Carne Asada

8 hours 23 minutes

By: Julie Blanner3 Comments
Updated: 4/30/22

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This marinated carne asada recipe is perfect for Cinco de Mayo and beyond! This carne asada marinade is a savory blend of tequila, citrus, chipotle peppers and herbs and spices.

It’s an irresistible Mexican marinade! This carne asada melts in your mouth and is delicious for fajitas, tacos, salads, and even on top of fries or nachos.

The options are endless and this is an excellent marinade to keep in your dinner line-up. With so many uses, you’re sure to thrill the family any night of the week!

A white plate with sliced carne asada recipe

I’ve always loved carne asada, ever since I discovered the joys of Mexican food. Admittedly, it was a little later in life than I’d like to admit, but now I am a total convert!

Dreaming and planning for Cinco de Mayo flavors keeps me sane during the long winter months. I love developing and sharing recipes with you, and Mexican flavors are a major priority around here.

When it was time for a classic, traditional carne asada marinade, I wanted to create something simple, savory, and easy to customize.

Many of the recipes you’ll find online are filled with soy sauce – and while I am sure they are delicious, I wanted to be able to control the salt content a little more for our personal preferences.

This Carne Asada recipe stands on its own when served simply, and it also serves beautifully in a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes.

A chunk of cooked carne asada on a white platter,knife to the side

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Carne Asada Recipe

Easy to Make
So Flavorful
Low Carb and Keto Friendly
Great for Tacos, Burritos, Fajitas, Nachos and Beyond

It can be cooked inside on your stove top or on an outdoor grill, so it’s as flexible as it is delicious. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients for the Carne Asada Marinade

Ingredients for a carne asada marinade on a white surface

Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil is always ideal but you can use kind you have on hand.
Tequila – I don’t think you can have a Mexican dish without a little tequila! You can use your favorite type – blanco (silver), joven (gold), reposado (aged) or añejo (extra aged).
Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice is a key ingredient in the marinade. The acid helps to break down the tough fibers of the steak. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or purchase in the produce section. You can also substitute lime juice if you prefer.
Worcestershire Sauce – This condiment adds a wonderful sweet and savory flavor to the meat with a little tang of vinegar.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – These pack a lot of flavor and add beautiful color.
Dijon Mustard – Adds flavor and texture.
Seasonings – Paprika, oregano, salt and pepper add a lot of flavor to these amazing tacos.

A white baking dish with a steak resting in a carne asada marinade

How to Make Carne Asada

Not including the marinade time, this is a true 30 minute dinner!

Combine the marinade ingredients in the food processor. You can chop adobo peppers and whisk in a bowl if you prefer.
Place steaks in baking dish. Make 1/4″ cuts 1″ apart to allow marinade to soak into the meat. Combine ingredients and pour over steak.
Allow to marinate covered and refrigerated for 4-8 hours, up to 24 hours. You can either leave it in the baking dish, covered with plastic wrap, or simply place steak and marinade together into a sealed plastic bag.
Heat grill or stove top to medium high heat. Add steak and cook four minutes per side (flipping just once, halfway for medium rare) or until it reaches the desired temperature.
Remove from heat, cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Place on cutting board. Slice thin across the grain.

For a highly detailed steak temperature reference guide, be sure to head over to this Free Printable Steak Temperature Chart – so handy!

Tips

Allow time to marinade the steak. Set aside at least 4 hours or up to 24. This will really help to tenderize the steak and create that juicy, flavorful steak you crave.
Slicing your steak before marinating really allows all those spices and liquids to seep inside the meat.
Once you have cooked the steak, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before you’ll thinly slice it across the grain.

Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Cut of Meat is Carne Asada?

Carne asada is most frequently made with skirt steak or flank steak. We tend to use flank steak because it’s a little leaner.
It’s a lean cut, but because of the acidic, bright carne asada marinade, the fibers of the steak break down and turn your carne asada into something incredibly juicy and flavorful.

How long do you marinate carne asada?

Marinate your Carne Asada for anywhere from 4-24 hours. I like to leave it to marinate overnight, just to make sure it’s absorbed all those juices!

Serving Suggestions

Oh let me count the ways! If you love Mexican food as much as we do, there are so many fun ways to use carne asada. It’s great for leftovers, too, because it’s so easy to reinvent in a new way.

Consider the following ways to use your carne asada:

Simply, with just a side of rice and beans
Of course, in my carne asada tacos
Try in Street Tacos
Add to French fries
Carne asada burritos
Carne asada nachos
Go low carb (or even keto) with a side of salad, veggies, or even cauliflower rice.

However you serve this carne asada recipe, you should definitely add a little of my avocado salsa. YUM. It’s also amazing served with a simple Pico de Gallo on top!

Carne asada tacos, topped with cilantro on a white plate. — *Carne Asada Tacos, topped with Guacamole Salsa*

What to Do with Leftovers

Dietary Considerations

Nut Free
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Keto Friendly

A close up of a cooked piece of carne asada steak.

How to Store

At Room Temperature – Don’t leave cooked steak out for more than two hours while serving.
Refrigerate – Wrapped in an airtight container and properly stored, this carne asada recipe can stay in your refrigerator for up to 3-4 days after cooking.
Freeze – Leftover carne asada can be stored for up to three months in the freezer without losing quality.

All this Mexican food can’t happen without the world’s best margaritas! Be sure to check out all my cocktail recipes – and this incredible margarita mix!