The perfect under-20-minute Mexican taco recipe that your family will love. Bistec a la Mexicana is beef cooked in a delicious mix of tomato, chiles, onion, and cilantro. This is the vegan version.
What is bistec a la mexicana?
Bistec a la Mexicana is a Mexican dish consisting of thin, grilled, or pan-fried beef steaks cooked with diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeno peppers. The ingredients are simmered until the sauce thickens, and the steak is tender and flavorful. It is typically served with rice, beans, and tortillas.
Ingredients
- Tomato: in Mexican cuisine, we often use Roma tomatoes because of their balanced flavor. They are always perfect for salsas, soups, and stews. I always use fresh tomatoes for this recipe and pulse them in the food processor.
- Onion, white or yellow work well. I like to use it thinly sliced.
- Cilantro
- Chile, you can use chile serrano or chile jalapeño; both work well. Serrano peppers are spicier than jalapeños.
- Vegan beef. I use beyond steak, which mimics the texture and flavor of the regular steak. They are sold frozen, and you can use them right out of the bag. You can substitute with mushrooms, tempeh, or tofu.
What is vegan beef?
Vegan beef is a plant-based alternative to traditional beef made from ingredients such as soy, tempeh, seitan, or legumes such as lentils or black beans.
These products are designed to mimic beef’s taste, texture, and appearance but are made entirely from vegetarian or vegan ingredients. They are often used as meat substitutes for burgers, stews, and stir-fries.
How to make vegan bistec a la Mexicana
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the vegan beef pieces to the pan and cook until browned and thawed, if using frozen, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, the jalapeños, and the cilantro, and cook for 2-3 minutes until it simmers. Check for seasoning.
Tips for making the best Mexican beef stew (vega)
- Season, season, season! I use Kosher salt and season by layers. Season the vegan beef, then season the vegetables, and season in the end.
- Use a large skillet so you don’t overcrowd it; you want the onions and beef strips to move freely.
- If you wish, you could add garlic to the dish.
- In a pinch, you could use diced canned tomatoes.
How to serve
Make tacos or taquitos with warm corn tortillas and finish them with a squeeze of lime.
You could also make flour tortilla burritos with rice, refried beans, guacamole, shredded lettuce, and the bistec a la Mexicana.
As a main dish, serve them with rice and beans. The rice will catch up with the delicious juices.
To store bistec a la Mexicana, follow these steps
- Allow the dish to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the vegan bistec a la Mexicana to an airtight container.
- Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator.
- Store the vegan bistec a la Mexicana in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Note: It’s recommended to reheat the bistec a la Mexicana in a pan over medium heat until it is heated. Microwaving the dish can cause it to become dry and rubbery.
Other vegan Mexican recipes that you will love
- Mexican vegetable soup (sopa de milpa)
- Enchiladas Rojas
- Enchilada casserole
- Enfrijoladas
- Salsa Molcajeteada
- Arroz blanco primavera
- Papas con chorizo
- Fideo soup
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Bistec a la Mexicana, Mexican beef stew (vegan)
Equipment
- 12 in Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 10 oz vegan beef such as beyond steak
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 roma tomatoes diced or pulsed in the food processor
- 2 jalapenos seeded and diced
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the vegan beef pieces to the pan and cook until browned and thawed, if using frozen, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, the jalapeños, and the cilantro, and cook for 2-3 minutes until it simmers. Check for seasoning.
Notes
- Allow the dish to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the vegan bistec a la Mexicana to an airtight container.
- Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator.
- Store the vegan bistec a la Mexicana in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tengo una Certificación Profesional en la cocina vegana; en el mundo de la cocina basada en vegetales, frutas, granos, leguminosas… en comida limpia, orgánica y vegana.
My cookbook is called Yo Cocino Latino..
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