Carne Asada

It's got a marinade you'll use over and over.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated November 20, 2023
Elise Bauer

Carrrrrrne asada! Do you remember that Superbowl ad with the two lions? For months after that aired, I couldn't say "carne" without rolling the rrrrrrs.

Clever of whatever ad agency came up with that campaign to feature two king carnivores talking about carne asada, which translates literally as "beef grilled".

What is Carne Asada?

Carne asada is the thinly sliced, grilled beef served so often in tacos and burritos. You can also serve it straight up, with rice and beans on the side.

Although almost any cut of beef can be butterflied into thin sheets for the carne asada, typically you make it with either flank steak or skirt steak.

Carne Asada
Elise Bauer

How to Cook Carne Asada With Flank or Skirt Steak

Flank steak is a lean cut and needs to be cooked rare, and thinly cut across the grain to make it tender. Skirt steak is well marbled with fat, and while it still needs to be cut across the grain, it's inherently more flavorful and tender, and can be cooked more without suffering.

Carne Asada Marinade Options

You can make carne asada without a marinade, and just a bit of salt and pepper before grilling, but if you have the time, a good soak in a marinade greatly enhances the flavor.

The marinade we are using here has olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, a little sugar for sweetness to balance the acidity of the lime and vinegar, and lots of minced garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Perfect for tacos!

Serve it up with tortillas, avocados, and salsa.

Carne Asada
Elise Bauer

Other Meat Options

By definition, carne means meat, but the word is so associated with beef that most people associate carne asada with grilled beef. This recipe calls for flank or skirt steak, but you might also try using flap or chuck cuts of beef.

More Topping Ideas

If you're using the carne asada for tacos, try these additional fixings to top them with.

How to Store and Reheat This Recipe

Refrigerate leftover slices of carne asada in a tightly covered container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them on the stovetop by heating a little olive oil in a pan. Add the slices, stirring once in a while, until heated through to 140°F.

Or, reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F. Check every 3 minutes or so until they're heated through to 140°F.

More Mexican Recipes to Make

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Carne Asada

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Marinating 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

If you don't have a grill you can use a well-seasoned grill pan or a large cast iron pan on the stove-top. Heat on high to sear and then lower the heat to finish cooking. Make sure to use your stove vent, searing the steak this way can smoke up the kitchen!

If you want, before adding the steak to the marinade, reserve a couple of tablespoons of the marinade to drizzle over the finished carne asada to serve.

Rather than using pre-ground cumin, toast and grind whole cumin seeds if you have them.

Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and minced

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems

Steak:

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Fixings (optional):

  • Chopped avocado

  • Lime wedges

  • Corn or flour tortillas

  • Thinly sliced radishes

  • Thinly sliced lettuce

  • Pico de gallo salsa

Method

  1. Marinate the steak:

    Whisk to combine the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and cumin in a large, non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Stir in the minced garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro.

    Place the steak in the marinade and turn over a couple of times to coat thoroughly.

    Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours or overnight (if using flank steak marinate at least 3 hours).

  2. Preheat the grill:

    Preheat your grill for high direct heat, with part of the grill reserved with fewer coals (or gas flame) for low, indirect heat. You'll know the grill is hot enough when you can hold your hand above the grill grates for no more than one second.

    (You can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat if cooking on the stovetop.)

  3. Sear the steak:

    Remove the steak from the marinade. Lightly brush off most of the bits of cilantro and garlic (do not brush off the oil).

    Place on the hot side of the grill. Grill the steak for a few minutes only, until well seared on one side (the browning and the searing makes for great flavor), then turn the steak over and sear on the other side.

    carne-asada-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    carne-asada-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  4. Move the steak to the cool side of the grill:

    Once both sides are well seared, move the steak to the cool side of the grill, with any thicker end of the steak nearer to the hot side of the grill.

    Test with a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, or use your fingers (see The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat). Pull the meat off the grill at 115°F to 120°F for rare, 125°F medium rare, 140°F for medium. The meat will continue to cook in its residual heat.

    Note that lean flank steak is best cooked rare, while skirt steak can be cooked well without losing moisture or flavor because it has more fat marbling.

  5. Tent with foil and let rest:

    Place the steak on a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

  6. Slice the steak across the grain:

    Use a sharp, long bladed knife (a bread knife works great for slicing meat) to cut the meat. Notice the direction of the grain of the meat and cut perpendicular to the grain. Angle your knife so that your slices are wide and thin.

    carne-asada-method-4
    Elise Bauer
  7. (Optional) Serve with grilled tortillas:

    Warm the tortillas (corn or flour) for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Alternatively, you can warm tortillas in a microwave: heating just one or two at a time, place tortillas on a paper towel, and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds each on high.

    Serve with pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa), chopped avocados, and other fixings.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave a comment and give us some stars below!

    carne-asada-method-3
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
495 Calories
34g Fat
7g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 495
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 712mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 5mg 25%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 593mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.