What is Carne Asada
Carne asada is a grilled beef dish. Usually it is made with flank or skirt steak. Traditionally the meat is marinated in a flavorful marinade, often made of oranges, before being grilled over high heat. You can read all of the ingredients for my great carne asada marinade below. This carne asada recipe is perfect for a summer family dinner. My kids love this recipe, and my husband and I do too! It’s great on tacos or just on a plate with a heaping pile of pico de gallo on top.
Carne Asada Marinade
Marinades are a great way to not only impart flavor into meat, but also to tenderize it. Flank steak really needs to be marinated in order for it to be the tender delicious cut of beef it can be. You will need the following ingredients for the carne asada marinade recipe. Please keep in mind that the full measurements can be found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Fresh Orange and Lime Juice: These two citrus fruits bring both flavor and acid to the marinade. The acid is important because it is what tenderizes the meat. Olive Oil: This provides a lot of great flavor to the marinade, can help carry the flavor of other ingredients into the meat, and also helps in the grilling process. Vinegar: Also helps in tenderizing the meat. Kosher Salt: Both provides flavor and helps break down the meat to allow the flavors of the marinade to get in. Black Pepper, Garlic, Fresh Jalapeño, and Fresh Cilantro: All bring great flavor to this meat. Read more below on adding cilantro.
Please note that flank steak (and skirt steak) needs to marinate between 6 and 24 hours. You don’t want to marinate it for more than 24 hours or the marinade will break down the meat in an unfavorable way, resulting in a gummy texture.
Using Cilantro in Marinade
If you are someone who is genetically pre-disposed to taste soap when you taste fresh cilantro, don’t scroll away! There is something chemical that happens with the cilantro when it is combined with orange juice. This is true in this great recipe as well as in my Street Tacos. My husband can’t eat anything with cilantro, but loves both of these dishes. I’m convinced that the acid in the orange juice neutralizes whatever it is in cilantro that causes that soap taste. This piece of meat is great for grilling. It tastes best when you marinate and then grill it over high heat for a short amount of time until you reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare.
Serving Carne Asada
Carne asada meat is delicious on its own topped with more fresh cilantro and diced jalapeños. It’s also fantastic as an ingredient in other recipes. For example, they would be a great addition to tostadas. It would be amazing in a burrito with some beans, salsa, and cilantro lime rice. My favorite way to eat it is in tortillas with my pico de gallo as tacos or simply topped with cilantro, diced jalapeños, diced onions and cotija cheese as you see here. And of course, I think you should make margaritas to go with them.
