them slowly. Otherwise, they will burn.
Add salt and pepper to them and move them often in the pan with a spatula.
Some recipes tell you that you should use two pans, one for the steak and one for the onions. I am saying that you should use only one pan.
Cook the steaks first, then add the onions, as they will take the flavor of the cooked steaks and taste delicious.
When the onions are golden brown, soft, and cooked through, remove them from the pan and place them over the steaks.
Serve them right away with Mexican rice, Authentic Mexican Beans or Ensalada de Nopales or Cactus Salad.
You will have one of the best meals you have ever had! This dish is awesome and super easy to make!
More recipes to love:
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Mexican Pork Tinga (Tinga Poblana)
Authentic Mexican Chicken Tinga
Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado- Steak And Onion
There are nights when you need to put food on the table really fast and there is no inspiration. This Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado- Steak And Onion will take you out of trouble and help you deliver a great dinner for your family.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 or 2 pounds sirloin steak sliced thinly
- 1 lemon or lime -use the juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 to 3 large yellow onions thinly sliced(white onion is ok to use)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste for the onions
- Optional: 1 jalapeno pepper sliced thin or 1-2 potatoes sliced thin
Instructions
- Place the steaks on a plate and sprinkle salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice on them. Let them sit on the plate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use a regular pan or a cast iron one and heat it up on the stove. Let it be really hot.
- Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. The meat should sizzle when you put it in the pan. The cooking time is about 3-4 minutes, but use your judgment as each cut is different and could take more or less time.
- When cooked remove the steaks from the pan and place them on a warmed plate to rest.
- While the meat is cooking, slice the onions. again, use your judgment. If you cook for 4 people, for example, 2-3 large onions should be enough.
- In the same pan you cooked the steaks, add the butter and let it melt.
- Cook onions over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper on them and move them often in the pan with a spatula.
- Note: If you want to add jalapeno pepper, add it with the onions. Same with the sliced potato. These are optional ingredients that can go with the onions.
- When the onions are golden brown, soft and cooked through, remove them from the pan and place them over the steaks.
- Serve them right away with Mexican rice, Authentic Mexican Beans, Ensalada de Nopales or Cactus Salad.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 512Total Fat: 20.6gSaturated Fat: 7.7gCholesterol: 210mgCarbohydrates: 8.9gFiber: 2gSugar: 4.8gProtein: 70g