Carne Asada – Flank steak marinated with flavorful and fresh ingredients, then grilled to perfection. Try it served in tacos with your favorite toppings! Restaurant quality in the comfort of your own home.
Today’s recipe is Carne Asada which I’m in love with, because I’m on a taco kick lately and I’m in the mood to wrap everything in a tortilla and eat it. Luckily for me (and for all of you) this recipe is so easy to throw together. We’re achieving some big bold, look at me flavors today – so let’s get into it!
If you’ve never experimented with a recipe like this in your kitchen before, then brace yourself. It’s about to become your latest and greatest culinary creation. Guaranteed.
What Is Carne Asada?
Carne Asada is of Latin American origin and is usually made with flank steak or skirt steak which is grilled and then served as slices. Carne Asada actually means grilled beef. This recipe is fairly simple, I marinated the flank steak in an easy marinade but bursting with delicious flavors.
You can even do this the night before then next day when you come back from work just grill the steak, and serve it on corn tortillas with your favorite toppings. So easy and just superb flavors.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil to build the base of our marinade
- Lemon and Orange juice – Do yourself a favor and make sure these ingredients are fresh!
- Soy Sauce – I prefer the low sodium one.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Jalapeno – To give this spice a little bit of heat. Be sure to remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper.
- Herbs – Cilantro, fresh and chopped up finely.
- Spices – Cumin and chili powder are all we need today.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Flank steak – You can also use skirt or flat iron steak.
To Make Carne Asada Tacos
- Tortillas – Corn tortillas are what I used today but if flour is what you prefer feel free to swap them out!
- Topping(s) – I made my own fresh pico de gallo and cilantro.
How to make Carne Asada
- Marinate the steak: In a large ziploc bag combine together the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup in a bowl and set aside in the fridge. Add the flank steak to the bag, close the ziploc bag and shake the bag around a bit, making sure the steak is covered in the marinade. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Grill the carne asada: Preheat the grill to 400F. Grill the steak for about 5 to 7 minutes per side or until done to your likeness. Transfer it to a plate and cover with foil for 5-10 minutes to rest. Slice thin, against-the-grain, into strips, drizzle with reserved marinade and serve.
Cooking your steak to the right temperature
Not super familiar cooking with steak? Well I have an easy test to determine which temperature your carne asada is at without having to cut it open no matter the cut. It’s called the hand test:
- First make the “okay” sign with your pointer finger and thumb. Now poke the fleshy part right under your thumb with your other pointer finger, that is how rare steak feels.
- Next press your thumb and middle finger in the okay sign and feel that same fleshy part, that is how medium rare steak feels.
- Press your ring finger and thumb in the “okay” sign and feel that fleshy part, that is how medium steak feels.
- Now press your pinky and thumb together and feel the fleshy part, that is how well done steak feels.
Some tips
- Poke holes with a fork in your steak before introducing it to the marinade to really ensure we get full flavor penetration.
- Looking for a flavor bomb? Then let that steak marinate for 4 – 8 hours, believe me it’ll make all the difference in the world.
- If you can’t find flank steak, give skirt or flat iron steak a try. They’re both nice and tender alternatives.
- Let the carne asada rest after cooking! If you see liquid on your cutting board once you’ve cut into your meat, abandon ship, all hope is lost. Well that’s not exactly true but for supple, moist meat you need to give it some alone time after coming off the heat.
- Slice it up thinly against the grain. This makes a big difference! If you slice with the grain, your steak will be much more tough and chewy rather than soft.
How to serve
You can make this a meal all in its own stacked in a soft tortilla and topped with your favorite veggies and sauces. Check out these ideas that you can serve on top of your tacos or on the side!
- Homemade Salsa
- Pico de Gallo Recipe
- Guacamole
- Mexican Street Corn Slaw
- Street Corn Salad
- Mexican Chicken And Rice Salad
Stovetop option
It’s not always grilling season and if you don’t have an indoor grill, not to worry. You can cook a perfect flank steak on the stovetop in a skillet. You will want to use a cast iron skillet for best results. Here’s how:
- Follow the instructions for making the marinade and marinating the steak.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. The high heat is important. Add the steak to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned.
- Using a pair of tongs, check the steak to see if it’s browned on the bottom and flip on to the other side. If it’s not browned continue cooking for another minute until well browned. Cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Make ahead
The cooked carne asada stored in airtight containers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. The reserved marinade will last about a week.
You can freeze the marinated steak in an airtight container or in freezer bags for 3 – 4 months, but keep in mind that you don’t want to refreeze beef after it’s thawed, so prepare wisely! Allow the beef to thaw at room temperature before carrying on with the recipe.
More delicious meat recipes to try:
- Prime Rib Roast
- Mongolian Beef
- Instant Pot Beef Brisket
- Beef Rouladen
- Beef Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Easy Pot Roast
- Easy Meatloaf Recipe
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Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 pound flank steak
Instructions
- In a large ziploc bag combine together the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup in a bowl and set aside in the fridge. Add the flank steak to the bag, close the ziploc bag and shake the bag around a bit, making sure the steak is covered in the marinade. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Heat your grill till it gets to about 400 F degrees.
- Grill the steak for about 5 to 7 minutes per side or until done to your likeness. Transfer it to a plate and cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing it into thin strips. If you slice it right away all the juices will come out and you’ll end up with a dry steak.
- Thinly slice the steak against the grain and serve with remaining reserved marinade.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Storing leftovers: The cooked carne asada stored in airtight containers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. The reserved marinade will last about a week.
- Freezing: You can freeze the marinated steak in an airtight container or in freezer bags for 3 – 4 months, but keep in mind that you don’t want to refreeze beef after it’s thawed, so prepare wisely! Allow the beef to thaw at room temperature before carrying on with the recipe.
I dont have orange just lemon juice. Can I still do this marinade without orange juice?
Sure, substitute it with some chicken broth, and a bit of lemon juice.
This is a wonderful recipe, it is easy and turns out amazing! My whole family loved this!
I don’t usually comment but had to here because this was delicious and a family pleaser! Even my 4 year old son enjoyed it! We have made tacos, quesadillas and taco bowls with the meat. I paired with homemade mexican rice and a simple black bean and corn mixture. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Hi! I’m going to try this tonight. What is the 1/4 cup of reserved marinade for? Just to use with something else at another time?
Also, I got the last piece of flank steak at the store this morning…it’s only 1.44#. What cooking time do you suggest for that size?
In step 4 you’ll see we said “serve with remaining marinade”.
You can reduce the cooking time by a minute or two! Still use nice and high heat and test the steak doneness pressing it with your finger.
Excuse me, sorry.
No problem! 🙂
This was beyond delicious! My family loved it and is requesting it again. Even my daughter gobbled it up and she doesn’t usually eat carne asada. Great recipe! I’ll be stopping by again for more of your recipes.
That’s awesome! We’re glad even your toughest critic was a fan 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! This was incredibly flavorful & delicious!
I have flank steak that is already cut up, can I follow the recipe using the already
cut up flank steak (not marinated yet). I soooo wanna try this recipe.
Cooking time might be a little different, but absolutely you can! Happy cooking 🙂
This is one truly great marinade. I can see this going to the front of my recipe box to use on many types of meat. Don’t know if this is the gospel truth but at a cooking class I took at Publix Supermarket a few years ago, the Chef said that resting any meat that is under 1″ thick is not necessary. There is no volume left for the juices to redistribute. He said just cover it and finish your meal and that will statisfy the need to rest any further.
Actually that is true, I’ve also read many articles that talk about how marinating really doesn’t do much other than add flavor to the meat, but I think in thin pieces of steak like this, it might work a bit more.
Agreed. Adding flavor to a flank steak, etc, is very important. I have found that adding a splash of vinegar to the marinade helps some with tenderizing. Adding Accent(MSG) in place of the salt is our go to ingredient in all marinades that require salt. Either way I’m using this recipe. I loved it.
Can I make this in a skillet?
Absolutely 🙂
Thank you for this recipe, both my boys always order carne asada when we dine out Mexican, so I was thrilled to use this marinade for a beautiful strip steak I had on hand. My son loved it, ate the whole thing other than a sliver of fat! Served it with cilantro rice and corn.
So glad you liked it!
These sound amazing. Saw them over at Celebrate with 8 and had to visit.
Thank you! Hope you try them!
Love … love… tacos! Looks delicious
What a delicious looking treat … will have to make it soon!