You can commonly find mulitas on the menu at Mexican restaurants and taco trucks, but they are really easy to make home, too! Mulitas, translated from Spanish to “little mules” or “little donkey,” are sort of like a tortilla sandwich. In this recipe, a steak and cheese filling is sandwiched between two tortillas and cooked to crisp perfection. I love loading up my mulitas de carne asada with fresh toppings like diced tomato, avocado, fresh cilantro, and jalapeno for a little kick.
They are a great option if you’re looking for a protein-packed meal that doesn’t take much time. And since you assemble each mulita one by one, you only need to make as many as you will eat in one sitting, and you can prep the components ahead of time! For more delicious Mexican recipes, try my birria tacos, chicken fajitas, or my recipe for chilaquiles.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Steak — you need ½ pound of flank steak, cut into 1-inch pieces.
Lime — lime juice and lime zest both flavor the steak and add lots of brightness and acidity.
Aromatics — a thinly sliced onion and a few minced cloves of garlic add a subtle sweetness and deep savoriness to the dish.
Cumin — a staple Mexican seasoning, ground cumin seeds are just what you need for warm earthiness on your steak.
Tortillas — homemade corn tortillas are the traditional choice, but you can use flour tortillas if you want.
Cheese — I use Monterey Jack cheese, but you could use any melty cheese you like (such as Oaxaca cheese, Manchego, queso Chihuahua, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese).
Toppings — you can be creative with the toppings and use what you have on hand. I like them with sliced jalapeno, avocado, diced tomato, and a little chopped cilantro.
How to Make Mulitas
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cut-up steak, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Cook until browned for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked steak to a bowl, and leave the drippings in the skillet for the next step.
2. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, cumin, and a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.
3. Cook until the onion is tender and browned, which takes about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir often so the onions don’t stick to the skillet. Add the garlic and onion mixture to the bowl with the carne asada and set aside.
4. Heat more olive oil in a 10-inch griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
5. Top the cheese with ¼ cup of cooked steak and onions. Then sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of cheese on the steak. Place another tortilla on top.
6. Gently press down on the tortilla with a spatula occasionally while it cooks. After about 2 minutes, when the bottom tortilla is golden brown and crispy, carefully flip the mulita. Continue cooking until the cheese has melted and the other tortilla is golden brown as well (another 2 minutes). Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Top each taco sandwich with jalapeno, avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- If you want a spicier mulita: Opt for pepper jack cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
- Get the correct size tortilla. You’ll need roughly 5½ inch tortillas. Smaller ones may break apart under the weight of the filling and topping.
- Cut the steak before you cook it. This makes it easier for the steak to get nicely browned and caramelized all over, and cooks much faster.
- Use different meat. I make these with steak, but you could also use al pastor or carnitas. Chicken would also work well!
- Topping ideas: A dollop of sour cream and colorful pico de gallo are delicious toppings for these little mules!
Frequently Asked Questions
A key difference between the two is that a mulita is usually made with corn tortillas, while quesadillas are made with flour tortillas. A quesadilla is also just one tortilla folded in half and filled (mostly with cheese), and a mulita are more like a sandwich, with filling between two tortillas. There’s also more cheese in a quesadilla.
I like using flank steak for carne asada, but you can also use skirt steak, flap steak, or chuck steak.
Once assembled, it’s best to enjoy them immediately. If you wait too long, the tortillas will become soggy and might start to break up. The avocado will also become brown. For this reason, it’s a good idea to only cook up as many tortilla sandwiches as you and your family will eat in one sitting. However, you can cook the steak and onions up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble and cook. Set it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start cooking the tortillas to allow them to lose the chill of the refrigerator.
You can freeze the cooked steak and onion filling or assembled mulitas. Once the filling has cooled to room temperature, transfer the carne asada and onions to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4 months. For assembled leftovers, freeze them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 2 months. Both items can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Fry a whole mulita in oil to crisp up the tortilla again.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this mulitas recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Mulitas
Ingredients
For the Steak:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided (30mL)
- ½ pound flank steak cut into 1-inch pieces (225g)
- 1 lime zested and juiced, (1 teaspoon zest, 2 tablespoons juice) (30mL juice)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced (142g)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
For the Mulitas:
- 4 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 8 (5½-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese divided (120g)
- 1 jalapeno pepper sliced
- 1 medium avocado mashed (or guacamole)
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the Steak:
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high. Add the steak, lime zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the steak to a bowl using a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the skillet.
- Add the onion, garlic, cumin, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Cook, stirring often until the onion is tender and browned about 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the steak and set aside.
For the Mulitas:
- In a 10-inch griddle or cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Add 1 tortilla, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese, and top with about a ¼ cup of steak and onions. Sprinkle the steak with 2 tablespoons of more cheese, and top with 1 tortilla.
- Cook, gently pressing down on the tortilla occasionally with a spatula, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining oil, tortillas, cheese, steak, and onion. Top the mulitas with jalapeno, avocado, tomato, and cilantro to serve.
Notes
- If you want a spicier mulita: Opt for pepper jack cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
- Get the correct size tortilla. You’ll need roughly 5½ inch tortillas. Smaller ones may break apart under the weight of the filling and topping.
- Cut the steak before you cook it. This makes it easier for the steak to get nicely browned and caramelized all over, and cooks much faster.
- Use different meat. I make these with steak, but you could also use al pastor or carnitas. Chicken would also work well!
- Topping ideas: A dollop of sour cream and colorful pico de gallo are delicious toppings for these little mules!
