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You need to try my easy Carne Asada Tacos recipe! Citrus-marinated grilled skirt steak is tucked into soft corn tortillas with your favorite toppings for a feast worthy of your favorite taqueria. The steak cooks in less than 10 minutes!
Get ready to eat the best carne asada tacos with my foolproof recipe! Tender beef steak is soaked in a succulent mix of sweet orange juice, tart lime juice, fiery chiles, spices, fresh herbs, and garlic before being charbroiled to sizzling perfection. It’s then thinly sliced into tender strips and stuffed into warm tortillas.
Add your favorite side dishes to serve alongside this carne asada taco recipe for a full Taco Tuesday meal! Plus, any leftovers can be added to dozens of recipes—use it to make steak sandwiches, beefy nachos, or as a protein-rich salad topper. For more taco recipes, check out my birria tacos, steak tacos, and ground beef tacos next!
Ingredients
These main ingredients are essential to make the best carne asada tacos. Find the full ingredient list and amounts needed in the recipe card below!
Skirt steak — if given the choice, try to opt for “outside” skirt steak, which is thicker and a bit more tender than “inside” skirt steak.
Orange juice and lime juice — citrus juice is essential for tenderizing the skirt steak. Fresh citrus juice always tastes best, particularly for lime and lemon juice, so squeeze your own.
Cilantro — this herb is a staple in Mexican cuisine, adding lovely freshness to both the marinade and our taco garnishes.
Ancho chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic — these spice pantry staples give the marinade tons of deep flavor. If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, you can use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
Jalapeño — with a wide range of heat, jalapeños can be surprisingly spicy or relatively tame. If you are averse to heat, carefully remove the white membranes and seeds before slicing. This will remove the majority of the capsaicin, which is what causes them to taste fiery.
Corn tortillas — warm corn tortillas are perfect for making carne asada street tacos and are especially delicious when they are homemade and fresh off the skillet. Feel free to swap in flour tortillas if you prefer!
Carne Asada Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- Baking dish or zip-top plastic bag
- Grill or grill pan
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the Carne Asada:
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup orange juice (60mL)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1½ pounds skirt steak (675g)
For the Tacos:
- 8 corn tortillas
- Guacamole
- Diced white onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
For the Carne Asada:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ancho chile powder, cumin, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno. Place the steak into a large baking dish or zip-top bag. Pour in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning the steak once while resting.
- When ready to cook, remove the steak and discard the marinade. Pat dry with paper towels. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you start the grill.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (450°F).
- Season the steak with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes on each side for medium-rare (125°F-130°F) or longer to reach your desired doneness. Remove the steak and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice it against the grain to serve. Chop the slices into small pieces for easier eating, if you like, and mix with any juices from the board.
To Serve:
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Toast the tortillas for about 10 to 20 seconds on each side, until warm and flexible.
- For each taco, spread a spoonful of guacamole on a tortilla. Top with the carne asada, diced onion, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- To speed up the marinating process, you can chop the steak into small, bite-sized pieces before marinating. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and discard the marinade, then cook the meat in a regular cast-iron skillet over medium heat to your desired doneness.
- Make sure that you aren’t marinating the steak for too long. The acids in citrus juice are strong enough to unravel the proteins in the meat; while this has a tenderizing effect to a point, it will eventually start to make it mushy and unappealing. For a cut as thin as skirt steak, up to 8 hours is ideal. And you really don’t want to leave it in the marinade for any longer than 12 hours. To prep ahead for dinner, marinate the steak in the morning before work or when your day gets busy, and then it’s ready to go in the evening!
Nutrition
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How To Make Carne Asada Tacos
1. Stir together the marinade ingredients–cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ancho chili powder, cumin, pepper, garlic, and jalapeño. Place the steak and marinade in a large baking dish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
2. Remove the steak, discarding the remaining marinade, then pat it dry with paper towels and let it sit at room temperature, preheating the grill.
3. Heat a grill to 450°F or a stove-top cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt all over the marinated steak.
4. Cook on each side until the steak is medium-rare (125°F-130°F) at the thickest portion. Let the grilled steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.
5. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. You can chop the strips into smaller bite-size pieces if desired.
6. Warm the tortillas for a few seconds on each side in a warm skillet until soft and pliable. Assemble the tacos with the carne asada and toppings of your choice.
What Is The Best Steak To Use?
Generally speaking, carne asada is made with skirt steak, though you’re welcome to swap in flank steak or flap steak instead. Ideally, you’re looking for a relatively thin cut of beef that will absorb marinade flavors well, grill quickly, and can be sliced thinly across the grain for maximum tenderness. Find more tips for selecting and cooking the best steak in my carne asada recipe!
Taco Topping Ideas
One of my favorite things about tacos is getting to load on all my favorite toppings! I kept the carne asada taco recipe pretty simple so you can top how you like.
Thinly sliced fresh jalapeños, pickled jalapeños, or a few shakes of hot sauce will add a nice kick of heat. Salty crumbled cotija or milky queso fresco, guacamole, and a dollop of sour cream or drizzle of Mexican crema add a delicious creamy texture and flavor. For added brightness, try adding pickled red onions, grilled green onions, homemade salsa, and fresh pico de gallo. Serve with fresh lime wedges so you can finish off the tacos with a squeeze of lime juice!
What To Serve With Carne Asada Tacos
If you’re looking for some good sides to serve with these tacos, you can’t go wrong with any Mexican food or Tex-Mex favorites. For starchier options, think Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, and Instant Pot black beans or refried beans.
If you want more veggie-forward options, consider Mexican street corn or a fresh corn salad. Chips and dip are always a hit, especially if I make my easy creamy queso!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Don’t cook the steak straight from the fridge. Allow the meat to hang out at room temperature while you’re preheating the grill. Taking some of the chill off will ensure more even cooking.
- Be sure to rest the cooked meat for a minimum of 10 minutes before slicing. During this time, the fibers in the steak relax, and the juices will redistribute, resulting in juicer slices.
- Cut against the grain. If you look at the steak, you will see one direction most of the fibers are running (typically down the long, full length of a skirt steak). When you are slicing the steak, cut perpendicular to that direction for the most tender pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You have a few options here. First, you can replace the freshly chopped cilantro with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano (preferably Mexican oregano, if you can find it) and 2 teaspoons of ground cumin. Alternatively, swap in another fresh herb like Thai basil or flat leaf parsley in a 1:1 ratio. Finally, you can use about 1 tablespoon of whole caraway seeds. Any of these versions will add a nice herbal freshness to the steak without tasting like cilantro.
Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. I like to use a freezer bag so I can remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
In an ideal world, you should only cut the amount of steak that you plan on eating and keep any leftovers as a whole piece of meat—this makes it easier to reheat without overcooking.
Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the meat once the oil is shimmering. Cook briefly until heated through—this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
If you’ve tried this Carne Asada Tacos recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
