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Get ready to fire up the grill and experience a fiesta in your mouth with this amazing recipe for grilled flank steak, perfect for crafting some Carne Asada tacos! The marinade is loaded with classic flavors such as tangy lime, zesty cilantro, savory onion and garlic, and fragrant cumin, making your steak a one-of-a-kind flavor sensation.
Once the meat is juicy and kissed with a little char, wrap it up in a warm tortilla and take a bite. Warning: you won’t be able to stop at just one!
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada is a grilled meat dish made with thinly sliced beef, cooked with searing to add a charred flavor. Why not elevate your weekend grilling by pairing it with rice, beans, flour tortillas, and a refreshing margarita? It’s the perfect way to celebrate.
This popular dish is especially loved in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It’s typically marinated in a variety of spices and citrus juices to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor. The beef is then cooked on a grill, and the result is juicy, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion.+
If you’re looking to make carne asada at home, start by choosing a good cut of meat. Flank steak is a popular choice, but you can also use skirt steak, sirloin, or even ribeye.
Ingredients for Carne Asada
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Jalapeño or serrano chile pepper, seeded and diced
- Cilantro, chopped
- ground cumin
- limes & orange, juiced
- white vinegar
- sugar
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Meat – Skirt Steak or Flank Steak is recommended.
Skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the short plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness.
Flank steak is a cut of beef steak taken from the abdominal muscles of the cow, located just behind the plate and in front of the rear quarter, and is known for its bold flavor and chewiness.
Marinate time: 4-12 hours is the optimal time to marinate these steaks.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
Start with meat: Marinate meat.
- Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on steaks
- Place meat in a glass baking dish( do not use a metal pan). Combine marinade ingredients and pour over meat.
- After 4 hours, the flank or skirt steak has absorbed a lot of the flavor but by 12 hours it will have become even more tender. I recommend marinating the steak for a maximum of 12 hours or overnight in an airtight container.
- When the grill is ready, remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off. Discard the marinade.
- Place the steak over the hottest area of the grill. Be careful the oil will cause the grill to flame up. Allow a few flames to lick the meat and then cover.
- Grill the steak for a few minutes only, until well seared on one side (the browning and the searing make for great flavor), then turn the steak over and sear on the other side.
- If you can’t grill your steak due to the weather, I use an indoor smokeless grill. I live in Montana, weather can change in 5 minutes from nice to snowy.
- Place steak on the cutting board, and *let rest for about 5 minutes.
- Slice thinly against the grain, and serve immediately. Serve with your favorite pico de gallo and our pickled onions, which are addicting!
Tip: Resting Meat – The reason it needs to rest is that the juices need time to redistribute, otherwise, it will just flow away, leaving you with a brown, overcooked piece of meat
Other Ways to Serve Carne Asada
Carne Asada Burrito – Roll up your the juicy flank or skirt steak in a flour tortilla filled with guacamole, pico de gallo, and Mexican rice.
Carne Asada Salad – Mexican rice as the base, layered with Pico de Gallo, roasted corn, queso fresco, avocado slices, then Carne Asada with a Cilantro Lime Dressing.
Nachos – The perfect addition to Nachos, topped tortilla chips with carne asada, refried beans, guacamole, shredded cheese, cotija cheese, and sliced jalapeños. Yum!
Carne Asada Fries – I had this at a little Mexican eatery in Phoenix, it was awesome! French fries topped with carne asada, shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
Still Hungry? Try these Recipes
- Crispy Potato Tacos ( Taco Dorados de Papa)
- Easy Mexican Shrimp Tacos: Quick and Flavorful Meal
- Tacos Gobernador (Governor Tacos)
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Easy Carne Asada Tacos
Ingredients
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno or serrano chile pepper seeded and diced
- Cilantro chopped leaves only
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 limes + 2 oranges juiced
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 pounds of skirt steak flank steak, tenderloin steak, ribeye steak can be substituted
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on steaks
- Place meat in a glass baking dish( do not use a metal pan). Combine marinade ingredients together and pour over meat.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- When the grill is ready, remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off. Discard the marinade.
- Place the steak over the hottest area of the grill. Be careful the oil will cause the grill to flame up. Allow a few flames to lick the meat and then cover.
- Grill the steak for a few minutes only, until well seared on one side (the browning and the searing makes for great flavor), then turn the steak over and sear on the other side.
- Place steak on cutting board, let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain, and serve immediately
- Warm-up a corn tortilla or flour tortilla, place Carne Asada, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Red Onions, or Guacamole on top, and enjoy!
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