Carne Asada is an easy recipe that you will fall in love with. Full of delicious flavor, this recipe will become a favorite for taco night!
This post is a collaboration with the Wisconsin Beef Council on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
We are in the thick of grilling season here in Wisconsin, and I am so excited to bring you another great recipe, perfect for eating outside.
My family has a great little love seat and chairs with a coffee table on our patio, and we love grilling out there and then huddling around the coffee table to eat. It is intimate and sweet and maybe the definition of summer happiness for me.
This Carne Asada recipe is perfect for a summer family dinner. My kids love this recipe, and my husband and I do too! It’s great on tacos or just on a plate with a heaping pile of Pico de Gallo on top.
The Perfect Grilled Steak Recipe
A great grilled steak starts with dedicated beef farmers. I am so excited to be partnering with the Wisconsin Beef Council to bring you this great recipe. I have worked with them before; they and Wisconsin Beef farmers are so near and dear to my heart.
If you are like my family and can’t get enough of summer grilling, make sure to visit the Wisconsin Beef Council for tons of great recipes and grilling tips.
I love supporting my local Wisconsin beef farmers, and this delicious recipe makes that easy to do.
Flank Steak
Carne Asada is traditionally made with flank steak or skirt steak. Both are wonderful, pieces of meat that lend to marinating very well. Pictured here is flank steak, but you can use either flank or skirt. You can read about the difference between them in my Grilled Flank Steak recipe.
This piece of meat is great for grilling. It tastes best when you marinate and then grill it over high heat for a short amount of time until you reach an internal temperature of 145 for medium-rare.
What is Carne Asada
Carne Asada is a grilled beef dish. It is traditionally meat that is marinated in a flavorful marinade before being grilled over high heat.
Carne Asada Marinade
We are using a great marinade to tenderize our flank steak. The acid in the orange and lime juice tenderize the meat perfectly while adding great flavor.
For the marinade you will need:
- Olive Oil
- Lime Juice
- Orange Juice
- Vinegar
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Cilantro
Plan to marinate the beef for between 6 and 24 hours. Longer than 24 hours will result in an unfavorable texture to the meat.
As always, please see my recipe card at the bottom of the post for the amounts and printable recipe.
How to Make Carne Asada
- Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the beef in a reusable container. Using tongs, turn the beef over a few times before refrigerating for 6 to 24 hours.
- When it is time to cook the beef, turn your grill to high heat.
- Remove the meat from the marinade. Allow the meat to drip a little over the container so that excess marinade falls off.
- Grill the meat for 3 to 4 minutes over high heat. Flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until you reach desired doneness.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing very thin.
Cooking Temperature for Flank Steak
Cooking temperature is a personal choice. Given this particular cut of meat and recipe, I would recommend aiming for medium-rare, which is 145 degrees. But, you want to take your Flank Steak off the grill at 135-140 degrees and let it rest at least 5 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise to 145 degrees.
Serving Carne Asada
This recipe is delicious on its own topped with more fresh cilantro and diced jalapeños. It is also great in tacos topped with my Pico de Gallo recipe.
Other Great Beef Recipes
- Hamburger Seasoning: This seasoning is perfect on beef hamburgers. My family has been eating this once a week during grilling season.
- Taco Salad: This is another great summer recipe. I could eat this every day.
- Beef Enchiladas: I love this recipe so much, and I know you will too. It’s great all year round.
If you make this Carne Asada Recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice (the juice from one orange)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno diced small
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, mix together the ingredients for the marinade: olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro. Mix until smooth.
- Add the flank steak to the a large mixing bowl or other reusable container. Pour the marinade over it. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hour or as long as 24 hours.
- When ready to make, preheat your grill to high heat.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and shake gently to remove the excess marinade.
- Place on the grill and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness using an instant read thermometer. Please note that I think this meat is best when cooked to medium rare. Remove from the grill when an instant-read meat thermometer reads 140 degrees F; let the steak rest at least 5 minutes. The temperature will raise to 145 degrees, which is medium-rare.
- Serve topped with more fresh cilantro and diced jalapenos, pico de gallo, or in tacos.
Cathy says
This looks completely amazing! We’ll definitely be making it!
Manuel says
i enjoy your page but just some extra info for fellow readers.. Skirt Steak is uusually for Fajitas( the cut of beef called the Faja or falda de res in Spanish. that dish is dish in Mexico is normally called ” Arrachera”rough meat”) because the skirt steak’s membrane is not often cleaned and thus the meat not as tender as its counterpart north of the border. Carne Asada is short for “Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña” and is traditionally Sirloin steak flavored with bitter oranges. It’s a dish made famous in Tampico, Mexico that was inspired by the native Huastec People of theTamaulipas Gulf of Mexico region. Bitter oranges and Vinegar being strong staples of the Huastec civilization’s culinary style.
Maria says
Jus want to say thank you so much for sharing all your amazing recipes! They are healthy, easy and delicious! I used this marinade too for shrimp ceviche came fantastic, and of course the meat so tender and flavorful love it. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it, Maria!