Recipe for slow cooker sweet coffee flank steak nachos {gluten-free}

In the house where I grew up, there were no nachos. In fact, I can't remember ever having nachos until I went off to college, where my favorite near-campus bar served ooey-gooey-drippy-cheesy nachos with beer and free movies a couple of nights a week. I've eaten my share of nachos since those college days, but I don't make them at home, for the same reason I don't bake brownies every day: much too tempting. However, I've been experimenting a lot with coffee syrup while working on the Rhode Island Recipes cookbook, and when I made this slow cooker sweet coffee flank steak, I couldn't help turning it into these unusual nachos. The meat is so flavorful that you really don't need a lot of toppings, but who am I to stop you if you want to add some guacamole or sour cream?

Slow cooker sweet coffee flank steak nachos

From the pantry, you'll need: ground cumin, chili powder, fresh black pepper, kosher salt, garlic, chipotle pepper in adobo, onion, whole wheat tortillas, shredded cheese.

Serves 6-8; can be doubled (use a 5-quart cooker if doubling the recipe).

Ingredients

For the steak:
1-1/2 lb flank steak
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (I like Penzeys Chili 3000)
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 cup coffee syrup (I use Dave's All-Natural Decaf Coffee Syrup)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and sliced

For the nachos:
1 whole wheat or oat bran tortilla per person (use corn tortillas for gluten-free)
1 4-oz can jalapeño nacho rings or pickled jalapeños, drained
4 oz shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (I use a low-fat Mexican blend)
A few leaves of fresh cilantro

Directions

Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, pepper and salt. Rub this mixture on both sides of the meat, and place into a 4-quart slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients, and toss with your hands to combine. If the steak is slightly large to sit on the bottom of the cooker, don't worry. It will shrink as it cooks.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Remove the meat from the cooker, cut across the grain into 2-inch chunks, and shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the cooker, and let cook for an additional 1 hour.

Can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen, and reheated.

To make the nachos: Cut the tortillas into quarters. On a hot griddle or in a dry frying pan, toast the tortillas on both sides until crispy.

Top each piece of tortilla with a spoonful of shredded flank steak, a few jalapeño rings, and some shredded cheese. Heat in the microwave, a few nachos at a time, for 20 seconds.

Sprinkle with some fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Slow cooker Cuban-style ropa vieja
Spicy Asian grilled sesame-soy flank steak
Slow cooker hoisin chicken and slaw sandwiches
Slow cooker coffee-chipotle pulled chicken roll-ups
Spicy skirt steak

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Grilled tortilla chips and grilled tomatillo guacamole, from Panini Happy
Gluten-free enchilada bake, from Gluten-free Goddess
The ultimate chipotle pork nachos, from Just a Taste
Beef fajita nachos, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Chili con carne nachos (slow cooker), from Real Mom Kitchen

Slow cooker sweet coffee flank steak nachos

From the pantry, you'll need: ground cumin, chili powder, fresh black pepper, kosher salt, garlic, chipotle pepper in adobo, onion, whole wheat tortillas, shredded cheese.

Serves 6-8; can be doubled (use a 5-quart cooker if doubling the recipe).

Ingredients

For the steak:
1-1/2 lb flank steak
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (I like Penzeys Chili 3000)
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 cup coffee syrup (I use Dave's All-Natural Decaf Coffee Syrup)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and sliced

For the nachos:
1 whole wheat or oat bran tortilla per person (use corn tortillas for gluten-free)
1 4-oz can jalapeño nacho rings or pickled jalapeños, drained
4 oz shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (I use a low-fat Mexican blend)
A few leaves of fresh cilantro

Directions

Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, pepper and salt. Rub this mixture on both sides of the meat, and place into a 4-quart slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients, and toss with your hands to combine. If the steak is slightly large to sit on the bottom of the cooker, don't worry. It will shrink as it cooks.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Remove the meat from the cooker, cut across the grain into 2-inch chunks, and shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the cooker, and let cook for an additional 1 hour.

Can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen, and reheated.

To make the nachos: Cut the tortillas into quarters. On a hot griddle or in a dry frying pan, toast the tortillas on both sides until crispy.

Top each piece of tortilla with a spoonful of shredded flank steak, a few jalapeño rings, and some shredded cheese. Heat in the microwave, a few nachos at a time, for 20 seconds.

Sprinkle with some fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Slow cooker Cuban-style ropa vieja
Spicy Asian grilled sesame-soy flank steak
Slow cooker hoisin chicken and slaw sandwiches
Slow cooker coffee-chipotle pulled chicken roll-ups
Spicy skirt steak

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Grilled tortilla chips and grilled tomatillo guacamole, from Panini Happy
Gluten-free enchilada bake, from Gluten-free Goddess
The ultimate chipotle pork nachos, from Just a Taste
Beef fajita nachos, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Chili con carne nachos (slow cooker), from Real Mom Kitchen

Comments

WE never had nachos growing up either, but I make up for lost time.

I love the sound of this coffee-flavored beef, which would also be delicious in burritos or tacos! I ate a lot of nachos in college too, but rarely have them now.

Bellini, I did eat a lot of nachos in my college days....

Kalyn, our Rhode Island coffee syrup works so well with slow cooker dishes like this flank steak.

These nachos could be a good way to switch up what people usually make for an appetizer or snack. Great post.

Lydia,
How did you know that when I reached into the pantry to grab the summer squash pickle slices to use in a pickled pork dish, I'd nudge aside one of the many jars of pickled peppers and start wondering how I'm going to use them?

Nachos!
Thanks!

This is a wonderful Rhode Island recipe--what a great combo!

Kirsten, some day I want to come and root around in your perfect pantry!

I've just made the beef and used it on traditional Nachos with Mission Black Bean and Chipotle Salsa and some cheese. Absolutely awesome and the whole family went nuts for them. Best nachos ever, I am told!

yum! I had to think when I first had nachos? for sure at restaurants - like when the first "chain" dinner houses came to the area - not at home like now!