Carne Asada
by Chungah
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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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Why you’ll love this carne asada recipe
- Easy, simple, flavorful marinade. A simple marinade of cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño and cumin will tenderize the meat and lock in moisture, infusing it with so much bright citrus-y, zesty flavors to yield the juiciest, most tender flank steak.
- Make-ahead friendly. Marinate the steak ahead of time, preferably overnight, for the easiest, most effortless prep. It will come in so handy for quick, weeknight meals or entertaining weekend company, ideal for all occasions.
- Quick-cooking. This recipe is perfect for a quick, fast sear on a hot grill or cast iron grill pan to get that favorited charred crust, cooking in just minutes!
- Versatile recipe. Carne asada has so many uses – as an entree with rice, salsa and guacamole or stuffing tacos, burritos, quesadillas or even everyone’s favorite nachos.
What is carne asada?
Carne asada, translated to “grilled meat” in Spanish, is thinly sliced steak marinated in citrus juices and then grilled or seared for that smoky, charred flavor.
What cut of meat is used for carne asada?
Carne asada is typically made with flank steak, skirt steak or flap steak, all absorbing marinades exceptionally well.
- Flank steak: wider and flatter cut of meat that is leaner than skirt steak, and much more accessible in grocery stores
- Skirt steak: has a higher fat content than flank steak, and crisps up incredibly well on a hot grill for those charred edges
- Flap steak: a slightly thicker cut with loose, open-grained texture (less stringy), and has more marbling (fat) than skirt and flank steak
What are the key ingredients in carne asada?
Carne asada gets its signature flavor from a bright acidic (citrus-heavy) marinade – this helps tenderize the meat, gently breaking down the tough muscle fibers to yield juicy steak.
- Meat: flank, skirt or flap steak
- Citrus and acid: fresh orange and lime juice, and soy sauce (for umami)
- Oil: olive oil (to coat the meat to prevent sticking and to encourage the perfect, smoky char)
- Aromatics: cilantro and garlic
- Spices: cumin, salt and pepper
- Heat: jalapeño (optional)
How to make carne asada
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
Flank steak, skirt steak or flap steak are all solid 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!
Carne asada can be served as a platter with tortillas, rice, beans, and various toppings, or diced into bite-sized pieces for tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, salads, quesadillas or nachos.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Carne Asada
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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 to the marinade.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice is best. While bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Avoid marinating for too long. The high acid content from the orange and lime juices can break down the muscle fibers if marinated for too long, making the meat mushy. Marinate the steak 4 hours to overnight, ideally overnight (about 8 hours).
- 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. Always slice perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers – 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!
Did you make this recipe?
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This was absolutely delicious (and is better than my old recipe), though I forgot to reserve some of the marinade for serving. I considered cooking the marinade after the meat came out, so we could serve it, but figured it would ruin the cilantro. Oh, well. I’ll remember next time!
I used this for a carne asada salad and it came out RIDICULOUSL!! So amazing that my husband and MIL who hate cilantro, LOVED it! Made the marinade as written and grilled it up to put on top my salad.
I used red butter lettuce, sliced red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans. Topped it off with a cilantro, lime, avocado dressing and cojita cheese…
The picture of this is beautiful and very appetizing but the recipe calls for draining the marinade and drying the beef before cooking. Did you boil the marinade then pour it over the beef?
set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Hi there-
Any suggestions on what I can use if I do not have a grill?
You can broil it on high in your oven. You can also use a cast iron pan stove top. Either way, just try to get the steak as dry as possible before cooking.
Love it!
Outstanding! Very flavorful!!
Very juicy with medium rare steak.
I’m salivating. That does look damn delicious! Can’t wait to try this version.
This was a big hit. Before marinating overnight, I pounded the flank steak out flat with a tenderizing hammer and the end result, cooked on the grill, was very tender and juicy, much more so than I expected flank steak to be I left the cilantro out of the marinade because not everyone likes it and I was unsure about the group I was serving it to, and served chopped cilantro on the side instead. I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce so I used regular instead and just didn’t add any additional salt, and the amount of saltiness was perfect.
In the past when making carne asada I’ve just usually winged it with soy sauce, lime juice, chili peppers, and whatever cut of beef happened to be on sale, but this recipe helped me step up my game considerably. Definitely a keeper.
I made this as a sliced steak last night in cast iron skillet on stove. I liked it. Found the meat a little tough still even though marinated 10 hours and cooked very high heat. Marinade /sauce was flavorful but oily. Parts were cooked to med well (edges), inside was barely med rare. So…not sure yet.
Diane…flank steak and flap steak are both very lean cuts of beef, and if you overcook, they get quite tough. So, if you notice on the picture, it is still pink in the middle. Flap steak should be the same. I would perhaps not cook on very high heat. my housemate, who is Salvadoran, and does most of the grilling here. His recommendation is to cook on medium-medium high, no higher.
I made this and it was fabulous the next day! The second day with the second day of sitting go with the second day of meat. You will not be disappointed!!!
It’s marinating in the fridge right now! I could drink this marinade it’s that good! Can’t wait until the steak is cooked!
Made it last night exactly as directed and it brought tears to my eyes…it’s THAT GOOD. I would eat an old shoe if it was marinated in this. Thanks for a great recipe.
Great recipe, but really LOVED the old recipe too. Any chance the old recipe is posted somewhere for use?
I used VERY THICK Chuck Eye Steaks, marinated and seared on grill for a couple minute, then cut into 1/4 inch cubes added more of the marinate and cooked on high heat in a frying pan. Used as Taco meat. Came out perfect and gave a grilled flavor to it. Chuck Eye Steak is a cheaper version of Rib Eye and has a good fat content which adds a lot more flavor than flank steak.
Thank you so much! This was perfection!
You are so talented! I love seeing your site in my email – I know that something delicious is waiting for me. You are my go-to for Damn Delcious meals/ideas/ mouth watering pictures and just pure gastronomic pleasure. Don’t go away – you have a faithful following.
SERIOUSLY the best. SO easy and we put the steak and sauce on street taco size tortillas with a little red onion and OH MY GOSH we were in heaven. This marinade was NOT too spicy whatsoever (though it might be with the jalepeno.) Damn Delicious is my favorite food blog!
This looks wonderful. T-bone steaks were in sale for $4.99/lb, much cheaper than their flank steak. I think I will try them with this instead of freezing them for later.
Love, love this recipe! Girl, you are the bomb!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!❤❤❤
Made this last night for my husband and adult children .there was none left they all loved it. So a big hi 5 to you guys for a fantastic recipe.
A family winner – we love hearing that, Jo! 🙂