Carne Asada
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Grill up carne asada that rivals the flavor and tenderness of your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant—perfect for fajitas, tacos, burritos, nachos, and more.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021)
Carne asada, which translates from Spanish as “grilled meat,” is a staple in Latin American cuisine and commonly refers to beef that has been marinated and grilled. It is typically served in slices and accompanied by tortillas, rice, beans, salsa, guacamole, pickled onions, and more for a satisfying, hands-on meal. While carne asada is traditionally made with skirt steak, I opt for flat iron steak. This cut is not only flavorful, but it’s also super tender, making it an excellent choice for grilling—and it’s so much more forgiving than skirt steak. (Wondering why your home-cooked skirt steak is never as tender as the restaurant’s? See the FAQs below.)
In another departure from tradition, I use soy sauce in my marinade—an unusual choice, I know, but it works wonders to bring out the meat’s umami flavor. I also incorporate a bit of sugar into the marinade, which helps the meat caramelize beautifully on the grill, creating those irresistible charred edges that my family loves.
Table of Contents
“Jenn, you ruined my date nights…Mexican used to be our date night out. Now my husband prefers this carne asada! Exceptional as always!”
What You’ll Need to Make Carne Asada
- Soy Sauce: Adds saltiness and umami, serving as the base for the marinade and helping to tenderize the steak. Umami is one of the five basic tastes, alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Think of it as a savory or meaty taste that deepens flavor.
- Lime Juice: Contributes acidity, which helps tenderize the meat and adds a bright, citrusy flavor that complements the savory elements.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps keep the meat moist during cooking and carries the flavors of the spices and aromatics throughout the marinade.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity and saltiness of the marinade. Additionally, sugar aids in the caramelization process when the meat is grilled, contributing to a beautifully browned exterior.
- Cumin: Adds a warm, earthy flavor characteristic of traditional carne asada seasoning.
- Ancho Chile Powder: Provides a mild heat and smoky depth.
- Garlic: Infuses the marinade with a sharp, aromatic flavor that is essential to the carne asada’s rich taste.
- Flat Iron Steak: A tender, flavorful cut of beef that is ideal for absorbing the marinade’s flavors and grilling to perfection. You’ll likely need to buy two flat iron steaks, but even if you’re able to find a large one, it’s best to cut it in half; the steaks will cook faster and you’ll have more surface area to char on the grill.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, using a fork, poke holes about an inch apart all over the steak (one side only). This not only breaks up the fibers of the steak, it also helps the steak soak up the flavor of the umami-packed marinade.
In a dish large enough to hold the steak, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil, sugar, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Whisk to combine.
Place the steak in the marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning the steak at least once.
Lightly oil the grill grates and preheat the grill to high. Make sure to wait until the grill is fully preheated, as the high heat what will give you a beautifully charred, smoky-flavored exterior. Grill the steak, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Let the meat rest on a cutting board, tented with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes, and then slice thinly against the grain. If you’re not sure where the grain is, just look closely at the meat; you’ll see lines running in one direction across it. Those are muscle fibers. Cut perpendicular to the lines to break up the muscle fibers and make the much more tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
In restaurants, skirt steak is the preferred cut for carne asada. But at home, you might notice that skirt steak is never as tender as it is in restaurants. That’s because restaurants buy skirt steaks pre-marinated and tenderized using a special process from commercial meat processors. According to BBQ expert Robb Walsh, these processors marinate tough skirt steak with enzymes that tenderize the meat—and they do their marinating in a commercial vacuum tumbler, which breaks up and stretches out the protein fibers. Furthermore, salt and phosphate are added to increase moisture retention, making the meat juicier. This process is impossible to replicate at home—that’s why I recommend the flat iron steak as a much better option. It’s super tender, flavorful, and ideal for grilling.
Yes, if grilling outdoors is not an option, carne asada can be cooked indoors using a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat. This method will still give you a nice sear and some of the charred flavor that is characteristic of carne asada. Be sure your ventilation is good, as this method can produce a lot of smoke!
You May Also Like
Carne Asada
Grill up carne asada that rivals the flavor and tenderness of your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant—perfect for fajitas, tacos, burritos, nachos, and more.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, from 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 pounds flat iron steak (see note)
Instructions
- In a dish large enough to hold the steak, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil, sugar, cumin, chili powder, and garlic.
- Using a fork, poke holes about an inch apart all over the steak on one side only. Place the steak in the marinade and turn to coat evenly (it doesn't matter which side is up). Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning the steak at least once.
- Lightly oil the grill grates and preheat the grill to high. Grill the steak, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let the meat rest on a cutting board, tented with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.
- Note: You may need to buy 2 separate flat iron steaks to get 2 pounds. Even if you're able to find one large steak, it's best to cut it in half into two smaller steaks -- they will cook faster and you'll have more surface area to char on the grill (we fight over the charred end pieces!).
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (Nutritional data assumes only 1/3 of marinade is absorbed by steak -- 4 servings)
- Calories: 387
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Sodium: 524 mg
- Cholesterol: 154 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
We made this right after the recipe was published and liked it so much we made it again last night. It pairs really well with the black bean and corn salad. I had a great deal of trouble finding the flat iron steaks – three butchers in my area didn’t have it, nor did my usual grocery store – but I finally tracked it down at Walmart, of all places.
can I use a london broil cut for this dish?
Sure, Allise, that will work. 🙂
Thanks, Jenn. I’m in a meat CSA and the package just says London broil. I know London broil is often made with flank or top round, but I’ve no idea of exactly what cut I have. Trying it out tonight.
This was excellent, maybe the best beef dish I’ve had in quite a while. Was it the marinade or the cut of beef? Probably a bit of both. I grilled it for about 8 minutes per side, as the 5-6 minutes was a bit too rare. I made a 2 lb roast for three diners and there was not a bite left. We rolled up the slices in tortillas. Will definitely make again!
Not sure if you can answer this or not. We just purchased a Sous vide, and I’m wondering If I can marinate the meat for a few hours and then put it right into the water to cook in the marinade?
Thanks!!!!
Hi Marianne, I wish I could help but I don’t have any experience with sous vide cooking. I’m sorry!
Hello, how long to grill for medium well, I don’t like rare or medium rare meat. Thank you.
Hi Mary, I’d add another minute or so per side. Hope you enjoy!
I might have marinated too early! I put it in tonight to cook tomorrow so more than 8 hours. Should I just drain the marinade until we grill?
Hi Katie, It might be a bit salty if it marinates overnight, so I would pull the meat out (save and refrigerate the marinade), and just place it back in the marinade tomorrow.
Hi Jenn,
This recipe looks scrumptious. Since it’s only my husband and me, I want to cut the recipe in half. Is this doable for all the ingredients?
If it works out, then I would surely make it for company.
Will only use the flat iron steak.
Thanks in advance.
Sunny D.☀️🎾
Sure, Sunny, it’s perfectly fine to cut the recipe in half. Hope you enjoy it!
Sorry for yet another “Can I use…???” question but I don’t know my cuts of beef that well so….Can I use steak tips? Also, your Chicken Fajita recipe is the first recipe (of many) you hooked me with–would these meats pair well together?
Thanks Jenn!
Hi Rebecca, steak tips would not be a great substitute for flat iron steak. You can use either flank steak or skirt steak. And, yes, this would pair nicely with the chicken fajitas. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I have been making a whole lot from your websites lately and everything has turned out perfectly. I hope I am not overstepping but may I please make a suggestion. The ability to be able to search in the comments – for example a grilling recipes and someone would like to know if they can bake. I also wish you had an App that would be awesome. Again, thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Hi Susan, thanks for your nice words about the recipes so glad you are having success with them! And you’re not overstepping your bounds at all – I’m always open to suggestions for improvement. I will add your suggestion about making the comments searchable to my list of potential enhancements to the site. And although I don’t have an app, the website is mobile friendly which makes it very easy to use regardless of what device you’re viewing it on. Hope that helps!
I search comments all the time ! It’s a huge help.
If on a computer, use Ctrl F and a box will appear for you to put a key word to search the comments.
When on a phone or tablet, highlight the web address, type the word you’re searching for right over it, then “find on this page” will appear. Tap it.
Jen,
Can I use Flap steak in this recipe?
Thank you,
Carla
Sure, a flap steak will work here. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I am a forever fan of yours. We have made and loved so many recipes and I have both your cookbooks. I’m making your chicken quinoa burrito bowls for company (which we’ve made many times and all love). We have some more meat-eaters in our crowd. Would this carne asada be an ok addition to the chicken quinoa bowls? I haven’t made it before. Just wondering if the flavor profile would work with the green sauce and the chicken.
Thanks so much!
So glad you like the recipes, Hilary!! Yes, I think the flavors in the Carne Asada would work will with the burrito bowls. Hope everyone enjoys!
Do you think ribeye steaks would work well here? Thank you in advance Chef!
Sure, I think you could get away with it. Please LMK how it turns out!