Flank steak benefits from a delicious marinade and quick, high heat cooking, which makes it the perfect cut of beef for carne asada tacos.
Real carne asada is two things: a marinade with orange juice, lime, garlic, and Mexican spices, and a fast, hot sear. I serve mine with the classic cilantro, white onion, and lime, but you can load yours up with guacamole, chipotle corn salsa, or jalapeno ranch.
Tucked them into warm corn tortillas with authentic toppings like cilantro, white onion, and a squeeze of lime. The marinade does most of the work in 2 hours and the grill finishes the job in 15.
Two small, but critical, tips separate tender from chewy: dry the steak before it hits the heat, and slice it against the grain after it rests.
Craving more Mexican recipes? Try my ground pork tacos and pork tenderloin tacos or my 30-minute Mexican beef and rice. These carnitas burritos are great for meal prepn too.
Why You’ll Love These Carne Asada Tacos
- It’s mostly hands off! 2 hours marinade, 15 minutes grill.
- The marinade is authentic. Orange juice, lime, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, cilantro.
- Tender every time if you pull at 130°F and slice against the grain.
- No grill, no problem. Broiler or cast iron skillet does the job too..
- Freezes in the marinade. Build it now, grill it in three weeks.
Fire up the grill and you’ll think you bought these from the taco truck!
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada means “grilled meat” in Spanish. The dish is marinated, grilled-hot beef sliced thin or into pieces and tucked into corn tortillas with cilantro, white onion, and lime. The marinade typically includes citrus (orange and lime), olive oil, garlic, and a mix of cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
The traditional toppings are cilantro, white onion, and lime. Everything else, including guacamole, pico, and cotija, is a non-traditional addition. Worth knowing if you’re going for street-taco authenticity. Worth ignoring if your family wants the works!
What Cut of Meat Is Used for Carne Asada?
Flank steak is the classic cut for carne asada. It’s a lean, thin cut from the abdominal area of the cow with pronounced muscle fibers running across it. Flank takes a marinade beautifully and cooks fast over high heat.
Skirt steak is the other authentic option and works interchangeably here. Hanger or top round also work if neither is available; see our guide on flank steak substitutes.
Pro tip: always slice against the grain. Learn more about how to cut flank steak. This is the single biggest factor in tender carne asada, along with cooking it to the right temperature.
Ingredient You Need
Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Carne Asada Marinade
- Fresh orange juice. One medium orange, squeezed. Don’t use bottled, trust me.
- Fresh lime juice. One medium lime. Same rule (no bottled lime juice, use the real thing).
- Fresh cilantro. Finely chopped into the marinade, and more for topping.
- Soy sauce. For a salty umami flavor. Sub coconut aminos or tamari for gluten-free.
- Garlic. 4 cloves, minced. Garlic powder is the backup in a pinch, but fresh is best.
- Chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin. The Mexican spice trio.
- Kosher salt. Real salt, not iodized table salt.
- Flank steak. 2 pounds, pounded to even thickness so it cooks evenly on the grill.
For Serving
- Corn tortillas. Warm them on the grill, in a dry skillet, or directly over a gas flame for 20 seconds.
- Finely chopped white onion.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Lime wedges.
- Optional toppings: guacamole, chipotle corn salsa, grilled pineapple salsa, Mexican pickled onions, cotija cheese, avocado crema.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
Skip down to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
Step 1. Make the marinade: Whisk the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or shake them in a gallon-size ziplock bag.
Step 2. Marinate the steak: Pat the flank steak dry with paper towels (dry meat marinates better than wet meat), add it to the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8.
Step 3. Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the excess marinade. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F for medium-rare. Use an instant-read thermometer (please don’t guess!).
Step 4. Rest and slice the steak against the grain: Move the steak to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Cutting too early lets all the juice run out and you’re left with dry meat. Find the direction of the muscle fibers running across the steak. Slice perpendicular to that direction, into thin pieces. Then into cubes.
Step 6. Build the tacos: Pile the sliced steak into warm corn tortillas. Top with finely chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Optional toppings go on after.
What If You Don’t Have a Grill (Indoor Methods)
Broiler: Preheat the oven to broil. Place the marinated steak on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until the internal temp reaches 135°F.
Cast Iron Skillet: Heat over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Sear the steak 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drop heat to medium-low and finish cooking until the internal temp reaches 135°F. Total time about 10 minutes.
Top Tips Before You Begin..
- Don’t marinate longer than 8 hours. The acid in the citrus will start to break down the steak and turn the texture mushy.
Storage Tips
Store leftover cooked carne asada in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water; high heat will dry it out.
Freeze the steak in its marinade for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and grill from there. Cooked carne asada also freezes for up to 2 months; thaw overnight and warm gently on the stove.
More Taco Recipes
- Easy chorizo tacos with smoky, spicy flavor
- Ground pork tacos for a weeknight twist
- Pork tenderloin tacos with corn salsa
- 30-minute Mexican beef and rice
- Sheet pan steak fajitas when you can’t grill
- Slow cooker Mexican quinoa casserole for a freezer-friendly Mexican dinner
Carne Asada Tacos
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Ingredients
Carne Asada Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 medium orange)
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds flank steak pounded to an even thin thickness (Note 3)
Carne Asada Tacos
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium white onion finley diced
- 10 Corn Tortillas
- Lime wedges
- More optional toppings: guacamole, chipotle corn salsa, grilled pineapple salsa, Mexican pickled onions
Instructions
- Marinade the steak: Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or shake in a plastic bag. Add the steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 4).1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 2 Tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, 4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 pounds flank steak, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- Grill the steak: Grease the grill grates and preheat to medium-high heat (400-450°F). Grill for 6-8 minutes on each side (depending on thickness), until the internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium-rare.
- Cut the steak: Remove the steak to a clean cutting board and rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb. Use a sharp knife to cube into bite-sized pieces.
- Prep the toppings: While the steak is resting, chop and prep your desired toppings. Throw the tortillas on the grill for 1-2 minutes to warm or heat in the microwave or oven so they're warm and pliable.1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, 1/2 medium white onion, 10 Corn Tortillas
- Serve: Add a spoonful of steak to the warm tortillas. Top with onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, other optional toppings, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- Oven: Preheat the oven to broil and place the marinated steak on a foil-lined rimmed pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side.
- Stove Top: heat a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side then turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches about 135°F. It should take about 10 minutes in total.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank for sharing your own recipe for carne asada tacos. I just wanted to make a remake as carne asada or pastor other tacos meat are not served in taco shells or with guacamole. Traditionally they are served in soft corn tortillas nor shells because that would the “American” way so your recipe should be named street tacos because there’s no guacamole, diced tomatoes or coconut involed. I think you should change the name of this recipe to maybe tex-mex or carne asada guacamole tacos and take off street because that’s not how they are served in a taco truck on the street.
Thanks for this, Francisco! I appreciate you taking the time to clarify this for me. I tend to share healthier recipes and because of that, tweaked the recipe a bi (coconut aminos is a gluten free alternative to one of the traditional ingredients). The recipe itself is a reflection of the traditional street tacos with only cilantro and onion on top, but I did add guac and tomatoes to the pictures and as an optional topping.
Because of your comment, I changed the recipe to note that the onion and cilantro are the traditional toppings and separated the guacamole and tomatoes as optional. I also made sure that everyone knows the corn tortilla is the traditional way of making these but I like to use grain free tacos because corn is hard on my stomach.
I also removed the name “street tacos” from the name so that it’s not confusing. Thank you again for sharing that with me and I hope these changes help!