Moist, tender and incredibly flavorful carne asada tacos topped with a refreshing watermelon salsa and a drizzle of minty lime yogurt crema.

Since it’s full swing summer, I’m in a how-many-things-can-I-shove-in-a-tortilla-and-call-tacos phase. Trust me, enter this phase and will never grow tired of tacos. Meat tacos, breakfast tacos, dessert tacos. Let’s do it all.

Not sure if I can fully describe my love for these hand-held delights. The juicy tender steak is incredibly flavorful and the salsa adds the perfect hint of sweetness and crunch.

I wasn’t sure if the flank steak would reach my desired level of tenderness considering it is tougher cut of meat, but the meat shreds incredibly well after being slow cooked for 8-9 hours. Mine literally just fell apart. It was a beautiful thing.

Your house will also smell AMAZING after these succulent aromas fill the air. Slow cooker – you are better than any Yankee candle I’ve ever smelled.

I’m also all about the chunky fruit salsas right now. Freshly chopped seasonal fruits mixed with sweet onion, bell peppers, sometimes a little heat, loads of fresh lime juice and sea salt. They are a summertime staple in my recipes and I love getting creative with the ingredients.

This watermelon salsa is super refreshing, flavorful and the perfect component to tacos, salads or plain ol’ tortilla chips. Heck, I could even eat it by the spoonful. I topped it with a little reduced-fat feta cheese for that extra “zing” but you could also use goat cheese or go cheese-less.

Speaking of watermelon, let me introduce you to my new favorite dessert: A fat slice of watermelon covered in fat-free cool whip. It is the ideal dessert for summer: light, refreshing and so satisfying. I shouldn’t discriminate by calling it dessert because I’ve had it numerous times this week for breakfast, too. So nice, I had to eat it twice!

I would honestly eat these tacos for breakfast, too. Or perhaps just toss the carna asada meat in a tortilla and top it with a fried egg and a drizzle of Sriracha? Ugh, drooling.

Let’s eat tacos and talk summer and share feelings.

Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos with Watermelon Salsa and Minty Lime Crema

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 lbs flank steak
• 1 bell pepper, color of choice (I used green), chopped — two thirds will go in the crockpot, remainder will go in the salsa
• 2 shallots, chopped — One and one half will go in the crockpot, the remaining one half will go in the salsa
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 12 corn or flour tortillas
• Optional topping: chopped purple cabbage

Salsa:

• 2 cups watermelon, seeded and finely chopped
• Remaining one third of bell pepper, finely chopped
• Remaining one half of shallot, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 whole lime
• 6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Optional add-ins: reduced-fat feta cheese; 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Minty Lime Crema:

• One 5.3 ounce container of 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• Juice of 1 whole lime
• 6 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Stevia (or granulated sweetener of choice)

Directions

1. Rub olive oil generously into flank steak. Mix seasonings (smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper) in a small bowl. Massage seasoning mix liberally into steak until it is fully covered. Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place meat into crockpot and coat with balsamic vinegar. Place garlic, shallots and bell pepper on top of steak. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours. After meat has cooked, transfer it to a cutting board. Let rest for 15 minutes before shredding with a fork and returning to crockpot to keep warm.
2. To prepare the salsa, combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and let sit for ~1 hr before serving. Toss the salsa every 20 minutes or so to allow the lime juice to evenly coat the fruits/veggies.
3. To prepare the crema, you can either mix all of the ingredients with a whisk or use an electric mixer, food processor or small chopper. Mix until all ingredients are well-combined and it is creamy in consistency.
4. To assemble, spread the carna asada along the middle of a warmed tortilla. Top with shredded purple cabbage (optional), watermelon salsa, crema and freshly chopped mint. Enjoy!