This authentic carne asada steak recipe is quick and easy and packed full of flavor. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, this Mexican dish is a real crowd pleaser! Can be cooked on the stovetop or the grill.
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Best Carne Asada Steak
You guys are going to love this Mexican carne asada steak recipe! The taste is so heavenly and the meat is so tender. This really is a must for any beef lover!
Why you’ll love this Carne Asada Recipe:
- So much flavor: You will never be the same after experiencing this delicious carne asada. Just bursting with flavor!
- Lots of ways to make: We have included instructions for how to cook on a grill (gas or charcoal) as well as stovetop. Make it year round!
What is carne asada steak?
Carne Asada is a Mexican recipe, and it is a dish of grilled and sliced beef. The beef is marinated and grilled for a charred flavor. It can be served as a main dish or as an ingredient in other dishes.
What’s the best steak to use for carne asada?
Hands down, skirt steak is your best option when you are making this dish. It is so full of flavor, nothing else really comes close. Skirt steak can be tough, so be sure to marinade it for as long as possible and cook it rare to medium rare so that it is beautifully tender.
If you are in a real pickle, you can use flank or hanger steak.
What do you serve with carne asada steak?
Once you have sliced the cooked beef, drizzle it with lime juice and serve to the table. i like to serve it with various sides so people can build their own tortillas:
- salsa
- sliced avocado
- sliced onion
- chopped cilantro
- crumbled Queso Fresco cheese
- tortillas
You can also serve the carne asada as part of a salad or with Mexican rice. Or use it to make carne asada fries!
Tips!
- Use skirt steak for the best tasting carne asada!
- Marinade the steak for as long as possible before cooking.
- Cook the steak rare to medium rare for the most tender results.
- Let the steak rest before slice it, and cut the meat against the grain.
Be sure to check out these other delicious Mexican recipes!
Black Bean & Corn Mexican Dip Recipe (Fresh Fiesta Dip)
Grilled Chicken Nachos Two Ways
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Best Carne Asada Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup fresh lime juice 5-7 limes
- Juice from 1 large orange
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 pounds trimmed skirt steak cut with the grain into 5-inch pieces
For serving:
- Lime slices/wedges
- Avocadoes
- Red or yellow onion
- Queso Fresco – crumbled
- Salsa
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Tortillas
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, canola oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, cumin and black pepper. Season to taste with salt.
- Transfer the steaks to a gallon-sized zip-loc bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Squeeze out excess air from the bag and seal it. Massage the marinade over the meat until all the meat is fully coated. Set the meat (in the bain a pan large enough for it to lay flat and place it in the fridge. Refrigerate 2-10 hours, flipping the bag over often.
- When ready to cook, remove the meat from the fridge 15-30 minutes before using. Before cooking the meat, wipe off the excess marinade with paper towels.
To cook on a Charcoal Grill:
- If using a charcoal grill: Open the bottom vent completely and fill one grill chimney with charcoal and light it. When top coals are mostly covered with gray ash, pour the coals over one side of the charcoal grate. Close the grill and let preheat 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grill after the grill preheats.
- Place the meat directly over the hot half of the grill and leave the lid open.
- Cook the meat, flipping it often, until it is beautifully charred on both sides, about 6-8 minutes total cooking time. The center of the meat should register 128-130°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
To cook on a Gas Grill:
- Turn half the burners to the highest heat, cover and preheat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, clean and oil the grate.
- Place the meat on the hot side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until steak has a beautiful char on both sides, about 6-8 minutes total time. The center of the meat should register 128-130°F on an instant-read thermometer.
To cook Stovetop:
- Use a 10-12 inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet. If you have a cast iron grill pan, that’s great, if not – a regular cast iron skillet will work.
- Brush 1-teaspoon canola oil over the skillet and heat it over medium-high heat until pan is sizzling hot. Carefully place the steak in the pan and cook a total of 6-8 minutes or until you get a gorgeous char on both sides. Flip the meat over after 3 minutes or when the beef releases from the pan and cook the other side about 3 minutes. The internal temperature should read 128-130°F on an instant-read thermometer.
After grilling the steak:
- Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest 5 minutes (this will allow the juices to redistribute). Slice the meat against the grain.
- Drizzle with lime juice.
- Serve with salsa, sliced avocado, sliced onion, chopped cilantro, crumbled Queso Fresco cheese and tortillas.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
Delicious!! We’ve been missing good Mexican food since moving to Ottawa. It might not be as good as San Diego street tacos, but it’s a much better than what you’ll get in restaurants here.
I’m so glad you loved them so much!!
Seriously this is the best tortilla filling I have EVER seen!
Thanks for sharing, Jane!
Oh, yum! You make me want to invest in a cast iron skillet! For now I’ll just have to make do with my old standby…but these carne asadas are just amazingly packed with flavor! Yum!
Thank ya, Betsy!
I’m a carne asada lover and this marinade is A+! Making it ahead can seem like a pain but it’s so worth it, the longer it sits the better it is!
Thanks, Sara!!
I could live on this! So good
Thanks, Rachael!
This steak has the BEST flavor! So delicious!
Thanks, Taylor!
This was awesome, everyone went in to for seconds!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Tanya!