Carne Asada Tacos Recipe

Carne asada is skirt steak that’s been marinated, grilled, and thinly sliced. Although popular across Latin America (where it’s commonly known as asado instead), carne asada is famous in Mexico, where it’s served in all sorts of ways, including on tacos. Here’s how to make it yourself.

23 September, 2021

Step 01

Marinate

In a large bowl, add oil, vinegar, lime and orange juice, garlic, jalapeño, coriander, cumin, pepper, and chilli powder. Whisk them all together. You should have about 360ml (1 ½ cup) of marinade.
Put the steak into a large resealable bag and pour over about 240 ml (1 cup) of the marinade. Seal the bag and shake it to evenly coat the steak with the marinade
Allow the steak to marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. 3 to 4 hours is ideal if you have the time.

Step 02

Cook steak

Once the steak has marinated for long enough, add the remaining 120ml (½ cup) of marinade to a small saucepan. Bring it to the boil over a medium-high heat and reduce to about half. This should take roughly 5 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and keep it to one side.
Heat a large grill pan until very hot over a high heat. Remove the steak from its bag and cook it on 1 side for 5 to 6 minutes until it begins to caramelise (dark grill marks should appear). Then flip the steak and do the same on the other side. (Cook for an additional minute if you prefer medium to medium rare.)
Once cooked, transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it cool for 5 minutes while you prepare the tacos.

Step 03

Prepare tacos

Heat a pan over a medium-high heat and warm the tortillas on it in batches, occasionally turning with tongs until soft and beginning to brown on each side. Keep the toasted tortillas warm under foil as you move onto the next batch.
Once the tortillas are all warm, slice the steak thinly and then cut all the slices in half. Toss the steak slices with the reduced marinade in a large bowl.
Serve the steak on the warm tortillas and add the pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and cotija cheese as toppings. Garnish with any leftover whole coriander leaves.

Looking for more recipes to add to your taco night repertoire? They don’t get much better than these turbot ceviche and avocado tacos, but these Asian-inspired crunchy tofu and hoisin tacos are sure to tempt more than just your vegan guests.