Salpicon (Mexican Shredded Beef Salad) Recipe
Salpicon is a refreshing Mexican shredded beef salad that combines tender, pressure-cooked skirt steak with crisp iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and avocado. This vibrant salad is flavored with serrano or jalapeno chile for a mild kick and served with lime wedges to brighten the dish. Perfect for a light, flavorful meal that highlights authentic Mexican flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Beef and Broth
- 2 pounds skirt steak, cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (plus extra to season the salad)
- 2 cups water
- 1 small onion (red or white; use 1/4 onion for cooking with beef, remainder diced for salad)
Salad Mix
- 3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 serrano chile or jalapeno chile, deseeded and diced or sliced
- Diced onion from remaining 3/4 of the small onion
Garnish and Serving
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1-2 limes, quartered
Instructions
- Prepare the beef: Place the skirt steak pieces, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, and 1/4 of the onion into the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook the beef: Close and seal the pressure cooker lid. Set to HIGH PRESSURE and cook for 20 minutes to tenderize the steak perfectly.
- Release pressure: When cooking ends, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Shred the beef: Remove the meat and transfer it to a cutting board. Once cooled enough to handle, shred the beef using two forks. Alternatively, use a stand mixer on low speed to shred, carefully watching to avoid over shredding.
- Assemble the salad base: In a large bowl, combine chopped lettuce, diced serrano or jalapeno chile, chopped tomatoes, the diced remaining onion, and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper and toss to combine evenly.
- Add shredded beef and garnish: Place the shredded beef on top of the salad or toss it in for a fully combined dish. Lay avocado slices over the salad and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the salad before eating.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can marinate the beef with spices before cooking, but this recipe relies on fresh ingredients to shine.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can slow cook the steak until tender, but this will increase the cooking time significantly.
- Adjust the chile pepper quantity based on your heat preference.
- Serve immediately for best texture, especially to keep the avocado from browning.
- This salad is great as a light meal or as a colorful side dish for Mexican-themed meals.
