These paleo friendly steak and sweet potato nachos are easy to prepare and a great way to serve up a well seasoned flat steak. You can also cook this dish using a cast-iron skillet right on your grill. Easy, and delicious, these steak and sweet potato nachos make a great appetizer or main course.
Have you ever wondered what to do with a flat steak? Well, this nacho dish will take all the worry out of it. This recipe came into existence completely by chance, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I had all the ingredients on hand, and nachos just seemed like the perfect idea for a quick dinner. We liked it so much; we decided to serve it as a shareable item at cookouts and parties. You’ll need a large, seasoned cast-iron skillet for this dish. Cook this on a gas, charcoal, or pellet grill. As always, follow your grill manufacturer’s recommendations for cast-iron cooking, temperatures, and cook times.
What you’ll need:
Sweet Potatoes: My best advice is to look for a long, thinner sweet potato. This way, the sliced rounds will be equal-sized and will cook evenly. It doesn’t matter which variety you use–just a matter of personal preference.
Limes: Average about 4 medium limes for this recipe. Stick them in the microwave for 10-12 seconds to get the juices flowing. Doing so will make it easier to squeeze, and they will render more liquid.
Onions: I like sweet onions for this recipe, but it is also really good with red onion or white onion. Using the latter will give this dish a sharper flavor, but it goes well with the sweet potatoes.
Corn: This recipe calls for fresh corn on the cob, but not everyone has access year round, so feel free to use 3/4 cup of frozen or canned corn for the recipe.
Vegan: Replace the steak with a seasoned beef crumble or a steak-like substitute like portabella mushrooms. You will need to saute them first before assembling the nachos. Use a grated vegan parmesan cheese and cashew cream instead of sour cream.
Serving:
This dish works well served for lunch or dinner. It can be served as the main dish or as an appetizer with a side sauce. Add some scrambled eggs right on top or on the side for a hearty brunch.
Steak and Sweet Potato Nachos
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes sliced into 1/4" thick round (look for thinner, longer variety)
- olive oil
- 14 ounces black beans rinsed
- 3 ears of corn husks and silk removed
- 1 sweet onion small sized, cut into 1/2" rounds
- 2 jalapeno peppers large sized
- 1/2 cup queso fresco crumbled
- 1/4 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- for steak:
- 1 flat steak about 1-1 1/4 pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or juice of 1-2 limes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- for creamy sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or juice of 1-2 limes
- 1/2 jalapeno roasted then seeds removed and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine marinade mixture for flat steak. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over top, making sure the meat is well submerged. Seal bag and place into refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
- Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a 12" cast iron skillet. Working from outside in, lay down the first sweet potato slice and place the second halfway off the next making a circular pattern leading to the center of the pan. Place onto the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes become tender.
- Brush corn, onion slices, and jalapeno peppers with olive oil. Place onto grill. Cook corn and peppers, turning often until they have some light charring. Remove from grill and place onto a large cutting board. Grill onions 3 minutes per side, or until they become slightly tender and take on a golden hue. Take off of heat and add with other vegetables.
- Remove steak from marinade bag and place onto the grill. Cook 4-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Once cooked remove and place onto a cutting board.
- By now the sweet potatoes should be tender. Add drained pinto or black beans on top of potatoes. Slice jalapenos, reserving half of one for the sauce. Cut away kernels from ear of corn. Chop onions. Place vegetables on top of beans.
- Slice steak and place onto vegetables. Top all of it with crumbled queso fresco
- Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until everything has warmed through and cheese has melted.
- Remove seeds from the reserved half of jalapeno. Chop and add to blender with sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Blend mixture until smooth.
- Take sweet potato nachos off of grill and place onto a heat resistant surface. It will be screaming hot at this point so let it stand for about 5-7 minutes. Drizzle with sauce, garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve.
