Make your own Marinated Beef for Tacos with this easy tutorial. Who knew you could marinate and cook your beef in the very same dish? This saves money and it is less stressful on you.
It’s almost taco time! The best part of taco night is the marinated beef. These tacos are so tasty you’re going to want to eat them every other night of the week.
Best Ever Marinated Carne Asada Tacos
Prep Time
1 hr 20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Warm corn tortillas with tender, marinated carne asada tacos served with tangy avocado crème, crisp pico de gallo, and queso fresco cheese! You will never have better tacos with carne asada than these. Each bite is overflowing with flavor from real street tacos! The ideal supper for taco night!
Marinated Carne Asada Tacos
People, it’s officially grilling season now! And while I’m not sure how you feel about it, I’m making the most of it! I’ve actually been grilling at least four days a week!
I’ve got to make sure our home is adequately equipped because I’m cooking and grilling so much right now. ALDI is one of my go-to stores for premium meats and fresh organic food. The products are not only top-notch but also cost-effective, and anything at the moment that satisfies both of those criteria is a winner in my book! I urge you to contact them if you haven’t already. Additionally, it’s where I got the idea for today’s recipe for carne asada. The most epic taco you will ever taste is currently available at ALDI, and when mixed with my marinade, it makes for the ideal carne asada taco. However, you could completely substitute the protein in this recipe with chicken or even Portobello mushrooms for a vegan version if you don’t have carne asada beef on hand.
What is Carne Asada?
Mexican cuisine includes carne asada. It’s thinly sliced beef that has been grilled and marinated in a citrus-based marinade before being seared on the grill to add char flavor. As a main meal with rice and beans, as an ingredient in other cuisines, or chopped up and put on tacos are all possible ways to serve carne asada.
What is the best meat to use for Carne Asada?
Simply put, the beef you use should have flavor. Typically, skirt steak is used to make carne asada. You might use flank steak, top sirloin, ribeye, or beef tenderloin if you can’t find skirt steak. Just keep in mind that this beef will be marinated to further tenderize it and give it the distinctive flavor of carne asada. My preferred cuts for a meal like this are flank steak or skirt steak, but you may use whatever is in your fridge or freezer as a stand-in. For today’s meal, I used ALDI meat that had already been seasoned. The combination of my marinade and the insanely soft meat made this carne asada very addictive!
Carne Asada Marinade Ingredients:
The marinade is essential to this recipe since it gives the meat more flavor, tenderizes it and keeps it from losing its “juiciness” due to the acidity of the orange and lime juices. On the grill, the salty, citrusy mixture will caramelize to form a crust that will astound you!
- Orange Juice
- Lime Juice
- Soy Sauce (or Tamari if you are gluten free)
- Garlic
- Liquid Smoke (optional)
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
- Fill a sizable plastic bag with the Black Angus Thin Sliced Sirloin Tip Steak.
- Orange juice, soy sauce, lime juice, liquid smoke (if using), and garlic cloves should all be combined in a small bowl. Combine in a bowl, then pour over the meat in a plastic bag. Beef should be marinated for at least one hour. Close plastic bag, put back in refrigerator. Ideally, overnight
- Grill should be heated to 375–400°F. Grill the carne asada. Grill each side for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove off grill and set aside to allow fluids to redistribute for 5 minutes. To make beef tacos, roughly chop the meat.
- Cooking spray should be applied on both sides of the corn tortillas, and they should be cooked for 1-2 minutes on each side until browned.
- Carne asada taco assembly: Add 2 tablespoons of avocado crème, diced carne asada, pico de gallo, and crumbled queso fresco to one cooked corn tortilla.
How to Make Avocado Crema
Avocado, garlic, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin, red pepper flakes, 1.5 tablespoons lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt should all be added to a food processor. Until the avocado is smooth and resembles a puree or dressing, blend all the ingredients together. Use right away or keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Toppings Ideas for Carne Asada Tacos:
The topping options for these outstanding carne asada tacos are virtually limitless. Depending on what you currently have on hand, you could go traditional with diced onion and cilantro or really jazz it up with grilled pineapple or something. Here are some of my preferred taco toppings:
- Avocado/Guacamole/Avocado Crema: This is one of my favorite things to add. I’m an avocado addict, the creaminess from the avocado usually fills that desire for sour cream.
- Fresh Pico de Gallo: A fresh vibrant pico de gallo brightens up tacos and really ties everything together.
- Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad: This corn salad is actually a side dish, but I love to put it on tacos as well. The flavors from this salad would go great with these carne asada tacos.
- Queso Fresco: This slightly salty crumbly cheese is mandatory in our house on taco night. If you haven’t had it yet, you need to start. It’s a taco game changer!
- Cilantro & Onion: If you decide to skip the fresh pico de gallo, I’d highly recommend adding fresh cilantro and diced yellow onion. This is a classic presentation that you’ll love. Add a fresh squeeze of lime juice to brighten the meat right up!
- Fruit Salsa: Sometimes I like to change it up and bit and add a pineapple salsa or a mango salsa. The sweetness from the fruit compliments the salty carne asada so well!
Tips & Tricks for the Most Tender Carne Asada Tacos:
- Overnight marinating is highly recommended if you want the nicest, most tender, and most delicious carne asada beef ever. This offers the marinade the best chance to flavor the meat and break down the proteins, locking in all the tastes and preserving the meat’s fluids when you grill it.
- Don’t overcook the meat: I really set a timer when I grill. I place the meat I’m grilling on the surface and leave. You don’t want to move the meat about or open the grill to let the heat out all at once. Just throw it on the grill and walk away! When it’s time to flip, do so and then leave the table until your turn is up. Depending on the thickness, I grill this piece of meat for 3-5 minutes on each side. When the meat comes off the grill, you know it’s time to turn. It’s still not ready to flip if it’s still sticking.
- Stop! Let the meat rest! Wait a minute before cutting into that meat. All the juices are concentrated in the center of the meat because it is still “in shock” or stiff after being exposed to heat. After cooking, you should let the meat sit and rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, giving you a juicy, soft piece of meat. The juices from cutting the meat immediately after it has been off the grill will end up all over your cutting board and not in the meat. Simply said, that is a terrible day for everyone!
- Use Warm Corn Tortillas: Not only are warm corn tortillas authentic, but unlike warm flour tortillas, they don’t overshadow your taco. Before using them, I strongly advise warming them up so they are more malleable. I prefer to use cooking spray on both sides of mine before toasting them on the grill or in a skillet for one to two minutes per side.
What to serve with Carne Asada Tacos
- Creamy Bacon Guacamole
- Ultimate Classic Margarita Recipe
- 5 Minute Restaurant Style Salsa
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Epic Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema
- Fresh Raspberry Mojito Recipe
Authentic Carne Asada + Street Tacos
The marinade and giving the meat enough time to absorb the flavors are the two key components of authentic carne asada. You’ll turn to the fresh cilantro-garlic-lime marinade whenever you’re cooking flank steak. We prepare the greatest Carne Asada Mexican Street Tacos with this recipe!
What is Carne Asada?
Mexican beef is prepared as carne asada, which is marinated in a flavorful marinade before being grilled to add charred flavor. After that, the beef is thinly sliced and either served as a main meal or used as an ingredient in other dishes like nachos or street tacos. There are so many various ways to use carne asada when you start with such a delectable high-quality protein.
The Best Cuts of Beef for Carne Asada:
- Flank Steak – our preferred cut because it is lean, tender, and cooks quickly
- Skirt Steak – a thinner and tasty cut (be careful not to overcook)
- Sirloin Steak or Tenderloin Steak can also be used if that is what you have on hand
Authentic Mexican Carne Asada Marinade:
The traditional Mexican tastes of cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and cumin are combined in an authentic marinade for carne asada. The beef is made more soft and has a richer flavor thanks to the use of orange juice and soy sauce.
Pro tip: Marinate for at least 6 hours, but for the finest flavor, marinate overnight.
How Long to Grill Carne Asada:
Carne Asada should be cooked to the proper doneness, just like any other steak. You should grill the steak over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, flipping once, depending on its thickness.
Flank Steak Doneness Chart:
Because flank steak is a thinner cut of beef, place an instant-read thermometer into the thickest area of the steak’s side. Take a steak off the grill before it reaches the proper temperature since it will continue to heat up an extra 5 degrees once off the grill.
- Medium Rare doneness – a final temperature of 145˚F. The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145˚F.
- Medium doneness – the final temperature will reach 160˚F.
How to Cut Flank Steak:
A flank or skirt steak should always be cut against the grain. Cut perpendicular to the direction the meat fibers are going after determining their direction. It will be much simpler to chew the steak if you cut thin slices against the grain.
Make Street Tacos for Tailgating!
On game days, we love to eat beef because it’s a fantastic option for social events! Carne Asada street tacos are ideal for your upcoming home party, no matter how you want to tailgate this year. Adding actual street tacos to a taco bar will spruce up your game day menu.
Carne asada, cilantro, white onion, and spicy sauce are traditional ingredients in street tacos. You can also top these with crumbled cotija cheese, pico de gallo, or chimichurri sauce to dress up your taco bar.