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My Carne Asada recipe will be your new best friend for taco night! Using a simple lime and orange Mexican marinade inspired by traditional cuisine to tenderize the flank steak, this dish is effortlessly delicious. Cooks in 10 minutes after marinating!
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Carne Asada
My family loves Mexican-inspired recipes, and of them all, carne asada is easily one of our top 3 favorites. The aroma when the marinated beef hits the sizzling hot grill pan is heavenly! This is a perfectly grilled flank steak recipe with so much flavor, ideal for enjoying sliced on its own, over rice, or in tacos.
The best part about homemade carne asada is how easy it is to make. Marinate it a couple of hours before dinnertime, then cook it up in just 10 minutes. It’s beyond simple and so tender!
This recipe was just amazing. I made it for a party and everyone loved it!
Janice on Pineterest
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada literally translates to “grilled meat” or “grilled beef”. It is a traditional Mexican street food typically served in tacos. The beef shines with a simple but flavorful Mexican marinade of orange and lime juice, which both enhances its taste and helps tenderize the beef to keep it juicy!
Carne Asada Seasoning
- garlic
- cumin
- salt and pepper
Mixed with the citrus marinade juices, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper make the perfect simple carne asada seasoning!
Carne Asada Marinade
- lime juice
- orange juice
- carne asada seasoning (above)
While you’ll find many recipes with steak require a long list of ingredients, most traditional Mexican recipes keep it pretty minimal, using citrus juice, garlic, and simple seasoning. My simple Carne Asada Marinade is the same.
You can add some minced jalapeño if you want a bit of heat, or simply add it with your toppings later.
How to Make Carne Asada
- Trim any excess fat from the steak and, if you prefer, cut into slightly smaller lengths to make it easier to grill.
- Put the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a freezer bag big enough to hold the meat, or a container that allows the meat to lay flat.
- Mix the marinade ingredients, add the meat, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours but less than 8.
- When ready to cook, remove it from the refrigerator a few minutes early and allow it to come to room temperature while you preheat the grill to high. Then, grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Serve in thin slices, being sure to cut across the grain.
This is a simple steak recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for a quick and delicious dinner. It just requires a little time to marinate, and then grilling is done in a flash.
Carne Asada Recipes Tips
- You could also use a beef chuck roast for the meat, but this should be cooked low and slow either in a roasting pan or slow cooker, as with my Beef Chuck Roast or Slow Cooker Chuck Roast recipes. The marinade will pair well with the beef.
- No matter which cut you use for carne asada steak, always cut against the grain for the best results.
- Marinate for at least 2 hours, but less than 8. You don’t want to marinate overnight as the muscle fibers in the beef will begin to break down too much.
- You can marinate the beef in a large plastic bag for easy clean up or in a bowl.
- Grill on medium-high (between 450-500°F). If you do not own an outdoor grill, you can make carne asada in the oven under a broiler or in a grill pan on the stove.
- Cooking time is an estimate and depends on the thickness of your cut of beef. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
How Long to Grill Flank Steak
Flank steak is much thinner than other cuts of beef you might be familiar with grilling, so to reach your desired internal temperature, it may not take as long to cook.
I suggest grilling the steak over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until it reaches 135°F for medium-rare, or 10 to 12 minutes until it reaches 145°F for medium.
Steak Temperature
Remember, the steak will continue to cook once you’ve removed it from the grill. Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. I always like to refer to a Beef Temperature Chart while using an instant read thermometer for the perfect temperature each time!
| Desired Doneness | Total Time to Cook |
|---|---|
| Rare | 11-13 minutes for 1″; 13-15 minutes for 1.5″ |
| Medium-rare | 12-14 minutes for 1″; 14-16 minutes for 1.5″ |
| Medium | 13-15 minutes for 1″; 15-17 minutes for 1.5″ |
| Medium-well | 14-16 minutes for 1″; 16-18 minutes for 1.5″ |
| Well-done | 15-17 minutes for 1″; 17-19 minutes for 1.5″ |
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
Carne asada tacos are amazing. To make carne asada tacos, serve in tortillas of your choice with pico de gallo or salsa verde as a topping. Sliced tomatoes, radishes, and cilantro are also great choices. I like placing the tortillas on the grill for a short time to heat them up.
Try serving Carne Asada with grilled green onions. Place the onions on the grill whole while you cook the meat; then peel off the outer charred layer as you serve. This combo is so delicious and is a traditional way to enjoy carne asada, and even better in carne asada tacos!
Carne Asada Recipe FAQs
Carne asada is used for much more than tacos! You can enjoy it sliced on its own, in quesadillas, burritos, over rice, for fajitas, and as a base for any other of your favorite Mexican dishes.
Carne asada is usually made using beef skirt steak; however, flank steak and sirloin flap meat can both be used, as they are tender and flavorful cuts of beef. For example, I love Rick Bayless’s recipes, and he uses flank steak for his carne asada recipe. No matter which cut you use for carne asada steak, always cut against the grain for the best results.
Though both cuts of meat look similar, skirt steak tends to contain more tough muscles than flank steak; however, following this carne asada recipe, both will turn out tender and incredibly flavorful. Both skirt and flank steak should be marinated first, then cooked to rare or medium rare for the most tender texture.
To make carne asada keto-friendly, omit the orange juice and substitute apple cider vinegar. Orange juice contains a good amount of sugar, even when it is freshly squeezed.
What to Serve with Carne Asada
- Elote
- Corn Riblets
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Sauteed Peppers and Onions
- Try my Taco Salad Bowl next!
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Recipe
Carne Asada Recipe
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
- Meat thermometer optional
Ingredients
- 1 lb skirt steak or flank steak (top sirloin also works)
- juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic (large, 3 if smaller)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the steak and, if you prefer, cut into slightly smaller lengths to make it easier to grill.1 lb skirt steak
- Put the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a freezer bag big enough to hold the meat, or container that allows the meat to lay coated in the marinade. Add the meat and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate at least 2 hours, but less than 8.juice of 1 lime, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
- When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator a few minutes early to come to room temperature and preheat grill. Grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Let your steak rest, then serve in thin slices. Be sure to cut it across the grain!
Notes
- This dish is traditionally served with grilled green onions. Simply put on the grill as you cook the beef, then dice them up and serve in tacos with the beef and pico de gallo on top.
- Make sure to cut against the grain. This will ensure your Carne Asada steak is tender.
- You can marinate the beef in a large plastic bag for easy clean up or in a bowl.
- Grill on high for best results (around 500°F). If you do not own an outdoor grill, you can make Carne Asada in the oven under the broiler.
- Cooking time is an estimate and depends on the thickness of your cut of beef. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
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