Back
4.5 from 75 votes

Carne Asada Tacos

This carne asada marinade infuses so much flavor into the skirt steak and tenderizes the meat for a few hours. After grilling the marinated skirt steak, you're left with a tender and juicy carne asada steak, which is perfect for tacos! The best carne asada marinade.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Calories: 769 kcal
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Carne Asada Steak
  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (see note #1)
Marinade
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (pressed through garlic press)
  • 4 chipotles in adobo sauce (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon dark chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Taco Elements
  • 10 flour or corn tortillas
  • 4 ounces cotija cheese (crumbled)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Optional Garnish:
  • pickled red onions
  • homemade guacamole
  • Sliced Jalapenos
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. You're going to add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl or ziplock bag. Skirt steaks can be pretty long, so depending on your grill size, you can cut it in half before marinating. Marinate for minimum 2 hours.
  2. Remove the skirt steak from marinade and you can prepare either on the grill or in a cast iron pan.
  3. For the grill: Set temperature to 450F. Grill the steak for 3-5 minutes on each side. Skirt steak is best enjoyed rare or medium rare. For medium rare, using a thermometer, you want to pull the steak off at 125F because it will still cook while resting. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
  4. Cast iron: Remove the steak from the marinade and allow it to come to temperature for 15 minutes. In a seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat, cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, remove and allow to rest before cutting. (Using the cast iron will be very smokey in the house, so crack a window open and turn hood vent on)
  5. After letting the skirt steak rest, cut into slices. There are muscle fibers that create lines in the steak, you want to cut against those or else the meat will eat tough. This is called "cutting against the grain".
  6. You can enjoy the carne asada on it's own, or my favorite way to enjoy it is in a taco! Assemble the tacos using your favorite toppings and ingredients. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Can't find skirt steak? You can substitute flank steak or flap steak. Since they are thicker cuts compared to the skirt steak, they will take a little longer to marinate and the cooking time will be longer for both of those alternate cuts.
  • If the skirt steak is extremely long, you can cut it in half to make flipping on the grill easier.
  • Also, be careful not to marinate for too long, or the citrus will toughen the meat. I would not marinate it longer than overnight unless you're using a thicker cut of meat.
  • Skirt steak is best enjoyed rare or medium-rare. Anything more leaves you with a tough chew.

Nutrition Information

Calories 769kcal (38%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 48g (96%) Fat 48g (74%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Monounsaturated Fat 27g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 132mg (44%) Sodium 1912mg (80%) Potassium 898mg (26%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 651IU (13%) Vitamin C 31mg (34%) Calcium 236mg (24%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 769

% Daily Value*

Calories 769kcal 38%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 48g 96%
Fat 48g 74%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 27g 135%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 132mg 44%
Sodium 1912mg 80%
Potassium 898mg 19%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 651IU 13%
Vitamin C 31mg 34%
Calcium 236mg 24%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.