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Craving delicious Carne Asada? This easy grilled recipe delivers tender, juicy Mexican steak in minutes. Learn the secret marinade and impress your family and friends.
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Why This Carne Asada Recipe is a Must-Try
I’ve always loved Carne Asada, but finding the best recipe? That was a quest. And thanks to my amazing friend Karla for the inspiration, I think this recipe really is the best! Because Carne Asada is so versatile, you can enjoy it on everything from tacos to salads. Finding the perfect Carne Asada recipe can be a game-changer for your Mexican food creations.
Grilled Carne Asada Ingredients
- Pre-sliced Carne Asada: This can be found in most grocery store meat departments. It can be labeled “Carne Asada” as pictured or “Beef Bottom Round Steak Sliced Thin.”
- Marinade Ingredients:
- Liquid ingredients: cider vinegar, beef broth, orange juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce.
- Vegetables: onion, chilis, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic.
- Herbs and seasonings: cilantro, chipotle chili powder, green Tabasco sauce, Mexican oregano.
How to Grill the Perfect Carne Asada
- Prepare marinade: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a resealable plastic bag.
- Marinate the meat: Add the sliced steak to the marinade. Separate the slices and marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to 8 hours.
- Grill: Heat grill to medium high. Place steak slices on the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Rest and Slice: Allow the steak to rest for a few minutes, then slice in thin slices.
The Secret to a Flavorful Carne Asada
The secret to this delicious recipe is the marinade. Made with fresh citrus, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, and more, there is so much flavor in this marinade! The process of soaking meat enhances the flavor of the meat. Generally marinades use an acid — like vinegar or citrus juice — to change the surface texture. You can marinade all kinds of meats, but in the case of this Mexican dish, having the marinade on beef turns it from a regular meat into an over-the-top flavorful meal.
📌Marinating Tip: Because the marinade is highly acidic, you don’t want to marinade longer than 12 hours. The acids in the marinade will start to break down the muscle fibers in the meat and it will become mushy.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is marinated, thinly sliced steak, most commonly skirt steak. The term “carne asada” is Spanish meaning roasted or grilled meat.
At least an hour, but 6-8 hours to overnight is best.
Yes, if cooked medium-rare it will leave a little pink in the center, and this is fine. This can make for a meat that is a little more tender. Be sure that you have cooked your grilled meat thoroughly by checking the temperature with a meat thermometer. It should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Read More: 75+ Best Mexican Recipes
Something on the Side
We’ve got things started for you with this delicious meat. But if you want to turn this meat into a meal with any of the following side dishes.
Grilled Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carne asada or skirt steak sliced very thin
Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- juice of ½ orange
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 4 ounces diced chilis
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 bunch bunch cilantro stemmed and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon green Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients and place in a Ziplock bag.
- Add the beef to the bag, separating slices of beef so they get evenly covered. Squeeze out all the air from the bag and seal tightly. Allow to marinate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Heat grill to medium high and place meat on grill for about 1-2 minutes on each side.
- The beef is thin and will cook quickly, remove from grill, slice thinly, and serve on your favorite dishes.
Looks so delicious!! I’m looking forward for Cooking that dish. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Growing up, my mom made a lot of Mexican food, but she never mastered carne asada. Your recipe makes delicious carne asada & it isn’t hard at all!
Yum, yum!! I love when I find a good carne asada recipe. This recipe is delicious! The meat is tender & flavorful. We use it in so many things!
Thanks a lot for sharing this carne asada burritos recipe! It’s really easy to make and amazingly flavorful! Will surely make this again and I really highly recommend this recipe!
This is a family favorite! So tender and juicy. I love making a salad or burrito with the carne asada!
This is my new favorite recipe for carne asada! So yummy!
The family loved this carne asada. This was my first time ever making the dish so I was thrilled.
I don’t see the recipe for the carne asada. Anyway you can email it to me. I would love to surprise my daughter with this meal. THANKS
Hi Stacie, I’ve just updated the recipe to include the recipe for the carne asada. You can see it here:
/carne-asada-and-carne-asada-burritos/
Hey! I don’t see the recipe for the marinade? I’ve made it before and loved it. Did you take it off the site?
Not intentionally! I will try to find out where it went. Thanks for letting me know!
Is chipotle peppers with adobo sauce the right kind? Do they make peppers in adobo that aren’t chipotle?
Well, I have something to look forward to next summer already then!
No 🙁 Last week was the last week until next Spring
Sounds yummy! Is the farmers market still open this summer?
@Amy– It's at the Liberty Lake farmer's market. It's called Jalapeno Jeaven. I CRAVE his burritos!
Jesse always orders this at Mexican Restaurants. I'm so glad you posted this one! I've never tried to make it at home. Where is this "local" truck that sells the burritos? I'd love to take Jesse and get one sometime.