This authentic Carne Asada recipe starts with skirt steak soaked in a flavorful citrus and Mexican spiced marinade then grilled to perfection! This delicious skirt steak is so ready for your summertime grill! If you love this steak, you will also love this Skirt Steak Marinade , Birria Tacos, and this Grilled Ribeye!!
With Labor Day right around the corner, I am doing more grilling than ever. Whether cooking on a gas or charcoal grill, grilling is a great way to enjoy fresh, flavorful foods, including steak. I’m actually going through a serious steak phase right now. The more steak, the better. And I’m talking all cuts of meat from flank and skirt steaks to juicy and tender filet mignons. Lately, I really feel like my body has been craving a lot of high quality protein, and beef is such an incredible way to give my body what it needs.
From the time I was a little girl, I became somewhat of a steak fan. That’s why I teach how to sear a steak and also how to make marinated skirt steak with chimichurri on my website. My daddy would take my family to the swankiest steakhouses in Chicago where I would order menu items like Steak Au Poivre and wherever we traveled. Since I was so young at the time, I was always presented with the children’s menu. However, I wasn’t a fan and my daddy said I didn’t have to order from it. Yep, I was spoiled from the very beginning. Since those very days, I have always loved a great top of the line steak whether at a top ranked steakhouse or right in my very home.
HOW TO MAKE CARNE ASADA
Because I have literally had every steak under the sun, I am going through the process of testing many different flavors so I can keep it new and fresh. My new Carne Asada recipe is truly a work of flavorful art that is incredibly perfect for your holiday grilling. Learning how to make carne asada could not be easier. Even better, grocery stores offer their best deals on steak before summer holidays, just in time for your Labor Day festivities or even for Cinco De Mayo Mexican Fiesta parties..
The flavors are magical. I found myself sneaking into the kitchen eating it and then eating it again and again not being able to get enough. From my very first bite, I fell in love. It starts with the marinade that is truly the essence of flavors coming together in the most sensational and harmonious way.
CARNE ASADA MARINADE
Acids, like the soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice and vinegar, really break down and tenderize the meat while also providing the most incredible taste. Then I really have some fun with some of the spices like cumin, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno. It gives it just enough heat but it isn’t overwhelming. I let the flavors really seep into the beef overnight so you really get the punch of flavor you want once grilled.
TIPS FOR GRILLING
Once you fire up the grill, which provides maximum taste and optimal tenderness, all of those flavors intensify and turn into something truly remarkable. The versatility of this recipe is insane and pairs well with this Mexican Rice and grilled Mexican corn recipe! You can either serve it as is or turn it into fajitas or tacos. Or serve them with my Blackened Chicken Enchiladas for a great Mexican inspired meal. It works perfectly either way. Do yourself a favor and make this over Labor Day weekend and all season long for that matter. I will be making it again and again…. And again and again. Even steak snobs will love this!
Carne Asada Recipe (How to Make Carne Asada)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeño chile pepper seeded and minced
- 1 - 1 ½ pound skirt steak
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For serving: cilantro tortillas, limes, salsa verde, avocado, cotija, etc.
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro, orange juice, vinegar, sugar, pepper, cumin, onion, garlic and seeded chile pepper in a large ziploc bag until well combined.
- Add skirt steak to ziploc bag with marinade and allow to marinade overnight preferably or at least 8 hours.
- When ready to grill, liberally season with salt and pepper.
- Grill covered until golden brown (cooked to medium rare (145°F) doneness), perfectly charred and tender
- To determine doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the side of the steak. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the steak and do not let it touch bone, fat or the grill.
- Allow to rest before slicing on a cutting board.
- Serve with salsas, tortillas and garnishes of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I’ve made a few different carne asada recipes that I’ve enjoyed, but yours is now my absolute favorite! The flavor is perfection and my toddler ate it with the added jalapeno (just a few slices). No leftovers at our house! Doubling the recipe next time. Thank you for sharing such flavorful and easy to follow recipes.
I don’t have a grill:(
How can I cook this on my stovetop?
Yes you can or in the oven.
This marinade sounds SO delicious, but I am not a fan of cilantro. Can I substitute it with another herb?
I am thinking about making this but just want to clarify: this recipe calls for skirt steak, but I make that all the time and can’t imagine 1 1/2lbs. being enough to feed 6 hungry adults. You didn’t mean flank steak? Also, skirt steak is so thin and cooks so quickly that an instant read thermometer would not only be unnecessary but rather difficult to insert. Thanks…it does sound delicious (and hope you don’t take offense at my question)!
Nope I didn’t but you can definitely use flank steak if you want. Totally up to you since the marinade is very adaptable.
Made this twice it two weeks. It’s that good!
I marinated my steak for 24 hours, and froze half of the meat for another time. I have to say that this is the best meat I have EVER tasted in my 68 years. I live in Texas so we have fajitas a lot, and after 30 years here I can still say this is the best fajita meat ever. Even the left overs tonight were so delicious. My next door neighbor (we live in townhouses) texted me last night and asked what we were grilling. I braced for a rebuke, but she said that their upstairs bedroom smelled delicious from our dinner. I told her what it was and she asked for the recipe.
Whatever you do, get some skirt steak and marinate away. Don’t change anything at all. Seriously so many say they do this and that, but I can tell you that Jocelyn cooks good food, and it does not need substitutions. I think I feel that way because we both learned to cook from our grandmothers in the Deep South, and there are no better cooks.
Wow thank you so so so much!!!! I love this recipe so much as well.
This is a delectable marinade..my family couldn’t get enough. In fact, next time I would add another steak, there’s plenty of marinade for 2.
Can you use this recipe in crockpot?
I haven’t tried it in a crockpot unfortunately.
No! It must be charred to bring out the flavor and tenderness. You could try a hot cast iron pan, and that would be a close second to the grill.
I am absolute in LOVE with this!! cannot wait to get grilling
Hooray thanks so much doll!