Treat yourself to Mexican at home for dinner tonight with this authentic carne asada! Tender and delicious Mexican grilled steak is perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, and more. If you have leftovers, make nachos like we did with these Filet Mignon Steak Nachos!
Why this recipe works
It’s a tough call when I think about all the amazing food in the world, but tacos are definitely in my top three favorite foods of all time.
RELATED: this recipe pairs well with frosty Pina Coladas or a Long Island Iced Tea
Carne asada simply means “grilled beef.” That means there are many variations using various cuts of beef, marinades, and spices. It can be served as a main entrée with rice and beans, sliced into strips or chopped. Finish off your meal with a slice of cream cheese flan for a truly authentic experience!
A note on some of the ingredients:
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
- Our favorite cut of beef for carne asada is skirt steak, but you can also use flank, short rib, or sirloin steaks.
- Carne Asada tastes amazing with the addition of sazón. It’s optional but we highly recommend it. You can find it in the aisle with other Mexican foods.
- This recipe also calls for beer as a tenderizer, which is optional. I use it and it does not make your meal taste like alcohol.
As I mentioned, there are many different ways, but this is my particular way to prepare carne asada. It’s tender and full of flavor, yet simple.
How to Make Carne Asada
These step by step instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
Grill the steak over high heat. The charring adds great flavor and keeps the juices intact. A charcoal grill gives the best flavor, but if you can’t grill year-around, a searing hot cast iron pan will do the trick. Skirt steak is thin so it cooks in less than 10 minutes – you’ll be chowing down in no time!
- In a large resealable bag, add the steak, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sazón (if using) and beer (if using). Close the bag and squish around to distribute evenly. Refrigerate for 3-12 hours.
- After marinating, preheat grill or cast iron pan on high heat. Add the steaks and cook for 4-8 minutes. Shorter time will result in medium doneness, longer will be well done. Flip steaks and cook for an additional 4-8 minutes.
- Remove steaks from heat and loosely cover with foil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- After steaks have rested, they may be served as is, sliced into strips or chopped into pieces. Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Skirt steaks are naturally chewy, so you’ll want to ask the butcher to run it through the tenderizing machine, or you can do it at home with a tenderizing mallet or blade. There’s also a liquid tenderizer called beer which does an exceptional job if you have some on hand.
- I know many people who like to season with onion, cilantro, chiles, orange juice, or even soy sauce, but I keep my marinade simple with garlic, lime, and one secret ingredient: sazón. Most grocery stores today carry this ingredient in the Hispanic foods aisle.
- It’s characterized by its orange color from the annatto seed. Your carne asada will be absolutely delicious without it, but I like to add it as “a little something extra.”
Serving Suggestions
We like to serve these tacos “street style” – that is, on corn tortillas with cilantro and onion as a topping and a squeeze of lime. The steak really shines this way, but you can go all out with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
- Great sides for this dish are Mexican Street Corn and Classic Spanish Rice.
- For dessert, we suggest Mexican Cookie Rings, Conchas (Mexican sweet bread), or homemade Mexican chocolate ice cream.
- Great cocktails to go with Carne Asada include classic margaritas, frozen strawberry margaritas, or our mango margarita slush.
You can also use the carne asada in burrito bowls, salads, nachos, and more!
More Mexican inspired recipes:
- Sopa De Fideos
- Oven Tacos
- Taco Casserole
- Salmon Tacos
- Chicken Tostada Casserole
- Beef Enchiladas
- Beef Barbacoa
- Grilled Chicken Quesadilla
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Carne Asada
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak trimmed of excess fat
- 4 tbsp lime juice about 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 packet of sazón optional
- 3/4 cup of beer optional
- Tortillas and desired taco toppings
Things You’ll Need
Instructions
- In a large resealable bag, add the steak, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sazón (if using) and beer (if using). Close the bag and squish around to distribute evenly. Refrigerate for 3-12 hours.
- After marinating, preheat grill or cast iron pan on high heat. Add the steaks and cook for 4-8 minutes. Shorter time will result in medium doneness, longer will be well done. Flip steaks and cook for an additional 4-8 minutes.
- Remove steaks from heat and loosely cover with foil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- After steaks have rested, they may be served as is, sliced into strips or chopped into pieces. Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Skirt steaks are naturally chewy, so you’ll want to ask the butcher to run it through the tenderizing machine, or you can do it at home with a tenderizing mallet or blade. There’s also a liquid tenderizer called beer which does an exceptional job if you have some on hand.
- I know many people who like to season with onion, cilantro, chiles, orange juice, or even soy sauce, but I keep my marinade simple with garlic, lime, and one secret ingredient: sazón. Most grocery stores today carry this ingredient in the Hispanic foods aisle.
- It’s characterized by its orange color from the annatto seed. Your carne asada will be absolutely delicious without it, but I like to add it as “a little something extra.”
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Oct 20, 2016.
Rebekah Garcia
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Diane Button says
My favorite tacos! Excellent marinade. Left for 12 hours & grilled outdoors! Tender & Yummy. LOVE