Carne Asada Tacos

This simple recipe for carne asada tacos is easy to make yet offers amazing flavor! Marinated steak is perfectly cooked, sliced, and layered into soft corn tortilla shells with ripe avocado and cotija cheese crumbles.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Recipe Type Avocado, Beef, Cinco de Mayo, Copycat, Football Food, Grilled, Jalapeño, Lemon, Picnic, Served Hot, Summer, Tacos

Skill Level Easy

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 12

Marinate Time 1

Total Time 1 17

Servings

Calories 1197kcal

Author Angela G.

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

Easy-Order Groceries

Add All Ingredients to Your Walmart Cart

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.

Nutrition