Carne Asada is all about the marinade. You take a nice piece of steak, marinate it with some delicious flavors, and then head out to the grill for the ultimate flavorful piece of beef. This dish is lovingly adapted from the kitchen of one of the world’s most renowned chefs of Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless, ensuring that while the techniques are adapted for the home kitchens of our audience, the deep, traditional flavors not only remain but shine. Whether you’re hosting a family dinner or a casual backyard barbecue, Carne Asada is designed to bring people together with every deliciously juicy bite.
Why Our Recipe
- Adapted from one of the world’s most renowned chefs of Mexican cuisine and made accessible to home cooks.
- We may adjust techniques, but we never sacrifice flavor, ensuring you get restaurant-quality results at home.
- Practical substitutes without compromising the dish’s integrity for when you can’t find everything at your local grocery store or want to play with the flavors.
Carne asada means “grilled meats,” but there’s a world of ways to prepare it across Mexico. Our recipe is influenced by the styles popular in regions like Jalisco and Nuevo León, where orange juice is used in the marinade to give the meat a tender texture and a burst of citrusy flavor. This isn’t just about the great taste you get from grilling; our focus is on a marinade that really brings out the rich flavors and tenderizes the meat to perfection. A great carne asada starts with the right cut of steak. Flank or skirt steak is perfect for soaking up the marinade and grilling up beautifully tender.
Ingredient Notes
- Flank Steak or Skirt Steak: Both cuts are ideal for Carne Asada due to their rich flavor and texture that becomes tender when properly marinated and grilled. Flank steak is slightly leaner, while skirt steak offers a more intense beef flavor. You can also beef things up with a sirloin or ribeye if you want to get fancy.
- Limes: Fresh lime juice tenderizes the meat and adds a little zesty zing. Lemon juice can work too.
- Garlic: quintessential and delicious. Measure it with your heart.
- Orange Juice: Adds sweetness and citrus notes that balance the lime’s tartness, also helping to tenderize the steak. If orange juice is not available, try substituting with grapefruit juice or a mix of lemon and pineapple juice for a similar effect.
- Cilantro: If cilantro is not to your taste (we know that for some people it tastes like soap), parsley is a trusty fallback.
- Salt and Pepper: Adjust according to taste. You can always add more after cooking.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps to bind the marinade and ensure that it adheres well to the meat, also aiding in the grilling process. Olive oil or avocado oil are excellent alternatives.
- Jalapeño: Use serrano or habanero for spicier meat, and use less jalapeno or substitute with a poblano pepper for less spicy.
- White Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or additional lime juice can also be used.
What if I don’t have a grill?
Grilling carne asada on an outdoor grill adds that unbeatable smoky flavor, but not everyone has one handy. Don’t worry—you can still get fantastic results right on your stovetop. Just grab a griddle or a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal because it holds heat so well). Crank up the heat high, just like you would with a grill, and turn on the fan on your hood. Place your marinated steak on the hot surface and let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. This will give you a delicious sear and a well-cooked interior. Flip it just once to get that perfect crust. Cooking on a stovetop mimics the high heat of grilling, ensuring your carne asada is just as satisfying, with all the tender, juicy flavors intact.
Marinating Time
Minimum Time: At least 2 hours. This gives the marinade enough time to start working its magic on the meat, tenderizing it and starting to layer in the flavors.
Ideal Time: Overnight. Letting your steak marinate overnight will deeply enrich it with the marinade’s flavors and make it extra tender. Just pop it in the fridge before you go to bed, and it’ll be perfect for grilling the next day.
Maximum Time: 24 hours. Beyond this, the acids in the marinade can start to break down the fibers in the meat too much, making it mushy rather than tender.
Slice Against the Grain
When cutting your meat, be sure to cut against the grain. It is quite easy to see the grain running through the meat in both of flank and skirt steak cuts. It looks like lines. Do not cut parallel to these lines, always cut perpendicular to them. The grain provides a natural breaking point in the meat. If you cut against them then you end up with tons of breaking points in each piece which keeps is what makes it tender.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze before or after cooking in an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking or eating.
To reheat, use a skillet over medium heat and cook slices just until warmed through to retain tenderness. We don’t recommend microwaving.
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My flank steak is marinating tonight! Throwing this on the grill for Cinco de Mayo festivities!???
How would you serve the asada and what about sides?
As the post states above, you can eat it plain, on a taco, burrito, or anything else you can think of. As for sides, that would depend on how you are serving it up. Mexican or Spanish rice is always a great option.
I am going to give this a try today, every one I know raves about this dish, I have never tried it. There is one thing I wish to point out; unless the temonology is different for meat, you are cutting across the grain, not against it.
Against the grain is more commonly used in American cooking, but both are correct.
This is a very good recipe… No adjustments necessary…
That said, I find the comments as entertaining as the recipe… :O)
Love this recipe, plastic zip lock bags are the best for marinating things I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. You can’t beat it I usually suck all the air out of it the meat just sucks up the flavor that way. Instead of orange juice I use the juice of an orange. Most oj you get in the store has all the mutual flavor taken out and then they put flavor packs in it to give it’s flavor back. I used to love o.k. but now unless it’s fresh squeezed I won’t drink it. If your using charcoal get your coals nice and hot then desperate them if you have a round grill spread coals around perimeter if it’s square spread to each side. Cool your meat in the center area not over any coals if you desire you can first seat over hot coals on each side for 2 min then transfer to the center for remainder depending on how rare you like your meat and how thick it is. I also add a little cumin and Mexican chili powder along with a couple diced habenaros. Serve with black beans topped with chiuawa cheese salsa fresca Mabry some cactus salad if you can find it near you.
Hi! I saw your comment about using the juice of an orange. I am going to try that too. Did you use the same amount of juice as the recipe calls for? TIA!
joe,I don’;t think yon have been cooking long enough your are absolutely wrong about using plastic bags.the only way to marinate any meat is to use an old earthen crock wit lid
Ty. N. Hv. A. Wonderful. N. Beautiful. Day. N. Enjoy. N. GOD. BLESSED. !!!
Oomg. Hw. I. LUV. LUV. LUV. This. Recepie. N. M. Going. 2. Do. Some. Day. Jst. Wait. N. C. !!!
Ok I live in Ireland and can not get just plain white vinegar you either get white malt vinegar or brown vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar which one should I use???
hmmmm, I’d go with white malt vinegar. I love malt vinegar.
Please people no crock pots not the right cut of beef will ruin it. If you must attempt use a chuck roast add marinade and cook till tender. shred and use for taco’s . Flank or skirt should be cooked over high heat on a grill preferably charcoal or wood no more than medium rare. This cut does not do well with over cooking loses flavor and becomes tough. This style marinade has lots of natural sugar so can burn easily. Please watch the whole cooking time to avoid burning would recommend a dual zone fire to help with over charring though never had a problem due to short cooking time. No one can tell you exact times for cooking as each grill works a little differently . If you are not a seasoned grill cook please use a therm. The only reason for over cooking is not paying attention. I never have had to close my grill lid due to quick cooking times and don’t want to oven cook by closing lid. Find this method tends to over cook product.
I’d love to know a way of keeping this warm without overcooking, I want to make it for a party of 14 people. Can I keep it warm in a crock pot?
It’s not a great idea. Beef just doesn’t hold well and should be cooked “to order.” They don’t hold it in good restaurants either.