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carne asada tacos
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5 from 4 votes

Carne Asada Tacos Recipe

Carne asada tacos layer super-flavorful marinated, grilled steak with your choice of simple, savory toppings. Don't miss them.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Additional Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 37 minutes
Course: Mexican-Inspired
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carne asada tacos
Calories: 522kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (907 grams) skirt, flank, hanger, or flat iron steak

For the marinade

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) molasses
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

To serve

  • 2 16- ounce cans refried beans
  • 24 taco-size corn tortillas
  • 2 ripe Hass avocados sliced
  • Pickled red onions
  • 8 ounces queso blanco or cotija cheese crumbled
  • 1 handful cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

  • Pat steak dry with paper towels. If there is If pieces are too long to fit on grill, cut into manageable sections. 
  • In a gallon-size zip top bag, mix together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and salt.
  • Add meat to bag. Squeeze out most of the air from the bag and seal. Arrange bag so all meat is in contact with marinade.
  • Marinate at cool room temperature for two hours, on in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, turning the bag over occasionally.
  • About 45 minutes before you're ready to eat, preheat grill to high. 
  • Remove steak from bag and let excess marinade drip off, leaving a little bit clinging to the meat.
  • Arrange meat in a single, uncrowded layer on the grill, all over direct heat. Grill the steak until nicely browned on the underside, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Flip once and grill until internal temperature reaches 120°-125°F for medium-rare. (Temperature will continue to rise while the meat rests.) Timing will vary quite a bit depending on the cut and thickness of the steak. A thin skirt steak will be done very quickly, and a thicker cut will take longer. While personal preference plays a part, it's widely agreed that all of these cuts thrive at medium-rare.
  • Let steak rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
  • While steak rests, warm refried beans and tortillas and prepare the toppings. Set out ingredients buffet-style or assemble tacos by layering some beans, steak, avocado, onions, cheese, and cilantro onto each tortilla.

Notes

  1. You can use skirt, flank, hanger, or flat iron steak for carne asada. These are all flavorful, relatively inexpensive cuts of beef. When marinated, grilled to medium-rare over a very hot grill and sliced thinly against the grain, they'll be beautifully tender, too. If you'd like to learn more, I've included a section in the post above that highlights the differences among these steaks.
  2. A little bit of molasses serves several roles: it balances the acidity, helps tenderize the meat, and helps the steak brown on the grill. You can use an equal amount of brown sugar if you prefer.
  3. Refried beans aren't strictly necessary, but I like to include them as a base layer in these tacos. They'd also be great on the side. You can use your favorite canned variety or make your own.
  4. You can use any taco-sized tortillas that you like. I've pictured one of my favorite brands of corn tortillas. Or level up and make your own.
  5. Carne asada tastes great with a wide variety of cheeses (or without, for a dairy-free variation). I typically choose tangy crumbled cotija or queso blanco.
  6. Make-ahead instructions: You'll need to marinate the steak for at least two hours, up to 24. After that, everything comes together quickly and easily. I prefer to grill the steak shortly before serving, but if you need to grill it in advance, that's okay. You can reheat sliced steak with a very brief stint in the microwave at half power. Pickled onions can be made well in advance, since they keep beautifully in the fridge for a month. Prep the other toppings and heat tortillas at serving time. Assemble tacos right before serving (or better yet, let diners assemble their own).
  7. Leftover steak will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
  8. Indoor cooking instructions: If you don't have a grill or prefer to cook indoors, you can broil or pan-sear the steak. To broil, preheat broiler to high and place a rack as close as possible to the heat source. Place steak on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan and broil according to the same timing and doneness indicators used for grilling. To pan-sear, preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat on the stovetop. Cook steak, in batches if necessary, according to the same timing and doneness indicators used for grilling. Regardless of method, let steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.9g | Protein: 39.8g | Fat: 31g | Fiber: 8.1g