Many Tex-Mex restaurants offer a dish similar to this Steak Ranchero. Some slice the meat into strips or cut it into cubes, and some serve it like in this recipe, with the steak whole and covered with the sauce. I’m sure you’ve seen this dish before when eating out at Mexican places.
Steak Ranchero, My Way
This mouthwatering meal means home to me; it's comforting food at the highest level. I think I could eat steak ranchero 3 times a week and wouldn’t get tired of it! Plus, the leftovers (if any) taste better the next day when you eat them with a warm crusty French roll and some refried black beans.
There are two recipes that are very similar but often confused: “Steak Ranchero” and “Steak a la Mexicana”. They are both very similar because they use the same ingredients, but what changes is the process used when cooking them. When making steak “Ranchero”, the ingredients are ground in a molcajete or a blender, and when making steak “a la Mexicana”, the ingredients are simply chopped or diced. Nevertheless, there are many places that confuse the two terms and name something “Ranchero” or “a la Mexicana” incorrectly.
I called this recipe Steak Ranchero My Way because the ingredients for the sauce are neither chopped nor ground, but the end result is just as delicious.
Enjoy!
How to make Steak Ranchero Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
- Grind the garlic and peppercorns in your molcajete until you have a fine paste. Add the 2 tablespoons of water and stir. Rub this paste all over the steaks and season with salt. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Heat the oil in a large skillet (make sure the skillet is big enough for the two steaks). Once it is hot, add the steaks and cook for about 3 minutes per side.
- Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and cook for 3 more minutes, until the sliced onion starts looking transparent. Stir to make sure everything is cooking evenly.
- Now, place all the tomato slices on top of the meat, as shown in the picture. Cover the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes. After this time, the tomatoes will start releasing their juices. Pour in the beer, season with salt, and keep cooking for 5 more minutes, stirring from time to time. Serve with fried beans, rice, and warm corn tortillas.
Provecho!
Mely,
Check my other recipe for Beef Tip Mexican Style
📖 Recipe
Steak Ranchero
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Rib Eye steak* 2 steaks, each ⅓ or ½ – in. thick
- 1 Large garlic clove or 2 small garlic cloves**
- 6 peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons of water
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- ½ large medium white onion sliced
- 2 jalapeño peppers or 4 Serrano peppers sliced
- 4 Large Plum tomatoes cut into slices
- ⅓ cup beer pale lager
Instructions
- Grind the garlic and peppercorns in your molcajete until you have a fine paste. Add the 2 tablespoons of water and stir. Rub this paste all over the steaks and season with salt.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet (make sure the skillet is big enough for the two steaks). Once it is hot, add the steaks and cook for about 3 minutes per side.
- Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and cook for 3 more minutes, until the sliced onion starts looking transparent. Stir to make sure everything is cooking evenly.
- Now, place all the tomato slices on top of the meat, as shown in the picture. Cover the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes. After this time, the tomatoes will start releasing their juices. Pour in the beer, season with salt, and keep cooking for 5 more minutes, stirring from time to time. Serve with fried beans, rice, and warm corn tortillas.
Glen
Thank you Mrs Martinez, my name is Glenn I followed your recipe as much as I could and now that I have new dentures I had to put all the vegetables into a blender and chop them up pretty small I was looking for a recipe on Swiss steak but I do remember a friend of mine Javier Gustavo that told me about steak ranchero so I figured I'd come to your website and see if you had one and you did Thank You very much I will be back for others.👸🏻😋👑
CindiMendez
Hello ! I stumbled on to your web site by accident/. I was looking on google for a recipe for albondigas. This was about 6 months ago but I never made them/. But just recently my sister in law was talking about her carne de Rez con Chile negro. My husband is from Guanajuato and I am a born in Texas white girl fwithout any previous Hispanic meal influence. I have tried several r Thank you s ecipes and they have been a big hit with my husband every time! Something else the recipes are easy to follow with easy to find ingredients. Thank you so much!
Mely Martínez
Hello Cindi,
Thank you for visiting the blog and trying the recipes. It is so glad to know the recipes have been helpful for you.
Happy cooking!
Myriam
I made this last night, and it was so delicious ! I made it with black beans, guacamole, quesadillas, and pickled red onions. This is just like what we can get at the restaurants here, but made at home ... even better! I had a very happy husband ! Saludos de Guanajuato !
Mely Martínez
Hola, Myriam,
That sounds like an amazing dinner. Buen Provecho! Thank you for coming back to comment.
Glen
Thank you Mrs Martinez, my name is Glenn I followed your recipe as much as I could and now that I have new dentures I had to put all the vegetables into a blender and chop them up pretty small I was looking for a recipe on Swiss steak but I do remember a friend of mine Javier Gustavo that told me about steak ranchero so I figured I'd come to your website and see if you had one and you did Thank You very much I will be back for others.👸🏻😋👑
Kristi Burrus
I want to try this but what can I sub for the beer?
Mely Martínez
Hello Kristi,
Just skip the use of the beer. It will still come out very tasty, may cooks in Mexico do not add it.
Farrell
If I am not wrong alcohol cooks out of beer and wine when used in cooking
Monica Van Rickley
Outstanding dish! Very simple to Fokker the recipe and quite flavorful served over Mexican rice and retried beans with a dollop of guacamole. Followed directions and ingredients exactly; except I used wagyu top sirloin very tender.
leslie
i just love your dishes i am a new follower but i am so impressed ! I really like you show that its so easy to make some great mexican home cooking . Follower for LIFE
Mely Martínez
Thank you, Leslie!
Happy cooking!
leslie rosa
I just love your dishes I am a new follower but I am so impressed! I really like that you show that it's so easy to make some great Mexican home cooking. Follower for life
LIsa
Thank you Mely, so wonderful of you to share your recipes with us all! So grateful, plus I love mexican food and have learned some things on my own, and your recepes are delicious!
mmartinez
Hello Lisa,
I hope you enjoy the dish. Happy cooking and thank you for your kind comment.
JOHN.R. WALL
Looks good, it's different than I make it...but I wanna try this version!