• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Barbara Bakes™
  • Home
  • About
  • Info
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Breads
  • Breakfast
  • Dessert
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • All Desserts »
  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Pasta
    • Meatless
    • All Main Dishes »
  • Side Dishes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Beef

    Carne Asada Tacos

    Published by Melissa on August 20, 2021 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 24 Comments

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Jump to Recipe

    These Carne Asada Tacos are marinated in a flavorful, just-spicy-enough adobo sauce and quickly grilled for smoky and tender steak tacos on a weeknight. 

    carne asada taco on a plate with lime and jalapeno

    We love Mexican-inspired food around here. From burritos to tamales, our family is always ready for delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex food. And these juicy carne asada tacos are a long-time favorite, especially during the summer. The meat is tender and juicy and ready for all of our favorite taco toppings. 

    ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: These juicy carne asada tacos are full of spicy, savory Mexican flavor from marinating the steak before grilling. This is a largely hands-off recipe that cooks in under 10 minutes on a hot grill.  

    Update: I love making these juicy steak tacos on the grill especially when the weather’s nice, so I’ve updated the recipe and post with new tips and tricks for your tacos. 

    pinterest button for carne asada tacos

    How to Make Carne Asada Tacos

    The key to making the most flavorful carne asada is to marinate the meat. Marinating helps infuse the steak with flavor and helps tenderize a tough cut of beef like skirt or flank steak. 

    You want the steak marinade to be nice and smooth. You can make it in a blender or a mixing bowl with an immersion blender. I like to marinate the meat in a Ziploc bag. It’s a mess-free way to seal up the meat and you can easily stir things around every now and then during marinating. 

    steak on a grill for carne asada

    Grilling Carne Asada

    Before you add the meat to the grill, make sure it’s nice and hot. You want the meat to sizzle when you place it on the grates. The steak only needs two to three minutes per side to cook through for medium-rare, which is the ideal temperature for carne asada.

    Make sure to let your steak rest for five to 10 minutes off of the heat before slicing. This allows the meat to reabsorb some of the juices and flavor. 

    collage of the steps to marinate and cook carne asada tacos

    Serving Suggestions

    You can use either flour or corn tortillas for your carne asada tacos. We use small tortillas for street-style tacos.

    For toppings, we love shredded lettuce, cheese, cilantro, salsa, jalapeños, green onions and avocado. Add a squeeze of lime to top it all off. 

    toppings on a wooden board with cheese, avocado, tomato, tortillas and scallions

    What Cut of Meat is Best for Grilled Steak Tacos?

    As long as you have time to marinate the meat and tenderize it, skirt steak is a great option for carne asada. It’s usually a less expensive cut and grills up quickly. Flank steak will also work for this recipe. 

    close up on slices of flank steak for tacos

    More Taco Recipes

    Try these other recipes for your next taco night at home:

    • Pork Carnitas Tacos have juicy pulled pork in a savory and spicy tomato and chili sauce. 
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos from Pressure Cooking Today are an easy indoor taco recipe with juicy pulled chicken. 
    • Easy Ground Beef Tacos are a simple kid-approved dinner with ground beef and your favorite toppings. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Carne Asada Tacos

    Homemade carne asada tacos are marinated in a spicy chipotle sauce and grilled quickly for juicy medium-rare steak tacos
    Course: Beef
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Barbara Bakes LLC
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Equipment

    • RSVP International Endurance (NCP-6) Measuring Cups, Medium, Stainless Steel
    • CIA Masters Collection 6 Piece Measuring Spoon Set
    • Anchor Hocking 2 Quart Glass Batter Bowl With Lid (81106L11)

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ pounds skirt or flank steak

    Marinade

    • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • ¾ cup chopped onions
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ cup chopped green onions
    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • ¼ cup chopped parsley
    • ½ cup tomato purée
    • ½ cup fresh lime juice
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
    • For serving: corn or flour tortillas shredded lettuce, cheese, cilantro, salsa, jalapeños, green onions, avocado

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl or blender jar, blend the chipotle, garlic, onions, cumin, green onions, cilantro, parsley, tomato purée, lime juice, salt, pepper and oil. (Use an immersion blender to puree it in a bowl.)
    • Place the steak in a large, resealable plastic bag with the marinade and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
    • Remove the bag from the refrigerator one hour before grilling to allow the steak to come to room temperature. 
    • Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Grill the steak about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes and then slice it against the grain into 1-inch slices. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Slightly adapted from Joseph Martin, executive chef, Levy Restaurants at Dodger Stadium. https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-carneasada_rec16a-2008jul16-story.html
    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    « Strawberry Panna Cotta
    Plum Cake »
    about us

    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Jennifer

      June 16, 2009 at 12:18 am

      I LOVE carne asada! I know what I want for dinner!!!

      Reply
    2. isa

      June 14, 2009 at 5:35 pm

      I love carne asada tacos. This looks and sounds good! I want to try this soon!

      Reply
    3. Lynda

      June 14, 2009 at 5:23 am

      These look amazing,Barbara…I have a can of chipotle chilis just waiting to be used; now I just need the steak!
      Your pictures are really good too!

      Reply
    4. Delectable Dining

      June 14, 2009 at 4:01 am

      This is one of my favorite dishes to order out at a Mexican restaurant… can't wait to try yours!

      Reply
    5. finsmom

      June 13, 2009 at 11:24 pm

      Ive never tried these kind of tacos before, but they sound fantastic! Great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Carrian

      June 13, 2009 at 10:38 pm

      I'm all about carne asada. So delicious!!

      Reply
    7. Reeni♥

      June 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm

      These sound so spicy and delicious! I have never made Carne Asada at home. I'm definitely going to try these!

      Reply
    8. teresa

      June 13, 2009 at 5:06 pm

      Oh man, this is our type of dish! Thank you for putting the nutritional info, that helps so much for a chronic dieter such as myself!

      Reply
    9. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

      June 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm

      Wow, that looks so good but still simple and noce marinated, quick to make!

      Reply
    10. Kristen

      June 13, 2009 at 1:49 pm

      Oh my, that looks so delicious, I love a hint of spice in the summer

      Reply
    11. Netts Nook

      June 13, 2009 at 12:58 pm

      Wow Barbara your tacos look perfect. What time is dinner. We don't live to far.

      Reply
    12. Ginger

      June 13, 2009 at 11:49 am

      Barbara,

      Your Carne Asada Tacos look and sound incredibly flavorful and beyond delectably delicious. Can you tell I am hungry?

      Reply
    13. Donna-FFW

      June 13, 2009 at 11:38 am

      OMG!! This looks absolutely delicious. I am printing this out asap as its one I want to try soon. They look wonderful!

      Reply
    14. Denise

      June 13, 2009 at 11:31 am

      WHen you get a chance, definately try the skirt steak. It is the best in the summer on the grill. Your steak looks fantastic

      Reply
    15. Katy ~

      June 13, 2009 at 9:46 am

      Well done! This looks and sounds good!

      Reply
    16. pigpigscorner

      June 13, 2009 at 9:05 am

      Love the first picture! The marinade sounds delicious!

      Reply
    17. Coleen's Recipes

      June 13, 2009 at 8:36 am

      What great photos, this looks delicious.

      Reply
    18. Barbara Bakes

      June 13, 2009 at 7:29 am

      I was really impressed with how flavorful and tender this meat was cut across the grain. I had always thought it was tough.

      Mindika, I'd be great if you post some more of your flank steak recipes.

      Reply
    19. Mindika

      June 13, 2009 at 6:37 am

      Barbara, skirt steak is the same think as flank steak. At least that's what Alton Brown says 🙂 It's also the traditional meat used in Fajita's. I love love love flank steak. It's the best meat to marinate. It soaks up just about any flavor. I have several great marinate recipes for flank steak. I'll have to give this one a try.

      Reply
    20. livestocreate

      June 13, 2009 at 6:16 am

      I'm so EXCITED to see a (tested by an expert) recipe for Carne Asada… I've been looking for one, and this one looks great! I'm looking forward to trying it… So flank steak isn't tough then?

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Melissa and Barbara smiling

    Baking made easy! Sharing fabulous recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, breads and more. Barbara Bakes (and Melissa too!) Recipes from both of our kitchens to yours.

    Learn More »

    Popular Posts

    Peaches in various stages of slicing

    How To Slice Peaches

    Featured Image Collage for post Baking Tips for Layer Cakes

    Baking Tips for Layer Cakes

    sliced snickerdoodle bread with cinnamon chips backed by two uncut loaves

    Snickerdoodle Bread with Cinnamon Chips

    quiche in a pan with serving utensils and stacked plates

    Meat Lovers Quiche Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    About

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press

    Browse

    • Recipe Index
    • Popular
    • Baking Tips
    • Travel

    Subscribe

    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 barbarabakes.com. All rights reserved. DISCLOSURE - PRIVACY POLICY.