Carne Asada Recipe - The Art of Food and Wine (2024)

Delicious Carne Asada is tender, juicy, skirt steak marinated in citrusy Mexican seasonings and grilled to perfection

Perfect for tacos, nachos, and burritos, or on its own!

Grilling at home is one of the easiest ways to make this amazing Mexican restaurant classic. Cook it on an outdoor grill or easily cook inside with a grill pan. Either way, you will love the flavors in this easy citrusy marinade which makes the best carne asada!

Once marinated the flank steak cooks in less than 15 minutes. The result is a gorgeous zesty steak ready to use in so many delicious ways. Perfect for taco night and family dinner!

Ingredients in Carne Asada marinade:

One of the greatest things about this Carne Asada marinade recipe is how easy it is to make. It comes together in minutes and uses ingredients you likely have on hand.

• Skirt Steak – you can also use flank steak or flap steak. In a pinch, you can use hanger steak. See below for more about how to choose the cut of meat.
• Olive Oil – or use canola or vegetable oil
• Soy Sauce – a key ingredient in the marinade because the enzymes in soy sauce help break down and tenderize the protein (steak)
• Lime Juice and Orange Juice – freshly squeezed. The juices give the marinade a big bright flavor and the acid helps break down the connective tissues and muscle fibers in the meat. If needed, you can substitute half of the lime juice with lemon juice
• Fresh Garlic – minced
• The Spices: Chili Powder, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, and Onion Powder
• Fresh Cilantro – chopped, or if you’re a non-cilantro lover just omit it
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper – we use kosher salt

CHEFS TIP: Fresh citrus juices are the key to this marinade so be sure to make it with freshly squeezed juices.

How to make flavorful Carne Asada

• To make the Carne Asada Marinade:
• Chop the garlic and cilantro. Squeeze the fresh orange and lime juice
• In a small bowl blend all the spices together, then add the juices, olive oil, garlic, and cilantro together
• Marinate the Steak:
• Place the skirt or flank steak in an oblong glass baking dish, or a resealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade on top
• Turn the steak pieces to ensure they are well coated with the marinade
• Cover and marinate for 2 to 12 hours, turning the meat occasionally while marinating. We generally marinate between 4-10 hours, but if you are short on time you can marinate it for as little as one hour and the meat will still be delicious

How to grill marinated Carne Asada

• Remove marinated steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature to ensure even cooking and best results (about 30 minutes)
• When ready to cook start preheating a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Be sure the grill heats up for at least 15 minutes
• Drain the marinade off of the meat and discard the marinade
• Place meat on a hot grill for about 5 minutes per side. Only turn the meat once to ensure a great sear on the meat. You want those beautiful grill marks! Use tongs, rather than a fork, so that you don’t lose any of the delicious juices
• Carne asada should be cooked to an internal temperature of 130˚F, which is medium-rare. Use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer if possible. The temperature will rise about 5 degrees while it rests.
• Let the meat rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, on a cutting board for about 5-10 minutes to allow those delicious juices to reabsorb back into the meat
• If you’re using an indoor grill pan, or cast iron pan, follow the same instructions as above.
• If the pieces are too long just slice in half before searing and cook in batches. Don’t overcrowd the grill pan because that will prevent a great sear on the meat.

Cutting the meat

• Once the meat has rested you will slice it against the grain (see tips below for cutting against the grain)
• When prepping for tacos, burritos, or nachos slice further into smaller bite-size pieces

How to cut meat against the grain

• Cutting meat against the grain ensures it tastes more tender when you’re eating it. Luckily, it’s easy to see the grain in both flank and skirt steak because it looks like lines running through the meat.
• Simply cut perpendicular to the lines (not parallel). The goal is to cut through the grain which makes the meat easier to chew.

What type of meat is Carne Asada?

• Carne Asada is a skirt, flank, or flap steak that has been marinated, grilled on hot heat, and thinly sliced. It’s one of the easiest ways to prepare steak and the results are amazing.
• “Carne” translates to meat and “Asada” means grilled, so it’s the perfectly “grilled meat”.
• You can make this easy carne asada recipe with both skirt and flank steak. We like skirt steak because it’s a more lean cut of meat, but flank steak is more affordable. Ask the butcher for a piece of “outside skirt steak” for an even more lean cut of beef.

The best ways to use grilled skirt steak as a side or main dish

One of our favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is to use.

• Tacos – this juicy, buttery meat makes the absolute best tacos! We like to keep it simple with chopped onions, cilantro, and a few chopped tomatoes in soft corn tortillas
• Burritos – be sure to dice the meat into small pieces before adding to burritos
• Nachos – add shredded cheese, black or pinto beans, salsa verde, or fresh pico de gallo, and after baking, top with guacamole and sour cream
• Carne Asada Fries – a super popular way to serve this juicy meat
• Taco Cups – our versatile taco cups are a great appetizer and a fun way to use carne asada meat

How to store

• REFRIGERATOR: cool meat and store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days
• FREEZER: cool cooked meat and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating

Other great Mexican-inspired recipes:

We are a little obsessed with Mexican food, so be sure to check out a few of our other recipes for an amazing full dinner, and top it off with a Spicy Mango Margarita!

• Authentic Carnitas
• Spanish Rice
• Turkey Tacos
• Green Chicken Enchiladas
• Authentic Chile Verde recipe
• Chile Colorado
• Black Bean and Corn Salad – sometimes called cowboy caviar