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My homemade mulitas make a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will enjoy. It features carne asada steak and shredded cheese stuffed in crispy tortillas.
If you crave Mexican recipes like us, try my carne picada, carne asada, beef barbacoa, and quesabirria tacos next.
Table of Contents
In my household, a late-night visit to a taco truck happens almost every weekend, and our go-to is mulitas. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are essentially ‘sandwich tacos.’ They feature two tortillas filled with cheese, meat, salsa, and lashings of guacamole. While I like my weekly taco truck visit or Mexican restaurant dinner, making them at home is just as easy and delicious.
Why I love this recipe
- Easy to make. This is the kind of dish you can make for busy weeknight dinners or when you need to feed a crowd.
- Easy customization. I have a family of picky eaters, and it’s easy to change the fillings to suit them.
- Healthy. These make a fabulous protein-packed meal that does not sacrifice taste.
Key Ingredients
- Flank steak OR skirt steak. I prefer flank steak as it’s a little more tender, but skirt steak also works. I’ve also tested this recipe using one of my pre-made Mexican beef dishes like carne asada, birria meat, and arrachera, and it worked just as well.
- Onion and garlic. Finely chopped.
- Corn tortillas. Most Mexican restaurants and taco trucks use corn tortillas, but I’ve successfully made them with flour tortillas, too. The only downside is the latter aren’t as crispy.
- Cheese. I like using a Mexican shredded cheese blend (a mix of Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese), but any strongly flavored cheese that melts works well, including mozzarella cheese and Oaxaca cheese. If you can find cojita cheese, that is always a winner.
- Toppings. I like to use the classics like avocado and pico de gallo, but jalapenos and sliced onions would also be great.
How to make mulitas
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the meat filling. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add chopped onions, and saute for 3-4 minutes before adding the steak and cook until it’s no longer pink.
Step 2- Heat. Place a pan over medium-high heat and add a tortilla.
Step 3- Assemble. Add a layer of cheese, meat, parsley, and more cheese.
Step 4- Cook. Cover with another tortilla and brush with oil. When the cheese melts, flip and cook for another minute.
Step 5- Add the fillings and assemble. Remove mulitas from the skillet. Gently lift one side of the tortilla and add the guacamole, diced tomatoes, and other toppings.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Always slice the steak before cooking it. It cooks quicker and absorbs more of the aromatics.
- Choose larger corn tortillas so you have more room to add fillings and less risk of them breaking. I recommend at least 5 1/2 inches.
- Change up the protein. I typically use steak, but I’ve also made this with chicken al pastor, sliced pork, and chipotle sofritas (tofu).
Storage instructions
Do not store the assembled mulitas, as they must be eaten fresh. However, the cooked steak makes great leftovers.
To store: Store leftover steak in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled steak in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw the steak completely before assembling the mulitas.
Frequently asked questions
One main difference between the two is that mulitas are typically made with corn tortillas, while quesadillas are usually made with flour tortillas. Additionally, a quesadilla is a single tortilla folded in half and filled, mainly with cheese. A mulita is more like a sandwich, with fillings between two tortillas. Quesadillas also tend to have more cheese.
More Mexican dinners
Mulitas
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Season the sliced steak with salt and pepper.
- In a non-stick pan or skillet, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Add the sliced steak and cook for 4 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Remove the meat off the heat and cover, to let it remain juicy and tender.
- Clean the pan and place it back over medium heat. Place one corn tortilla on top, followed by some cheese, and some sliced steak. Add parsley and extra cheese, and top with another corn tortilla.
- Cook the tortilla for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Carefully flip the tortilla to another side and cook until the cheese has completely melted and the edges are crispy.
- Remove the mulita off the heat. Carefully lift up one tortilla and add some guacamole, diced tomatoes, parsley and jalapenos.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published June 2022, updated and republished February 2025
These are very simple and very good,! I made them on a flat top griddle so I could make several a time to try to keep up with the people eating
Delicious and easy to follow!
These look so delicious. I love all of your recipes. I can’t wait to make them.
Thanks, Mia!
Excellent
This was great kids enjoyed with friends over
Thanks Gail!
These are amazingly delicious . They are on my meal menu every week .
😀 Thank you, Deborah!
Nice
Thiz sounds delicious! All your recipes I have tried are so good!
nice weekend dish for me, fun, cheesy and great flavors, thank you!