Easy Carne Asada Recipe made from flavorful marinated skirt steak or flank steak grilled to juicy, tender perfection. Sliced thin and served warm, it’s the perfect addition to all your favorite Mexican dishes.
Beautifully tender, juicy, and so flavorful, carne asada is a popular Mexican recipe and one of my all-time favorite grilled steak recipes to make at home. Filled with authentic Mexican flavor, it’s perfect with a side of simple rice and beans and warm corn tortillas or chopped up and used in various Mexican dishes like nachos, salads, and street tacos.
What is Carne Asada?
Carne Asada is thinly sliced, marinated, and grilled beef and is a popular ingredient in tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Translated from Spanish, carne asada literally means “grilled meat.”
What meat makes the best carne asada?
The best cut of meat for carne asada is either skirt steak or flank steak. Skirt steak has more fat and connective tissue, making it rich and juicy. Flank steak is leaner and slightly thicker, making it slightly less flavorful.
Carne Asada Marinade
Carne Asada marinades vary greatly. Some marinades may be as simple as oil and lime juice with salt and black pepper. For this recipe, you’ll need the following marinade ingredients:
- Orange juice
- Soy sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- VInegar – white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Garlic cloves
- Mexican oregano
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Salt and Black Pepper
How to Make Carne Asada
The following instructions detail how to cook carne asada on the stovetop using a cast iron grill pan. Scroll down to the recipe card for outdoor grilling instructions.
1. In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. (Reserve ¼ cup for spooning over the meat after grilling.)
2. Place the steak in a large Ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the steak.
3. Seal and remove any air from the bag. Transfer to the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1-4 hours or up to 12 hours. (If using flank steak, marinate for at least 3 hours.)
4. Drizzle a large grill pan with oil and set it over medium-high to high heat.
5. Remove the steak from the marinade (discarding any excess marinade) and grill for 5-8 minutes on each side or until it is cooked to your liking. Transfer the cooked steak to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.
6. Serve with freshly minced cilantro, lime wedges, and the reserved marinade if desired.
How Long to Cook Carne Asada
The total time depends on the thickness of the meat and the type of meat being used.
Skirt steak will take slightly less time to cook than flank steak since it has more fat marbling and is typically sliced thinner. However, since flank steak is leaner, be careful to avoid overcooking. For best results, cook flank steak until it’s rare to medium-rare, then remove it from the heat and allow it to rest. The meat will continue to cook in its residual heat.
I suggest cooking with skirt steak if you prefer your meat more well-done. Skirt steak is a fattier cut and will stay tender and flavorful even when it’s cooked to medium-well or well-done.
In general, it will take approximately 5-8 minutes per side. I like to use a digital meat thermometer to check for doneness.
115°F to 120°F for rare
125°F for medium rare
140°F for medium
Note: The FDA recommends cooking beef to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. However, cooking carne asada (especially flank steak) to that temperature produces rubbery, dry meat.
What to Serve with Carne Asada
Whenever I make carne asada, I have to make carne asada tacos and carne asada fries. Other delicious pairings include:
- Guacamole
- Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- Fajitas
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Chimichurri sauce
- Refried beans
- Mexican rice
- Sour cream
More Beef Recipes
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- How to Cook Steak (Butter Basted Pan-Seared Steak)
- Beef Barley Soup
- Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe
If you try making this Carne Asada Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro - minced
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoon vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Mix well to combine. (Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for spooning over the grilled meat.)
- Transfer the steak and the marinade to a large Ziplock bag. Seal and remove any air from the bag and gently turn the bag over a couple of times to thoroughly coat the meat with the marinade.
- Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-4 hours or up to 12 hours. (If using flank steak, marinate for at least 3 hours.)
- Preheat a large cast iron grill pan over medium-high to high heat until the pan is super hot. Coat the skillet with oil.
- Remove the steak from the marinade. 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). 115°F to 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, and 140°F for medium. The meat will continue to cook in its residual heat.
- Remove the steak to a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.
- Serve with freshly minced cilantro, lime wedges, and the reserved marinade, if desired.
Grilling Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Mix well to combine. (Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for spooning over the grilled meat.)
- Transfer the steak and the marinade to a large Ziplock bag. Seal and remove any air from the bag and gently turn the bag over a couple of times to thoroughly coat the meat with the marinade.
- Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-4 hours or up to 12 hours. (If using flank steak, marinate for at least 3 hours.)
- Preheat the grill for direct high-heat grilling (about 450°F). Sear the meat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, then reduce the grill temperature to medium, cover with the lid, and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes. (Cooking time will vary depending on how thick your meat is). 115°F to 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, and 140°F for medium. The meat will continue to cook in its residual heat. Note that flank steak is best cooked until rare or medium-rare since it is leaner than skirt steak.
- Remove the steak to a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.
- If desired, serve with freshly minced cilantro, lime wedges, and the reserved marinade.
Jessica’s Notes
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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