Carne Asada
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Cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange + lime juice, garlic, jalapeno and cumin make for the easiest and most flavorful marinade. SO SO GOOD.
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reasons to make carne asada
- Easy, simple, flavorful marinade
- Juiciest, most tender flank steak
- Great make-ahead recipe, marinating ahead of time
- Has so many uses, perfect as an entree with rice and salsa or stuffing tacos and burritos
what is carne asada
Carne asada, translated to “grilled meat”, is typically made with skirt steak, flap steak or flank steak, marinated in lime juice and then grilled or seared for that charred flavor. Carne asada can be served as a main dish with rice and beans, and can also be served as a filling for burritos, tacos and quesadillas.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a hot cast iron grill pan. When opting to cook indoors, a heavy bottom pan, such as a cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet, retains heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking, a better sear and smoky, caramelized flavors.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor. The soy sauce will also add flavor, saltiness and umami.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice. While bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Let your meat rest. Let your meat rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Slice against the grain. This will shorten muscle fibers, leaving you with more tender (less chewy) pieces of meat.
- Double the sauce. Need extra sauce for tacos or burrito bowls? The sauce portion can easily be doubled or tripled for those saucy folks!
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 250°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
Freeze before cooking
Transfer the marinated meat to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To cook, thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as directed, adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed.
Freeze after cooking
Let cool completely. Transfer the meat to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating in the oven at 250°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
what to serve with carne asada
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Carne Asada: Frequently Asked Questions
Skirt steak, flat iron steak and hanger steak are all great options here.
Patting the steak dry will allow for a better sear and crust. If there is too much moisture (marinade), the meat will steam instead.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Carne Asada
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
Equipment
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine steak and remaining cilantro mixture; marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the steak from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add steak to grill, and cook, flipping once, until desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with reserved 1/2 cup cilantro mixture.
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The best for fajitas….
Will make this again!
We love hearing that! Thank you so much for sharing.
The marinade was exceptional although the skirt steak was not tender after sitting in it for about 16 hours. (Our jalapeno was past its prime so we used cayenne instead.) We packed up the remaining steak into the instant pot for 20 minutes with the 1/2 cup of reserved marinade and about 3/4 c of water. Shredded the steak (easily) and made a cornstarch slurry and Oh, YUM! fabulous on noodles. Just loaded with umami, Thanks for another of your wonderful recipes.
Wait… What?
fckin fantastic made it for my mom’s mothers day dinner. and she didn’t believe i made it. keep in mind im only twelve i made this easily.
Could I use any other cut of beef for this recipe. If so, which one(s)?
Délicieux ! Tout le monde en raffole à la maison !!!
Absolutely delicious
This recipe is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. The carne asada is a hit whenever I make it. I’m not a big red meat eater and I could devour an entire flank steak myself and chug the juice LOL. seriously it’s that good.
My family LOVES this recipe. My 11 year old asks for it weekly. It’s definitely improved taco nights!
Made it for dinner tonight and followed recipe exactly (marinated for 5 hours). It was awesome…will definitely make again. Thanks so much!
This dish was fabulous. Even though all of my family dislikes medium rare (insert eye roll here). I made a portion cooked to their liking and everyone enjoyed. This is a keeper!
My husband made this last night – the flavors were perfect. We cooked on stove top in a griddle. Next time, we just need to cook for less time, so it isn’t cooked so well done.
QUESTION – Why do the directions say to pat both sides of the steak dry before grilling? We thought this would remove all the flavoring, so we didn’t pat it dry. thanks!
The reason it says pat dry is so you can develop a crust when you are grilling. if you don’t pat dry, you’ll need to cook the steak for longer to evaporate all the liquid that’s on the steak and then it can start to sear correctly
I’ve made this SO MANY times. My family adores it. I cook it in a cast iron skillet.
I cook the meat until rare. Then, I let it rest before cutting it into smaller pieces and throw it back into the skillet to crisp it up and warm it just before serving.
DELISH!
I’ve made this three times, each time a winner! Used stovetop non-stick grill in place of cast iron and it worked just fine.
Could I do this with rump steak?
Tried it tonight and was sooo good!
I don’t have a grill. Can I make it on the stove-top with a cast-iron grill pan?
OOPS. Sorry, I just read that I can do stove-top with a grill pan. Thanks.
This is really good. The only thing I change is I use Serrano peppers for more heat.
Could you use pork for this?
If you don’t like Cilantro, like I don’t, use fresh Italian Parsley!
Delicious recipe!!
You should make carnitas if you want to do a pork dish. It’s easier than you would think. It just takes time but it’s worth every minute.
My husband hates cilantro. What’s a good alternative?
Get a new husband!
I don’t like it either. I would just leave it out