Carne Asada Recipe

Learn how to make tender and juicy carne asada from an authentic recipe! I will show you how to make carne asada with a homemade marinade and steak seasoning. Trust me- It's super easy to make, perfect for barbeques or Sunday lunch on the patio. This is the only carne asada recipe you need! 

I have been making carne asada for many years and it's always a hit. I love cooking up this dish because it is so easy to make, tastes great, and you can cook the meat in bulk which makes it perfect for a barbeque or even meal prep!

Why This Carne Asada Recipe Is More Than Just A Simple Steak

From time to time, I receive e-mails asking some common questions for an authentic carne asada recipe, the first one being how to marinate the meat. I always give out the same answer: every cook or grill master has their own unique way of seasoning their meat.

In Mexico, if you were using high-quality meat to make Carne asada, like those from the state of Sonora, for example, you would just add salt. But, there are other marinating techniques and customs that vary depending on the region of the country that you’re dealing with. 

For example, in the south and in the Gulf of Mexico, where bitter orange (Seville orange) is grown, cooks will add some of its juice to the carne asada marinade for a bit of tang. In other regions, they will add lime juice, and others will add a splash of beer while grilling or marinating the meat.

Everyone has their own preference and today's recipe is mine! Actually, this recipe comes straight from my family and friends in Mexico - and you are going to love it!

Frequently Asked Questions About Carne Asada

Before I share my carne asada recipe, here are a few questions I’ve been asked about how to make it.

What is in carne asada marinade?

I decided to ask my friends and family all over Mexico for their carne asada recipe or their preferred list of ingredients when marinating meat for grilling, and the answers were just what I expected: just add salt, some bitter orange or lime juice, and a bit of your favorite beer.

Other options include ground pepper and steak sauce. For more sophisticated palates, you can use seasonings like:

• Rosemary
• Coarse sea salt
• Fresh or powder garlic

You can also use store-bought steak seasonings if you are in a hurry!

Should you use charcoal or gas when you grill carne asada?

You should always use charcoal (or wood, if you can) to grill carne asada. Even though gas grills are growing in popularity, charcoal is still the main grilling method for this recipe.

It's a layer of char and smokiness that really gives the steak some flavor.

What type of meat is best for carne asada?

Here in the United States, I’ve found Arrachera/Fajita to be a favorite among Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants. There are many different types of cuts for grilling in Mexico, and their quality is selected according to the amount of fat marbling that each cut has.

The amount of fat will contribute to the taste, softness, and juiciness of the meat.

The following are some common cuts for grilling:

• Rib Eye, also known as Bife Chorizo, is one of the best cuts for grilling for its juiciness and is sold in ¾ inch steaks. It is also one of the most expensive cuts in the market.
• Porter House, also known as T-Bone, whose T-shaped bone helps retain heat and shorten cooking time on the grill.
• Sirloin, also known as Churrasco or Aguayon, is a clean-cut with lower fat content; it is recommended to be bought in ¾ inch steaks to preserve softness while grilling.
• Then, we have the famous Fajita or Arrachera. This cut is very common and is usually marinated before grilling. It is sold whole or in a specialty cut, which butchers call “fileteado.”
• Short Ribs are tender with a nice marbling and are usually cut across the ribs, ½ to ¾ inches thick.
• Aguja Norteña, or Chuck Steak, is a very popular and low-cost cut of meat. Sold with or without the bone, this cut becomes very flavorful and soft when grilled.

What is the secret ingredient in carne asada?

Now, you might be wondering:

• “Where is the recipe for carne asada?”
• “If Mexican cooks just add salt and a bit of lime, then what do they put in the Fajitas at the Mexican restaurant that makes them taste so good?”

Well, besides their own personal marinade, some of them have something special that they add to it... and that special ingredient is soy sauce. This is more like a TEx-MEx kind of thing.

Yep! A long time ago, a foodie friend told me about her family's Mexican restaurant and I asked the same question about the carne asada. She told me that the secret is soy sauce. Add it right before the meat is going to be served at the table. Then, place it on a very hot cast-iron skillet.

That is why the whole cast iron plate is sizzling and smelling so good when the waiter is bringing your meat to the table.

Authentic Carne Asada

Now, it's time to get cooking! Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish.

• Flank steak (or skirt steak)
• Orange juice
• Lime juice
• Light beer
• Soy Sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• Vegetable oil
• Fresh ground pepper
• White onions (sliced)

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Carne Asada: Step By Step Tutorial

To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.

Marinate The Steak

• Place the flank steak in a large baking dish and, if using the sliced onion, spread the slices over the meat. 
• In a medium-sized bowl mix together the orange juice, lime juice, light beer, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
• Pour the marinade over the meat; cover with a plastic film and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Grill The Steak

• Light up your charcoal grill, or preheat your gas grill. Brush your grill with a little vegetable oil.
• Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Place meat on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes per side. Remove meat from the grill and place it on your cutting board.
• Slice it and serve it with corn tortillas or place the cooked meat on a preheated cast iron pan, add a few drops of soy sauce and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

What To Serve With Carne Asada

Usually, you would serve some Mexican side dishes like guacamole, some grilled green onions, freshly made salsa, corn tortillas, and another dish that may vary with region.

In Central Mexico, this includes grilled nopales or small clay pots with the famous queso fundido and frijoles charros (common in the northern states). You can also do some baked potatoes and white onions wrapped in aluminum foil and placed on the grill to cook.

More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for carne asada, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

• Steak Ranchero
• Mexican Steak Tacos
• Steak Quesadilla Recipe
• Carne En Salsa Verde
• Steak and Potatoes in Pasilla Sauce

I hope you make this carne asada recipe! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!

Mely

Carne asada

Mely Martínez

From time to time I receive e-mails asking some common questions for an Authentic Carne Asada recipe, the first one being how to marinate the meat. I always give out the same answer: every cook or grill master has their own unique way of seasoning their meat. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe.

4.98 from 47 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Marinade 1 hr

Total Time 30 mins

Course Beef

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Calories 247 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds of flank steak or skirt steak
• ▢ The juice of 1 orange
• ▢ The juice of 2 limes
• ▢ ¼ cup of light beer
• ▢ 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• ▢ Fresh ground pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 large white onion sliced optional
• ▢ Vegetable oil to brush the grill before grilling

TO SERVE:

• ▢ Corn tortillas
• ▢ Guacamole
• ▢ Salsa
• ▢ Lime wedges
• ▢ Grilled green onions and nopales or a salad of your choice.

Instructions

 

• Place the flank steak in a large baking dish and, if using the sliced onion, spread the slices over the meat.
• In a medium-sized bowl mix together the orange juice, lime juice, light beer, Kikkoman soy sauce, vegetable oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
• Pour the marinade over the meat; cover with a plastic film and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Light up your charcoal grill, or preheat your gas grill. (You can also use a cast iron grill pan, the ones you use over the stove top). And brush your grill with a little vegetable oil as this will prevent the meat from sticking.
• Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Place meat on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes per side. (Cooking time will depend on the meat thickness and your personal preferences, either medium or well done). Remove meat from grill and place it on your cutting board. Slice it and serve it with corn tortillas and other garnishes mentioned above.
• If you would like to have the same effect as that of the Mexican-American restaurant, place the cooked meat on a preheated cast iron pan, add a few drops of Soy Sauce and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

• There’s no salt in this recipe as the Soy Sauce — besides being a flavor enhancer — takes the place of salt. By using ½ tsp. of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in place of ½ tsp. of regular table salt in your recipes you will reduce the sodium content of the recipe by 1000mg. Of course, you can still add salt if your taste desires it. For more recipes using Kikkoman Soy Sauce, visit Kikkoman Sabor.

• This recipe is my own, and I hope you enjoy it. It is best to enjoy a cut of roast meat that is freshly cooked and served while still smoking.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ozCalories: 247kcalProtein: 32gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 515mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2.3mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!