Make an authentic Carne Asada recipe at home that’s perfect for taco night! A simple inspired Mexican marinade with lime and orange juice tenderizes and adds great flavor with so little effort to this grilled flank steak recipe.
What is carne asada?
Carne asada is traditionally a street food originating from Mexico. Its name translates to grilled meat, or grilled beef, in Spanish. Carne Asada tacos are especially well known and delicious.
The beef flavor comes through with a simple and flavorful Mexican marinade of orange and lime juice, enhancing its flavor and helping tenderize it and keep it juicy.
Mexican Carne Asada Marinade
While you’ll find many recipes for carne asada with a long list of ingredients, most traditional Mexican recipes keep it pretty minimal, using citrus juice, garlic, and simple seasoning. We’ve done the same with the simple marinade in this recipe, so those are our recommendations for how to season carne asada.
You can add some minced jalepeno if you want a bit of heat, or just add it with your toppings later. Simple Carne Asada seasoning works best!
What ingredients do I need for Carne Asada?
You need only a few easy ingredients for this simple steak recipe:
- 1 lb. skirt steak or flank steak (top sirloin also fine)
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 2 cloves garlic (large, 3 if smaller)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Marinated flank steak makes for an easy and delicious Carne Asada recipe.
What cut of steak is best for Carne Asada?
You should use a flavorful and tender cut for Carne Asada beef. Usually, Carne Asada is made from skirt steak. You could also use flank steak or sirloin flap meat which are also tender cuts packed with flavor. For example, we love Rick Bayless recipes, and he uses flank steak for his authentic Carne Asada.
No matter which cut you use for Carne Asada steak, you should always cut against the grain. Find the direction of the grain and cut across it. Cutting through the fiber of the grain makes the meat more tender and comfortable to chew through.
How to Make Carne Asada
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 cooking is done in a flash:
- 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 container that allows the meat to lay flat.
- Mix the marinade ingredients, add the meat and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinade at least 2 hours but less than 8.
- When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator a few minutes early and allow it to come to room temperature while you preheat the grill to high.
- Grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Serve in thin slices, being sure to cut across the grain.
What side dishes should I serve with Carne Asada?
Traditionally, you serve a Carne Asada recipe with grilled green onions; just put them on the grill whole when you are cooking the meat, and peel off the outer charred layer as you serve.
Carne asada tacos are also common, with pico de gallo as a topping, or salsa verde. If you want to mix things up, you could try serving it with Elote or Peach Mango Salsa. You can also step away from traditional and make it into a taco bowl with, for example, beans, rice and guacamole, similar to this Carne Picada recipe, or use it to top a Fresh Vegetable Salad.
However you enjoy this authentic carne asada recipe, you’re in for a delicious treat. Easy to prepare, and with fantastic flavor, it’s a versatile and delicious classic Mexican dish.
Looking for more taco toppings to try? You’ll love these:
- Pork Carnitas Tacos with Salsa Verde
- Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa
- Jerk Spiced Shrimp Tacos
- Vegetarian Taco Recipe for Two
- Easy Fish Taco Recipe with Pineapple Slaw
Want more summer grilling recipes? Give these a try:
- Foil Pack Salmon
- Shrimp Foil Pack
- Steak Foil Pack
- Foil Pack Potatoes
- Grilled Porterhouse with French Onion Green Beans
- Grilled Chuck Steak with Compound Butter
- Bison Burger Recipe
- Side Dishes for BBQ
- Mushroom Swiss Burger
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Make an authentic Carne Asada recipe at home that's perfect for taco night! A simple inspired Mexican marinade with lime juice adds great flavor to this grilled flank steak recipe.
- 1 lb skirt steak or flank steak (top sirloin also works). We recommend Certified Angus Beef® brand.
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic (large, 3 if smaller)
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
-
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 container that allows the meat to lay flat.
-
Mix the marinade ingredients, add the meat and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinade at least 2 hours but less than 8.
-
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.
-
Serve in thin slices – be sure to cut it across the grain.
Recipe Video
- 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.
- We recommend Certified Angus Beef® brand for best results.
RECIPE TIPS:
- 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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