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My carne asada recipe takes an inexpensive cut of steak, marinates it in a zesty citrus sauce, then grills it to perfection. The results are tender, juicy, and SO flavorful!
Need more Mexican-inspired recipes? Try my pork al pastor, shrimp fajitas, or chicken tinga.
We love cooking steak at home, but it’s not always cost-effective for a casual weeknight dinner. That is unless we’re talking about my carne asada.
Featuring a humble cut of skirt steak or flank steak, the meat is marinated in a zesty, albeit simple, marinade. Then, I grill it over an open flame until it’s lightly charred, with a caramelized exterior and juicy, well-seasoned center. Okay, my mouth is watering!
What is carne asada?
Translated from ‘grilled meat’ in Spanish, it refers to a popular style of Mexican grilled beef. It’s made with either skirt or flank steak, both long, flat cuts from the cow’s belly and abdominal area, respectively.
Because of its location, this naturally tough cut requires an acidic marinade and high heat cooking to shine. It’s also quite lean, making it high in protein and low in fat.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Dynamic flavors. We’re using three types of citrus, chili peppers, and fresh herbs to enhance the steak’s natural flavor.
- Versatile. Pair it with all sorts of sides, or cut it into thin slices to make tacos, burritos, quesadillas, you name it!
- It won’t break the bank. The cut of beef is cheap because it contains a lot of muscle fibers, meaning it’s tough if it’s not well cooked. Luckily, my marinade breaks down those fibers, and a few minutes on the grill makes for maximum tenderness.
Ingredients needed
- Skirt steak or flank steak. Either cut can be used here. Remember that since skirt steak comes from the cow’s belly, it’s more well-marbled and will have a more beefy flavor.
- Olive oil. The base of the carne asada marinade. This helps tenderize the meat, balance the other flavors, and lock in the juices.
- Citrus juice. I used a mix of lemon juice, orange juice, and lime juice. This trio brings a bright taste to the marinade while the acid tenderizes the meat. Alternatively, white vinegar can be used instead.
- Garlic. For essential aroma and flavor. Use fresh garlic cloves if possible.
- Jalapeno peppers. Remove the seeds and veins for mild heat, or leave them intact if you can handle the spice.
- Fresh coriander leaves. For citrus and herbaceous notes.
- Spices. I used a mix of cumin, chili powder, and Mexican oregano.
- Salt and black pepper. Enhances the taste and tenderness.
How to make carne asada
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Marinade the steak. Stir together the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then place the steak in the bowl and marinate for up to 3 hours.
Step 2- Grill. Preheat the grill and clean the grill grate. Grill the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side.
Step 3- Rest, slice, and serve. Let the steaks rest, slice against the grain, serve, and enjoy!
No grill? No problem!
If you don’t have a grill, you can still get mouthwatering results on the stove top. Instead, heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Once it’s very hot, add the marinated beef and sear it for 3-5 minutes per side or until it reaches your preferred doneness.
If necessary, cut the steak into smaller pieces to fit your pan.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pound the steaks. If your steak is quite thick, wrap it in plastic wrap and pound it to an even ½ inch thick. The thinner the steak, the faster it’ll cook and the more crisp the edges will be.
- Cook it to medium-rare. I’m a diehard medium rare steak guy, especially with this cut. To achieve this, pull the steak from the heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 135F (or 130F to account for carryover).
- Or cook it to your desired doneness. That’s 125F for rare, 145F for medium, 155F for medium-well, and 165F for well done. Use a meat thermometer to measure.
What to serve with this
- Serve it with black beans, Mexican rice, or air fryer corn on the cob
- Pile it on street-sized tacos with diced white onion, cilantro, and fresh lime juice
- Serve it with sautéed peppers, onions, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, and warm flour tortillas to make fajitas
- Use it as the protein in my tortas, mulitas, or picaditas
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover steak should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To freeze: Let the steak cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer bag for 3 months. Let it thaw before reheating.
To reheat: Reheat on the stovetop in a well-oiled skillet or bake at 250F until warm.
Frequently asked questions
The steak should marinate for at least 1 hour, though I’ve marinated for 4-24 hours too. Avoid anything longer than that, or else the fibers of the beef will break down and yield a chewy steak.
More foolproof steak recipes
Carne Asada
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
- 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup coriander finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper minced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a shallow and wide dish, combine the olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, coriander, garlic, jalapeno pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black pepper.
- Place the steaks in the mixture and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 3 hours. If marinating for the longer duration, flip the steaks regularly.
- Preheat a grill to high heat.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and grill for 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes. Slice the meat thinly against the grain.
Very good. So the most important is steak poeces and many spices right?
This is the JUICIEST carne asada recipe I’ve ever made. It is SO delicious!!!
Thank you!!