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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Flavor-infused Steak
Juicy steak bites in a spicy citrusy marinade tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with ripe avocado and cotija cheese crumbles. These carne asada tacos are a street-cart-style Mexican recipe you’ll fall in love with.
Cooks in 20 Minutes
With a cooking time of just 20 minutes, these carne asada tacos are the perfect recipe for large gatherings.
Simple yet Delicious
These street-style carne asada tacos are full of flavor thanks to a flavorful blend of seasonings, spicy jalapeños, garlic, onions, and freshly squeezed juice. Paired with traditional cotija cheese and wrapped in a soft tortilla you have the perfect taco. And it's so simple!
You can add additional toppings if you'd like. Chopped raw white onion and cilantro are typical for this type of taco. I love these with a spoonful of fresh, restaurant-style salsa as well.
Serves a Crowd
These carne asada tacos is a great go-to recipe for when you need to feed a big family or dinner guests.
Make a big batch for company and have everyone serve themselves with their favorite toppings. Though the meat takes time to marinate, the recipe itself is quick and easy, making it a great recipe for birthdays, game days, or large family gatherings.
These carne asada tacos are also:
Versatile: The carne asada is deliciously seasoned but outside of that, everyone can create their own taco as to their personal flavor preferences.
Flavorful: A delicious blend of sweet and spicy, the bites of steak come out extremely juicy and will have you making a second serving in no time.
Easy to make: Outside of marinating the steak, the recipe comes together quickly with only 12 minutes of actual cooking time. A great way to spend less time in the kitchen.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You'll need a collection of ingredients for the steak marinade. Then just 5 additional ingredients from there!
Here's a look at what you'll need:
Steak and Marinade
Steak: Ribeye, flank steak, or skirt steak sliced all work well. They offer great flavor.
For the marinade: You mix your carne asada spice blend with avocado oil, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeño, garlic (I use paste to save time), lemon, lime and orange juice as well as red wine vinegar for the marinade to come together.
Carne Asada Seasoning Blend
You can use store-bought carne asada seasoning to save time; or make your own seasoning mix if you prefer.
Make your own carne asada spice blend using: dried cumin, dried oregano, paprika, chili powder, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper.
Tortillas and Toppings
- Flour tortillas. Or you can use corn tortillas if you prefer.
- Cotija cheese: A Mexican cheese with a unique and delicious flavor. If you can’t get a hold of it, feta or queso fresca would be the next best substitute.
- Cilantro: Fresh herbs will give the carne asada the best flavor. Go light if you’re not a cilantro lover but know that it helps boost the taste of the citrus from the marinade.
- Lime: Serve with a lime wedge to add a pop of citrus.
- Avocado: Cut up into small chunks to neatly layer on as topping.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
These tacos come together quickly after marinating the steak, making this a quick and easy dinner.
Here's a look at how to prep:
- Mix together marinade ingredients and coat steak.
- Marinate steak for 1-8 hours in fridge.
- Sear and cook steak along onions, garlic, and jalapeños.
- Let steak rest for 5 minutes then slice.
- Chop avocado and cilantro.
- Layer tortillas with cilantro, avocado, and cotija cheese then serve.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Keep in mind that the steak will continue to cook as it rests, and the juices redistribute. The thickness of your steak and your preference will determine how long you should cook it.
A good guideline is the use a meat thermometer and aim for the following temperatures: Medium Rare: 130°–135°, Medium: 140°–145°, Medium Well: 150°–155°, Well Done: 160°–165°.
Yes, but don’t marinate the steak for longer than 8 hours or it will change the consistency of it as the meat breaks down. Ideally, marinate it for a few hours in the late afternoon before you need to cook it.
Once cooled, store the carne asada in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat it in a skillet for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Keep in mind that reheated steak will not be as tender as it was when initially made.
Carne Asada Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 lb skirt or flank steak
- 6 corn tortilla shells
- 6 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 2 avocados sliced, smashed, or chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese
Marinade
- 3 tablespoon carne asada seasoning blend
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 4 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Optional Toppings:
- raw onions chopped
- cilantro chopped
- salsa (pico de gallo or salsa verde also work)
- lemon and lime wedges
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Instructions
- Marinate steak. Add marinade ingredients to a large ziplock bag or container with lid then add steak. Seal, let marinate for 1 to 8 hours in the fridge.
- Cook steak. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the steak along with marinade ingredients. Cook the steak for 6 minutes. Scoop out onions, garlic, and jalapeños and set aside. Flip steak over and cook for an additional 6 to 9 minutes for medium-rare. The thickness of the steak will depend on how long to cook the steak so be sure to check the temperature using a meat thermometer. Use the temperature guide in the notes to choose how to cook your steak. When steak is done, remove from the skillet and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- Heat shells. While the skillet is still hot, cook the corn tortilla shells for 1 to 2 minutes on each side over medium heat to heat and add a bit of color.
- Prepare steak for tacos. Top the steak with the onions and jalapeños. Slice and cube the rested steak.
- Assemble tacos. Add steak to each corn tortilla then top with cilantro, avocado, and cotija cheese. Serve with lemon or lime wedges. Squeeze over top right before eating! Add other toppings as desired.
Notes
- Guacamole can be used in place of fresh avocado.
- For a more Americanized version, you can top with: shredded cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and/or diced tomatoes.
- Do not marinate steak for longer than 8 hours as it will break down the meat.
- Use a meat thermometer and choose how you like your steak: Medium Rare: 130°–135°, Medium: 140°–145°, Medium Well: 150°–155°, Well Done: 160°–165°.
- Making the steak on a cast iron skillet will give that perfect char color to the steak. A grill or griddle is a great option as well, just use a grill pan so you don’t lose those chunks of onion and jalapeño in the marinade.
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