Carne Asada Tacos

The BEST Carne Asada Tacos you’ll ever eat. Classic thinly sliced skirt steak marinated in an easy 7-ingredient marinade and cooked in a hot skillet. These Carne Asada Tacos are served in a warm corn tortilla and topped with traditional ingredients like cilantro, diced onions, freshly squeezed lime juice, and spicy hot sauce.

Pair these beef tacos with a side of Mexican Street Corn and Restaurant-Style Queso Dip for an at home authentic meal made from scratch! If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to share a pitcher of Margaritas and tacos with your friends, especially for Cinco de Mayo

Carne Asada Tacos - Tacos filled with seared beef, cilantro, and onions. Served on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of white onions, lime slices, and chopped carne asada in the background.

This is my best carne asada tacos recipe. A quick fix, lunch or dinner recipe when I’m craving Mexican food. A truly simple recipe that’s a weeknight staple in our home. Made with fresh ingredients for an authentic taste that cannot be beaten.

If you find yourself frequenting taco trucks or Mexican restaurants in search of traditional carne asada tacos, you’ll fall in love with this insanely tasty and delicious grilled carne asada tacos recipe.

It wasn’t until I moved to New Orleans, the food capital of the United States, that acquired a taste for these simple and regional tacos. With no shortage of locally owned restaurants in the city, I’ve became accustomed to authentic homemade dishes typically found in Mexico. The best part is that you won’t have to travel far to enjoy the same great taste.

Carne Asada - Juicy seared stripes of carne asada on a wooden cutting board. Garnished with chopped cilantro.

How to Make Carne Asada Tacos

  1. Combine oil, orange juice, garlic, seasoning, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cilantro in a large ziplock bag or bowl.
  2. Add skirt steak that’s cut into 1-inch wide by 4-inch stripes.
  3. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
  4. Heat skillet to medium-high.
  5. Sear meat on both sides until golden brown; about 2-3 minutes per side.
  6. Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes then chop.
  7. Place meat in warm tortilla with chopped cilantro, diced onions, red salsa, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Carne Asada Meat

Typically, skirt steak is used for carne asada tacos. The best place to buy this is at a local Mexican grocery store behind the counter. Flank steak is also another popular option for carne asada tacos. I highly recommend cutting the meat very thinly, so the marinade seasons the meat well. It can then be grilled or seared.

Mexican Carne Asada Tacos - Two hands holding a taco. Taco features seared and chopped beef skirt steak, chopped cilantro, and diced white onions.

Carne Asada Taco Ingredients

  • BEEF: I recommend buying skirt steak from a Mexican grocery store. While other stores do carry this type of beef, it’s sliced very thinly and cooks in just a matter of minutes.
  • SEASONING: To keep it simple, I use asada seasoning. This can also be found in a Mexican grocery store.
  • MARINADE: Oil, orange juice, garlic, seasoning, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cilantro. Marinate with skirt steak in a bag or a bowl for several hours or over night. The longer it has to marinate, the more flavorful the steak and you’ll want that when making tacos at home.
  • CILANTRO: You either love it or hate it but I exclusively make my carne asada tacos with cilantro and onions.
  • ONIONS: Very thinly diced white onions.
  • TACO SHELLS: White or yellow corn tortillas. I prefer white corn tortillas. Heat them in the oven, microwave or on the stovetop. Flour tortillas or hard shells may be substituted in addition to lettuce wraps.
Carne Asada Marinade - Stripes of skirt steak in oil and cilantro featured on a pottery plate and wooden cutting board. Limes and cilantro scattered in the background with a white napkin.

Carne Asada Taco Toppings

Flavorful ingredient additions: While I traditionally serve carne asada tacos with cilantro and onions, you may enjoy these other varieties of toppings.

  • cilantro
  • onions
  • queso cheese dip
  • Mexican cheeses like queso fresco, cotija, ranchero, oaxaca, manchego, queso quesadilla, and asadero.
  • sour cream, or Mexican crema.
  • avocado
  • tableside guacamole
  • lime juice
  • lemon juice
  • pico de gallo

Q: What are marinade ingredients for this carne asada tacos recipe?

A: The marinade ingredients for carne asada marinade include asada seasoning, orange juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cilantro, and oil.

Q: Is it best to use a lean flank steak or a steak with more fat marbling for this carne asada tacos recipe?

A: The recipe calls for thinly sliced skirt steak, which is traditionally a cut of beef that has some fat marbling for flavor. However, the recipe suggests using very thinly sliced skirt steak that is almost shaved, which may result in less fat overall. If using a thicker cut of skirt steak or a different cut of beef, it is up to personal preference whether to choose a leaner or fattier cut.

Q: I like my steak medium rare, can I cook this carne asada tacos recipe medium rare?

A: The suggested cooking time of 2-3 minutes per side on medium-high heat should achieve a medium-rare doneness for a thinly sliced skirt steak. However, it’s important to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare. Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before chopping and serving in warm tortillas with toppings.

Q: Can I cook carne asada tacos in a cast iron skillet on the stove-top?

A: Yes, you can cook this carne asada tacos recipe in a cast iron skillet on the stove-top. Just make sure to heat the skillet over medium-high heat, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and cook the steak for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Rest the carne asada for 5 minutes then chop and serve in a warm tortilla with your desired toppings.

Other Latin Inspired Recipes

Ingredients & Equipment Links

Carne Asada Tacos - Tacos filled with seared beef, cilantro, and onions. Served on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of white onions, lime slices, and chopped carne asada in the background.

Carne Asada Tacos

The BEST Carne Asada Tacos you’ll ever eat. Classic thinly sliced skirt steak marinated in an easy 7-ingredient marinade and seared in a hot skillet. Carne Asada Tacos are served in a warm corn tortilla and topped with traditional ingredients like cilantro, diced onions, freshly squeezed lime juice, and hot sauce
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Chill 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 16 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10 servings
Calories 206 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lb skirt steak, thinly sliced see notes
  • tbsp asada seasoning
  • 1 orange juiced
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup oil
  • 10 small corn tortillas
  • hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Combine oil, orange juice, garlic, seasoning, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cilantro in a large ziplock bag or bowl.
  • Cut skirt steak into 1-inch wide by 4-inch long stripes. Place into marinade.
    NOTE: Use skirt steak that is very very thinly sliced, almost shaved. If it is not, prepare the meat by thinly slicing it.
  • Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. TIP: The longer it marinates, the deeper the flavor.
  • Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.
  • Remove meat from marinade and place beef in skillet and sear until golden brown; about 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Rest carne asada for 5 minutes then chop.
  • Serve in a warm tortilla with cilantro, onions, lime juice, and hot sauce.

Notes

SKIRT STEAK:
I recommend using skirt steak from a Mexican grocery store. While other stores do carry this type of beef, it’s sliced very thinly (almost shaved) and cooks in just a matter of minutes.
NOTE: Using a thick hunk of skirt steak will take longer to cook and may taste different as well as have a different texture. If it’s the only kind available, use a very sharp knife to nearly shave it.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 21gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.

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Carne Asada Tacos - An overhead view of seared beef skirt steak with chopped cilantro on a wooden cutting board. Text in center reads Carne Asada Tacos in a blue box. Second image features two corn tortillas filled with chopped carne asada meat, diced white onions, and chopped cilantro.

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