Carne Asada Tacos filled with tender marinated grilled steak in warm corn tortillas with white onion, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Versatile and so delicious, if you love Mexican street tacos, you’ll love this easy recipe!
The Best Carne Asada Steak Tacos
Following up on yesterday’s carne asada recipe, today I’m sharing my very favorite recipe for carne asada tacos. Living out in the suburbs, I’m far from my favorite taco trucks and street tacos. Easy to make right at home, this delicious recipe comes in handy whenever the craving hits for authentic street tacos filled with juicy marinated grilled steak.
Super easy to make, the secret to great carne asada tacos is ensuring you have a great carne asada marinade (and a few perfect toppings). For this marinade, you’ll need orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro, fresh lime juice, vinegar, fresh garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Bold, flavorful, and perfect for marinating either skirt steak or flank steak.
Perfect for Taco Tuesday with your family or a fiesta with friends, these carne asada tacos always hit the spot.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
1. In a large bowl, mix the orange juice, soy sauce, ¼ cup of cilantro, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and chili powder.
2. Place the steak in a large Ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the steak.
3. Seal and press out as much air from the bag as possible. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-4 hours, or up to 12 hours. Skirt steak can get away with just one hour, however, flank steak should be marinated for at least 3-4 hours.
4. Preheat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat. Coat with a thin layer of oil.
5. Remove the steak from the Ziplock bag and discard any leftover marinade. Cook for 6-10 minutes on each side. Thicker cuts of meat will take longer to cook.
6. Remove the steak to a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain and then again in the opposite direction to make small bite-size pieces.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the white onion, remaining chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt. Mix well. This is an optional topping for your tacos, feel free to use another favorite salsa recipe if preferred.
8. Heat the corn tortillas (or flour tortillas) in a small skillet set over medium heat. Brush with a bit of olive oil (optional) and heat just until softened.
9. Remove the tortilla from the pan and top with one to two spoonfuls of carne asada followed by the onion and cilantro salsa.
10. Serve with lime wedges, green salsa, and any other favorite toppings.
Taco Toppings
Aside from essentials like fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and cilantro, a few of my favorite toppings for these carne asada tacos include:
- Guacamole
- Salsa, Mango Salsa, or Pico de Gallo
- Queso fresco or Cotija cheese
- Avocado
- Chipotle Crema
- Thinly sliced radish or jicama
- Jalapeños
- Pickled Red Onions
- Sour cream
Frequently Asked Questions
The best cut of beef is skirt steak or flank steak.
Grilling is the most traditional method. After all, translated from Spanish, carne asada literally means “grilled meat.” However, the steak can also be cooked on the stovetop using a cast iron grill pan.
Cooking time varies, but it usually takes approximately 5-9 minutes per side. Thicker cuts of meat will take longer to cook. As such, I like to use a digital meat thermometer to check for doneness. 115°F to 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, and 140°F for medium. In general, it’s best to cook flank steak just until rare or medium-rare. Skirt steak is a fattier cut of meat so it can be cooked longer and still turn out tender and juicy.
More Delicious Mexican Dishes
- Mexican Mole Sauce Recipe (Chicken Mole)
- Carnitas Recipe (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
- Mexican Birria Recipe (How to Make Birria)
- Pozole Rojo Recipe (Red Posole)
- Pozole Verde
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce
If you try making this Carne Asada Tacos Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
RECIPE CARD
Carne Asada Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro - minced, divided
- 6 tablespoon fresh lime juice - divided
- 2 tablespoon vinegar - apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1¼ teaspoon salt - divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
- 2 tablespoon oil
- corn tortillas
- 1 white onion - minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, ¼ cup of cilantro, three tablespoons of lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and chili powder.
- Transfer the steak to a large ziplock bag and carefully pour the marinade into the bag covering the steak. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1-4 hours (at least 4 hours for flank steak) but no more than 12 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat. Coat with oil.
- Once the pan is hot, remove the steak from the marinade and discard the excess marinade that was used to season the beef. Cook the beef for 6-9 minutes on each side or until it is cooked to your preference (Cooking time will vary depending on how thick your meat is).
- Remove the steak and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain into thin strips, then again in the opposite direction to make small bite-size pieces.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the onion, remaining cilantro, remaining lime juice, and salt. Mix well to combine.
- Heat the corn tortillas in a small pan with a bit of oil (optional) over medium heat until softened. Scoop 1-2 spoonfuls of carne asada into the center of the tortilla followed by a scoop or two of the onion and cilantro salsa.
- Serve garnished with fresh lime juice and green salsa (or other favorite toppings).
Jessica’s Notes
- Leftovers: Carne asada can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The fresh onion topping will keep for approximately 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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