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Carne Asada recipe on a cutting board with ingredients on the side.
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5 from 32 votes

Carne Asada Recipe

This easy Carne Asada Recipe produces an incredibly flavorful dish. It only takes a few minutes to mix up the marinade and to grill up! The hardest part is waiting for the beef to soak up all the flavor from the marinade!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
marinating time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 15 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 420kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Mexican Oregano Italian oregano is okay
  • 1½ limes juiced or 1 Mexican orange,juiced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced

Beef

  • 1 pound skirt steak
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place all marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Place meat into a baking dish pour marinade mixture/paste over meat.
  • Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and allow meat to marinate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
  • Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Brush with vegetable oil.
  • Grill meat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer meat onto a cutting board and rest, 5 to 7 minutes. Chop into bite sized pieces and serve.

Video

Notes


  • Best Cuts of Meat to Use for Carne Asada

    Our favorite cut of beef for our recipe is skirt steak. It's flavorful, absorbs the marinade well and cooks up quickly.
    Flank steak, similar to skirt steak but thicker, is another cut of beef that would be great to use. We also like using flap meat, as it’s similar to skirt steak and cooks up just as quickly.

    What is Mexican Oregano?

    Mexican oregano is an herb indigenous to Mexico with a strong woodsy and earthy flavor. It’s actually a different species of plant entirely from Mediterranean Oregano, which is from the mint family. If you’re unable to find Mexican oregano, you can substitute with Mediterranean oregano although the flavor just won’t be quite as sharp.

    Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions for Our Carne Asada Recipe

    Make Ahead

    The beef can be marinated up to 2 days ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You don’t want to marinate for more than 2 days as the marinade will begin to break the meat down too much, creating an unappealing texture.

    Freezing

    Place the marinated steak into a resealable bag, removing as much excess air before sealing. Place meat, laying at flat as possible in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, place the frozen bag of carne asada onto a plate and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Tips and Tricks for Success

    • It’s important that the beef has marinated for several hours, although overnight is best, to help tenderize the meat and to maximize flavor.
    • The grill, skillet or grill pan being used should be hot before adding the carne. The carne asada should only be cooked on both sides for a few minutes to avoid overcooking, which will result in a tough texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 3mg