Carne Asada Recipe – A delicious carne asada recipe made from marinated flank steak or skirt steak and grilled until tender and juicy. A great addition to any Mexican meal, this authentic recipe is made with olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano and other simple ingredients.
Juicy, melt in your mouth Carne Asada was always such a treat when I was growing up!
I remember my brother or dad would pick up some carne preparada (already marinated steak) at our local Mexican meat market on Sunday and they’d grill it in the backyard while my Mom and sisters finished making the side dishes.
When it was time to eat, they’d serve the meat on big platters family-style alongside things like Mexican rice, some Mexican salsas and homemade corn tortillas. It’s always been one of my favorite Sunday lunches with the family because the meat is just so good!
What is carne asada?
Carne asada is beef that has been marinated and grilled. When translated from Spanish, carne asada literally means “grilled meat”. Pretty simple, right?
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- juice of 1 orange (about 1/4 cup of juice)
- juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for grilling
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for grilling
- 2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak, excess fat removed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the steak.
- Place the steak in a large baking dish or gallon size ziplock bag and pour the marinade on top. Turn the steak a few times until it's completely coated with the marinade and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Do not marinate for longer than 8 hours because the meat will start to break down and get mushy.
- Remove steak from marinade and discard any excess marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towels and drizzle with a touch of olive oil, enough to coat each side. Season lightly with coarse salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Preheat grill for direct heat grilling at medium-high heat (400-450°F). Grill steaks with the lid closed for 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Skirt steak will be closer to 4 minutes per side and flank steak will be closer to 6-8 minutes per side.
- Remove steaks and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with mexican rice, refried beans and avocado salad.
Notes
To make sure the steak is cooked to your preferred temperature, I recommend buying an oven-safe meat thermometer.
