We’ve taken our famous Carne Asada recipe and turned it into a tasty weeknight street taco. No marinating time is required on this one, which means your tacos are ready for the table in about 35 minutes. Use a grill or a skillet on the stove—either way, these tacos are fast, easy, and delicious.

Why Our Recipe

  • A quick and easy version of our famous Carne Asada, but still bringing all the flavor.
  • Ready for the table in about 35 minutes, give or take.
  • Simple prep, grilled or cooked on the stovetop, and still totally delish.
A close up view of three carne asada tacos with cilantro and pico de gallo.

These Carne Asada Street Tacos are perfect for a quick meal. The steak is tender and lightly citrus-flavored, ensuring each taco is full of flavor. Finish them off with your favorite toppings and you’ve got a delicious meal ready to go. You can even make extra for future meals without adding much additional effort.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of tortillas, pico, cilantro, onion, and diced carne asada.
  • Flank Steak or Skirt Steak: Both cuts are ideal for Carne Asada. Flank steak is slightly leaner, while skirt steak offers a more intense beef flavor.
  • Orange Juice: helps to tenderize the steak. Try substituting with grapefruit juice or a mix of lemon and pineapple juice for a similar effect.
  • Lime Juice: helps tenderize the meat and adds a little zesty zing. Lemon juice can work too.
  • Vegetable Oil: Helps keep the meat from sticking to the grill or the pan.
  • Garlic: Quintessential and delicious. Measure it with your heart.
  • White Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or additional lime juice can also be used.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: Adjust according to taste. You can always add more after cooking.
  • Flank 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.
  • Corn Tortillas: warm them up for better texture and taste. You can also use flour if you prefer.
  • Fresh Cilantro: If cilantro is not to your taste (we know that for some people it tastes like soap), parsley is a trusty fallback.
  • Diced White or Red Onion: a must on any street taco, right?
  • Pico de Gallo: consider a simple salsa or leave it out.

Additional Topping Ideas

Dress it up with sliced avocado or guacamole, sour cream or crema, cotija cheese or queso fresco, pickled red onions, pickled jalapenos, sliced radishes, and/or fresh lime wedges for squeezing over your taco. These are all some of our absolute favorites!

Warming Your Tortillas

On the Stovetop: Place the tortilla on a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Heat for about 30 seconds on each side, just until it begins to brown slightly.

On the Grill: While grilling your carne asada, place the tortillas around the outer edges of the grill where the heat is less intense. Warm each side for about 30 seconds until they’re lightly toasted.

In the Microwave: Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel to keep them moist. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds to 1 minute when warming all 12 tortillas at once. Individually, they take about 10 seconds.

An overhead view of a plate of 3 carne asada tacos.

Make it a Freezer Meal

Making a double batch of carne asada really doesn’t take much additional effort, which means this is a prime candidate for a freezer meal. You can even use our handy scaling feature to make it easy. Freeze the cooked chopped meat in a resealable plastic freezer bag in the portion sizes that work best for you. Be sure to remove as much of the air as possible to prevent freezer burn. All you have to do is remember to move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before and it should be thawed in time for dinner the next day.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate leftover meat in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze leftover meat in an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before eating.

To reheat, use a skillet over medium heat and cook diced carne asada just until warmed through to retain tenderness. We don’t recommend microwaving.

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