Beef/ Favorites/ Gluten Free/ Mexican and Latin Recipes

Carne Asada

Carne Asada – The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection.

Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete Savorist

Carne Asada might be my go-to dish when I hit most Mexican restaurants. It’s high in protein, lower in fat than say my other favorite, the smothered burrito.

This fabulous meat is traditionally made with skirt steak, that inexpensive, thin piece of beef that when marinated properly and grilled….well, let’s have a moment of quiet reflection for how delicious it is.

I live in a small town. I have several grocery stores in my valley. It was 6-ish on Saturday evening when I hit the market to pick up my groceries for the grill fest that was to be Sunday. I figured everyone was going to do burgers, steaks, dogs, and chicken.

I thought skirt steak would be abundant.  Plus, we have several Mexican grocery stores (LOVE THEM) and they sell the marinated skirt steak all ready for grilling; my assumption being if people were grilling carne asada, they’d go there and get the ‘ready’ meat. So, yeah, it’s 6 or so, I grabbed all the things I needed and hit the butcher.

No

Skirt

Steak

NONE

No hanger steak either, which works great in a pinch.

But there was a flank steak…thicker, but I have decent knife skills, I can cut it.

Oh, yeah, I’m too lazy for that, forget cutting.

This carne asada doesn’t have the traditional look that you might be accustomed to, but the flavor is all there, that I promise. In  hindsight, how I used this meat (you’ll see tomorrow), having the flank vs the skirt steak turned out to be for the best.

Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete Savorist

Marinade for Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete Savorist

Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete Savorist

Carne Asada

Course: Dinner/Grilling
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Beef, Carne Asada, Gluten Free, Grilling, Steak
Servings: 6
Author: Michelle De La Cerda

The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection.

Print

Ingredients

  • 2 lb skirt , flank, or hanger steak

Marinade (Mojo)

  • 6 garlic cloves; minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 jalapeño; chopped
  • 2 limes; juiced
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp cumin

Green Onions

  • 2-3 green onions per serving/person
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Mix all the marinade (mojo) ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add the steak to a large container or zip seal bag.
  3. Pour the marinade over the meat and work it into it.
  4. Seal.
  5. Rotate the marinade every 15 minutes for the next hour.
  6. Heat grill.
  7. Once grill is hot, remove the meat from the marinade and grill on each side 3-7 minutes, depending on the thickness, for a medium-rare cook.

Green onions

  1. Trim the root and the ends of the onions.
  2. Toss with oil.
  3. Place foil directly on the grill
  4. Put the green onions, in a single layer directly on the foil.
  5. Rotate the onions, allowing for evening cooking; about 10 minutes.

Grilling the Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete SavoristGrilling the green onions for Carne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete SavoristCarne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete SavoristCarne Asada ~ The quintessential Mexican beef dish that is marinated and seasoned then grilled to perfection ~ The Complete Savorist

SaveSave

Thank you for sharing!

You Might Also Like

46 Comments

  • Reply
    Healing Tomato
    May 27, 2015 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    I hear that carne asada is very popular during the summer time. Your recipe looks terrific.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 27, 2015 at 2:52 am

      Yes, very popular…if you ever cross over to the dark side, I’ll grill you some up.

  • Reply
    Laura
    May 27, 2015 at 12:41 am

    Oh yum, this sounds like a beauty. I like the technique for cooking the onions too.

  • Reply
    Des @ Life's Ambrosia
    May 27, 2015 at 12:59 am

    This is gorgeous! We adore carne asada in our house but I can’t always find skirt steak either! Must be popular these days 🙂

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 27, 2015 at 2:52 am

      I think it is the price point that has it selling out.

  • Reply
    Sarah
    May 27, 2015 at 1:23 am

    This look so good! I’ve never had this dish before but it looks like I’m definitely missing out on something!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 27, 2015 at 2:52 am

      Never had it before??? You must give it a try.

  • Reply
    Lovefoodies
    May 27, 2015 at 1:43 am

    5 stars
    OMG! Positively drooling…. oh oh oh… no words!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 27, 2015 at 2:53 am

      Thank you LF, it’s delish.

  • Reply
    Florian @ContentednessCooking
    May 27, 2015 at 4:01 am

    I love all the flavors here, Michelle! This looks fantastic!

  • Reply
    Arman @ thebigmansworld
    May 27, 2015 at 5:02 am

    OMG. I never knew Carne Asada started like this before it got shredded and chopped for burrito bowls- I prefer your way and this looks AMAZING.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 1:50 am

      Thank you Arman, it is so delicious. You will love it.

  • Reply
    heather @french press
    May 27, 2015 at 8:52 am

    quite simply…YUM we LOVE carne asada, and yours look like perfection

  • Reply
    Catherine
    May 27, 2015 at 11:20 am

    Dear Michelle, what a beautiful meal. This sounds fabulous and flavorful. I love how you plated this. Pinned! xo, Catherine

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 1:52 am

      Thank you so much Catherine. It is a delicious meal, hope you enjoy it.

  • Reply
    Kristen
    May 27, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    I love how you took the unplanned and made it something wonderful.

  • Reply
    Debra @ Bowl Me Over
    May 27, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    The dark side….that got a belly laugh! 😀 Carne Asada is pretty popular in my neck of the woods and your recipe sounds fantastic!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 1:53 am

      Glad we made you laugh! Thank you Debra.

  • Reply
    Carne Asada Pizza with Avocado Ranch
    May 27, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    […] May 27, 2015 By Michelle Leave a Comment […]

  • Reply
    Joy @ Joy Love Food
    May 27, 2015 at 4:51 pm

    The same thing happened to me too, years ago, the market had no skirt steak so I purchased flank steak instead. Everyone loved it and it’s now one of our favorite meats to grill. This preparation with the orange juice sounds delicious and I love the grilled onions too!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 1:55 am

      I love happy accidents. Flank costs a bit more than skirt, but still a lot less than the average steak, it really is a great cut.

  • Reply
    Diana Rambles
    May 28, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    This looks amazing!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      Thank you Diana. It is amazing and super easy.

  • Reply
    Tara
    May 28, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    We don’t have hanger or skirt steak here in Canada. I must ask the butcher about that. Lots of flank steak though and your recipe looks like a wonderful way to serve this cut!!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 28, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      I’ll be curious to know what hanger and skirt steak cuts are called in Canada.

  • Reply
    KC the Kitchen Chopper
    May 28, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    I grill flank steak all the time. Especially for guests. I going to try your marinade (sans the cilantro) the very next time I make it. I’m drooling already! 🙂

  • Reply
    Elena
    May 29, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    5 stars
    This looks wonderful! Perfect summer meal 🙂

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 29, 2015 at 10:58 pm

      Thank you Elena, you are right, perfect summer meal.

  • Reply
    Emily @amummytoo
    May 29, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    That looks absolutely perfect. The sun has yet to start really shining her in the UK – bring on Summer!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      May 29, 2015 at 10:58 pm

      We had no winter in Utah, then spring comes and then winter shows up. We’ve had very few sunny days, so I can commiserate with you.

  • Reply
    Maureen
    June 10, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    Well, I’m not going to argue anymore. The beef here was really cooked to perfection! It’s really perfect! It looks so tender and juicy. I just love it! Wow!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      June 13, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Ha, thank you Maureen.

  • Reply
    Hirra Pervaiz
    August 6, 2015 at 12:47 am

    This looks absolutely delicious. I’m pinning it!

  • Reply
    Cathy
    August 6, 2015 at 8:02 am

    This looks mouthwatering amazing! Yummed! 🙂
    Cathy

  • Reply
    Grilled Pork Chops Adobo
    August 24, 2015 at 10:55 am

    […] when I get too sentimental because they aren’t sure what to make Mexican marinated meats like carne asada or this pork adobo but yet be served a big bowl of macaroni. But to me, there is no other way. My […]

  • Reply
    6 Touchdown-Worthy Tailgating Recipes
    October 2, 2015 at 12:55 am

    […] about. In order to feed that primal side (manly or womanly, because we women love meat too), this Carne Asada will definitely fulfill that basic primal need of meat. Who doesn’t love a grinder? […]

  • Reply
    How to Roast Frozen Corn - The Complete Savorist
    November 11, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    […] wait for the recipe this was made for, I highly recommend serving it along side a delicious slab of Carne Asada, in my Grilled BBQ Chicken Quinoa Bowls, my Loaded Quinoa and Edamame Salad, or my Steak Salad in […]

  • Reply
    Pomegranate-Honey Glazed Pork Belly - The Complete Savorist
    December 9, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    […] Carne Asada […]

  • Reply
    Easy Charro Beans with Canned Beans - The Complete Savorist
    December 10, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    […] Carne Asada […]

  • Reply
    Chipotle London Broil Fajitas - The Complete Savorist
    April 30, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    […] always make carne asada for Cinco de Mayo…always, but this year I decided I wanted to add to my traditional […]

  • Leave a Reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.