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.
Hope you all had the most amazing Cinco de Mayo.
The weather finally warmed up in Chicago – I mean, hello, we’re talking sunny 70 degree weather! I know, I couldn’t believe it either considering it was snowing just two weeks ago.
So we quickly took advantage of the real Springtime weather and took Butters out in his dashing sombrero.
Once we got home, we took out a few beers and threw this oh-so-perfect marinated flank steak onto the grill.
The marinade – as simple as it is – is unbelievably flavorful, and it yields the juiciest, most tender flank steak. I could honestly eat the steak all on its own but the warm tortillas and fresh guacamole don’t hurt either.
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.
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
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.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was my first time making carne asada and it was delicious! I used skirt steak instead of flank. I marinaded it overnight and then cooked it on a cast iron skillet. I absolutely loved the marinade and using some of the leftover for topping the tacos. I will say I think I’ll double the marinade next time.
One of the best marinades there is. Always woth a try! Thanks a lot for sharing this beauty
I made this recipe it was Bomb! I used a little extra of my own seasoning and I used thin cut boneless top round steak. But the basics of this recipe are key!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Is this really spicy from the jalapeno in this recipe? I’m making it for dinner and want to make sure it won’t be too spicy for my 2 year old toddler
This was absolutely delicious, and I have saved this recipe to make again.
I did add extra garlic because I love garlic.
So so good!!!
FANTASTIC
Superb. Added a little maple syrup for sweetness as the limes not sweet here
Carne Asada is not meant to be sweet. Let me guess you’re American.
That was unnecessary.
Tina that isn’t very nice.
no notes
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