Enjoy juicy carne asada steak, marinated and grilled to perfection for melt-in-your-mouth street-style carne asada tacos. If you’re looking for more than tacos, try a carne asada platter.
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada is Spanish for grilled meat, usually ranchero de res, skirt steak, or flank steak. The marinated steak grills over an open flame and cut into thin slices to serve.
But preparing carne asada steak is more than just grilling meat—it’s a whole event. Like barbecues in the United States, these get-togethers usually involve a grill or fire, plenty of meat, a designated grill master, and friends and family to enjoy the meal.
Key Ingredients
- Garlic: Lightly crush a handful of fresh garlic cloves to release their flavor.
- Jalapeño: Add mild heat and brightness to the marinade with roughly chopped jalapeños. To keep it mild, remove the seeds and membranes, or leave them in for extra spice.
- Onion: The white onions soften in the marinade and release a subtle sweetness.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice brings acidity and balance. Use the juice of two whole limes for the best flavor.
- Orange: A squeeze of fresh orange juice adds natural sweetness and helps tenderize the meat. One orange works perfectly, or use ½ cup pulp-free orange juice.
- Olive Oil: A little olive oil helps distribute the carne asada marinade evenly while locking in moisture as the steak cooks.
- Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is unlike light or all-purpose soy sauce, giving the meat a more intense flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar flavors and enhances the tenderizing power of the citrus.
- Steak: Flap steak (ranchero de res) is the best choice, but you can also use skirt steak or flank steak.
- Tortillas: Warm corn tortillas are the traditional way to serve carne asada tacos. Heat them properly to ensure they can hold the meat and toppings without falling apart.
- Toppings: Keep it simple with finely chopped white onion and fresh cilantro for that authentic finish.
What’s the best cut of beef for carne asada?
If you want that true taqueria flavor, make carne asada tacos with flank steak or skirt steak. Out of the two, I recommend skirt steak.
For best results, visit your local carniceria to purchase flap steak or ranchera de res. Apart from a carniceria, I have only found non-marinated flap steak at Whole Foods, but it’s usually quite expensive.
Prepare the Corn Tortillas
Use small corn tortillas for the tacos. Follow my tips for heating corn tortillas. You can warm them directly on the grill, in a dry skillet, or in the oven wrapped in foil.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the marinade ingredients in a resealable bag. Add the steak and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Preheat the grill by setting all burners on high for about 10 minutes, then clean the grates. Remove the steak and discard any excess marinade. Place them on the grates and cook for 4-8 minutes.
Step 3: Flip and grill for 4-8 minutes,, depending on the steak’s thickness.
Step 4: Transfer the grilled steak to a cutting board and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice it against the grain and chop it into small taco-sized pieces.
Step 5: Assemble the tacos by warming the corn tortillas, adding sliced steak, and topping them with chopped onions and cilantro.
Cook the Steak on the Stovetop
If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, make carne asada tacos on the stovetop. Begin by warming oil in a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook the steak for 4-8 minutes per side, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Marinate the steak. Let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but 2-3 hours will give you the best flavor. You don’t want to marinate the steak for more than 8 hours, or the citrus in the marinade will start breaking down the meat.
- High heat is everything. Your cooking surface should be smoking hot before the steak hits it. Whether you’re cooking directly on a grill, using a grill pan, or a cast-iron skillet, high heat creates a deeply flavorful sear. Carne asada is meant to be fast-cooked, so it’s slightly charred on the outside.
- Let it rest. Once cooked, rest the steak for 5–10 minutes before slicing, allowing the juices to redistribute, and keeping every bite tender and flavorful.
If you enjoy this carne asada taco recipe, try one of these Mexican-inspired recipes!
What to Serve with Carne Asada Tacos
Keep things simple for authentic carne asada tacos, because when the meat is done right, you don’t need much. Tuck the steak into warm tortillas and top the tacos with finely chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. That’s really all you need, but you can’t go wrong with a drizzle of salsa roja or salsa verde and a sprinkle of cotija cheese.
In case you need help deciding, some of the best side dishes for carne asada, if you want to make it a full spread, are Mexican rice, charro beans, elotes Mexicano, pico de gallo, cabbage slaw, or keep it casual and just serve tortilla chips and guacamole on the side.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover steak in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Keep any toppings separate so everything stays fresh.
- Freeze: Let the steak cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Carne asada freezes well for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator for the best texture.
- Reheat: Wrap the steak in foil and warm it in the oven, or reheat individual portions in a hot skillet on the stovetop to bring back some of that char.
- Repurpose: Leftover carne asada is perfect in quesadillas, or you can pile it into burrito bowls, chop it over salads, or tuck it into burritos. And if you’re feeling snacky, make sheet pan nachos or loaded carne asada fries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is carne asada spicy?
Not usually, since the citrusy marinade is quite mild. You can add heat by topping the tacos with your favorite salsa.
More Steak Recipes:
Carne Asada Tacos
- Resealable Bag
- 8 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 jalapeño pepper stemmed, deseeded, roughly chopped
- ½ medium white onion thinly sliced
- lime juice 2 limes
- orange juice 1 orange
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 pounds flap steak
- 1 medium white onion finely diced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 8 small corn tortillas
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a resealable bag. Add the steak and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the grill by setting all burners on high for about 10 minutes, then clean the grates. Remove the steak and discard any excess marinade. Place them on the grates and cook for 4-8 minutes.
- Flip and grill for 4-8 minutes, depending on the steak’s thickness.
- Transfer the grilled steak to a cutting board and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice it against the grain and chop it into small taco-sized pieces.
- Assemble the tacos by warming the corn tortillas, adding sliced steak, and topping them with chopped onions and cilantro.
- Marinate the steak. Let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but 2-3 hours will give you the best flavor. You don’t want to marinate the steak for more than 8 hours, or the citrus in the marinade will start breaking down the meat.
- High heat is everything. Your cooking surface should be smoking hot before the steak hits it. Whether you’re cooking directly on a grill, using a grill pan, or a cast-iron skillet, high heat creates a deeply flavorful sear. Carne asada is meant to be fast-cooked, so it’s slightly charred on the outside.
- Let it rest. Once cooked, rest the steak for 5–10 minutes before slicing, allowing the juices to redistribute, and keeping every bite tender and flavorful.
Sam
Monday 6th of June 2022
These were very easy to make and remind me of Cancun
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
Don't you love that food can evoke such strong memories; glad they transported you back to Cancun.