Carne asada is tender, juicy, and tasty. The marinade elevates the skirt/flank steak to another level. The acidity makes it tender and mouthwatering. This grilled steak is amazing and the perfect recipe for Taco Tuesday.
Carne Asada
In case you are wondering tacos de carne asada translates to English as grilled meat tacos. Traditionally, the grilled/sliced steak is cooked with a marinade and seared for charred flavor. This type of taco is different from ground beef tacos because of the flavor component. In addition, regular beef tacos are usually ground beef or shredded beef. Carne asada is grilled meat marinated for roughly 1-24 hours to intensify the flavor.
The Marinade
As stated above, the flank or skirt steak needs to marinate for at least 2 hours. For major flavor, we suggest marinating for at least 12-24 hours. This marinade is pretty simple and straight forward. The ingredients used are:
- Lime Juice
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Mexican Oregano
- Orange Juice
- Pickled Jalapeños
To make this marinade, simply combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk well. Then set aside.
The Steak
The two most important components to this recipe is the steak and marinade. What cuts of steaks work best? Any of the following would create an amazing flavor profile: Skirt steak, flank steak, or sirloin steak. Let’s dive more into these 3 cuts of steak.
- Skirt Steak is the cut right below the cow’s rib. Usually cooked at high heat to a medium-rare (5-6 minutes per side). The high heat provides a perfectly browned crust on the outside. When slicing skirt steak, its best to cut thin slices against the grain.
- Flank Steak also comes from the bottom half of the cow. The flank is from the loin below towards the back of the cow. This cut is thicker and wider than skirt steak. It won’t cook as quickly as skirt steak. For a medium-rare steak cook 6-9 minutes per side. Or until a temperature of 135 degrees F.
- Sirloin Steak is available readily at grocery stores. Its also affordable and quick to cook like skirt steak. There’s numerous ways this cut could be cooked from grilling to pan-searing to broiling. For medium-rare internal temperature cook to 130-135 degrees F.
Trim off the excess fat on any of these cuts of meat. Then, place the steaks into the marinade. Make sure its completely coated on both sides. Place plastic wrap over the bowl. Refrigerate for 2-24 hours. Heat the grill on high and cook the steaks to your desired temperature. Remove the steak from the grill. Allow to cool for 5-20 minutes. Cut the carne asada as desired and serve.
The Toppings
Now let’s talk about the good stuff….the toppings. I like to serve the carne asada with warm tortillas and other fixings. What are those fixings? My favorite fixings are chopped white/red onion, fresh cilantro, radishes, lime wedges, salsa, and guacamole. Fresh ingredients will also elevate any dish, especially tacos de carne asada. To make a street style taco add cotija cheese, fresh sliced avocados, cilantro, and diced onions. These particular tacos have pico de gallo, white diced onions, cilantro, and roasted tomatillo salsa.
Pico de gallo is very simple to make. Just chop up a medium sized white onion, 3 tomatoes, minced garlic, a jalapeño, cilantro, and juice of 2 limes. Mixed all these ingredients together. Season with Mexican oregano, black pepper, and salt. Mix well. Next cover in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Use as desired.
If you love steak, check out our recipe on filet mignon.
Tacos de Carne Asada
Ingredients
Carne Asada
- 3 Garlic gloves minced
- 2 Tbsp Mexican Oregano
- 1 Juice of Lime
- 1/2 Juice of Orange
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.3 lbs. Skirt steak
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Pickled jalapenos
- 8 Warm tortillas
Pico de Gallo
- 3 Organic tomatoes diced
- 1 White medium onion diced
- 2 Scallions sliced entirely
- 2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- pinch Salt
- pinch Black pepper
- 2 Juice of Lime
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 1 Garlic glove minced
Instructions
Carne Asada
- In a large bowl, add the minced garlic, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, juice of 1 lime, juice of half an orange, and pickled jalapenos. Stir well.
- Trim off the excess fat of the skirt steak. Add the steak into the marinade. Make sure all sides of the steak are coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerate for at least 12 hours. (Note: If crunched on time, leave at room temperature for 1 hour).
- Preheat the grill or broiler to high.
- Sprinkle an additional pinch of salt and pepper to both sides of the steak. Place the steak on the grill or under the broiler for 5-6 minutes per side for the perfect medium-rare.
- Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing the skirt steak. For the best cut, we recommend cutting against the grain of the steak.
- Warm up the tortillas for 30 seconds per side. Wrap in aluminum foil or place in a tortilla warmer to keep the tortillas warm. Place the steak in the center of the tortillas and top it off with your favorite toppings.
Pico de gallo
- In a mixing bowl, add in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, salt, pepper, oregano, scallions, garlic, and oregano. Fold everything together gently.
- Cover in plastic wrap. Allow the ingredients to mingle at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.