Carne Asada Recipe (Marinated Flank Steak)

Carne Asada is a delicious Mexican-style steak recipe!

Flank steak (or skirt steak) is marinated in an easy citrus garlic marinade and grilled to juicy perfection! Slice into strips and enjoy!

Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings for a meal everyone will love!

Carne Asada Recipe with ingredients surrounding it

What is Carne Asada?

Mexican food is one of my all time favorite cuisines, from tacos to burritos and fresh pico de gallo! Carne asada translates to “grilled meat,” and in this recipe, it is marinated in a flavorful citrus mixture.

Carne Asada Marinade

The key to a tender carne asada is the marinade (and slicing the beef properly, more on that below). The acidity in the marinade tenderizes the meat and gives the most delicious flavor! Allow at least a few of hours marinating time but overnight if you can!

Citrus Juice: Both lime juice and orange juice provide acidity for tenderizing the meat and infusing it with a zesty flavor.
Soy Sauce: Adds both saltiness and umami, adding to the overall flavor of the marinade.
Garlic: Garlic adds great flavor. I recommend using three cloves but feel free to add more according to your preference.
Other additions include vegetable oil (or olive oil), jalapeno, salt & pepper. Optional additions include chili powder, finely diced chipotle, and/or apple cider vinegar.

uncooked carne asada in marinade in a glass dish

Beef for Carne Asada

One of the reasons Carne Asada Tacos are so great is that they use a less expensive cut of meat, usually a skirt steak or a flank steak. Of course, you can always use your favorite cuts, like rib steak. If using a tender cut of beef like ribeye, reduce the marinating time.

Marinating both tenderizes the meat and brings a savory flavor during the grilling process.

How to Make Beef Tender

Allow enough time for the marinade to tenderize the beef.

Most importantly, be sure to slice your beef against the grain. You will see long fibers in the meat, cut across the fibers for tender beef. If you cut with the fibers, you will get tough, chewy meat.

Carne Asada closeup on wooden cutting board

How To Make Carne Asada

Prep Marinade: Mix the marinade in a glass dish or bowl (or a freezer bag if you’d like).
Marinate Steak: Add flank steak (or steak of your choice) and let marinate for at least four hours or overnight per the recipe below.
Grill: Preheat the grill to medium heat and grill the marinated steak.
Cut: Rest and slice the steak into thin strips across the grain.

IF you do not have a grill you can cook carne asada in a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove top. Ensure you remove all excess marinade and discard.

Serve as steak tacos, burritos, fajitas, or just serve over my favorite version of cilantro tomato rice.

To Serve Carne Asada

This is the fun part! Set out toppings so everyone can build their own carne asada tacos! Serve with warmed corn or flour tortillas and this delicious Mexican Corn salad.

Topping Ideas

Sauces: Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, or Pico de Gallo.
Crunchy Veggies: Sliced or diced Onions, cooked and diced potatoes, shredded cabbage, or shredded lettuce.
Other Veggies: Sliced avocados, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos!

Leftovers

We always hope for leftovers so we can make either nachos (with cheese and beans) or Carne Asada Fries! Top homemade oven fries (or air fryer fries) with cheese and broil to melt. Top with chopped carne asada, sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, and cheese.

More Mexican-Inspired Favorites

carne asade cooked and sliced with tortillas and jalapenos

5 from 5 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Carne Asada Recipe

This Carne Asada recipe is loaded with tender marinated steak & all your favorite toppings!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Marinate Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

For Serving

In a blender, combine orange juice, fresh lime juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce, halved and seeded jalapeno, 3 cloves of garlic, and cumin. Pulse until blended.
Place the flank steak in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over it. Ensure the steak is well-coated and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the grill heats up.
Grill the steak for 7-9 minutes on one side. Flip the steak and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
Transfer the cooked steak to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
While the steak is resting, grill the corn tortillas just until they are softened and lightly browned on the edges. Wrap the warmed tortillas in aluminum foil to keep them warm.
After the steak has rested, slice it against the grain and then cut it into small pieces.
Assemble the tacos by filling the warmed tortillas with steak, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

Leftover steak can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or on the grill and add to wraps, salads, or quesadillas!

5 from 5 votes

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

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