The first official weekend of summer definitely calls for some outdoor grilling and, inspired by my recent trip to Mexico, I’m all fired up for carne asada! 

Perhaps you’ve never tasted carne asada or (gasp) even heard of it! This south-of-the-border, crowd-pleasing staple is simply grilled meat. That’s right – “carne asada” literally translates to “grilled meat” and this beef-loving girl likes to use the traditional flank steak. Read on to learn how to make carne asada even a gringo can’t mess up. 

Cara asada steaks can also be made with other cuts of beef including skirt (arrachera), sirloin, tenderloin, flat iron or any other type that lends itself to grilling and being sliced finely across the grain for serving.  I like flank steak – it takes well to the marinade, is easy to grill, and imparts an amazing meaty flavor that’s magnified by that wonderful slight char from the grill. Heads up, when you look for flank steaks in the store, most are cut in the range of 1 to 1.5 pounds – so grab two flank steaks to ensure you’ll have enough meat and maybe even a little extra for leftovers.

I’ve made carne asada many times, and am a fan of the recipe shared by BeefLovingTexans.com. In fact, I’ve even shared a step-by-step tutorial on their blog (Get Fired Up for Carne Asada)  that shows how easy it is to prepare for family and friends – there is absolutely no need to be intimidated by the Spanish name.

So let me share some of these carne asad tips with you HERE! In addition to selecting the right cut of beef  the next important step is giving the beef a good marinade. Flank steaks are moderately tender, but letting them marinate in a sauce made with simple ingredients, including orange juice, lime juice, cumin and garlic, makes the beef recipe even more tender. Stick the marinating beef in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour but up to 4 hours – flipping once halfway through. While the carne asada marinade will render the flank steak more tender and impart a delicious flavor, don’t be tempted to marinate longer than about 4 hours – too much exposure to the citrus juices in the carne asada marinade can give the beef a mushy texture.

Peppers and mushrooms aren’t in the actual carne asada recipe, I just like to throw whatever I have in the produce bin on!

Another important tip when learning how to make carne asada is to ensure you are using a hot enough grill. I recommend 400F degrees to help sear in the juices and give a little smoky char to the exterior. You don’t need to do a lot of flipping back and forth, simple turn your steak after about 8 or 10 minutes or when you see juices starting to pool up on the top. If the steak seems like it’s sticking when trying to turn with tongs, it just hasn’t finished cooking and carmalizing on the bottom – give it another minute or two before flipping.

The final tips in how to make carne aside will test your patience. After pulling the steak off the grill, you must LET IT REST on a platter for between 5 to 10 minutes before slicing (the smells will drive you crazy, but consider it character-building).  And, last but not least, use a sharp knife to slice the beef almost as thin as you can across the grain. Slicing grilled flank steak in this manner will ensure that every bite is tender and delicious no matter how you serve it.

That brings me to suggestions on how to serve carne asada – I say serve carne asada however it fires you up. Try in tacos, quesadillas, burritos and other tex-mex staples. Or, toss on a salad, scramble up with eggs, or pile up warm or cold between two hearty slices of bread or a roll. The options are endless. 

Carne asada I did with sirloin steak and then meal prepped into single-serve portions.

I like to save my carne asada leftovers and portion in the family-size and single-size bags to stash in the freezer. The little bit of effort it takes to make extra flank steak is MORE than work it when it comes to meal prepping protein. This beef meal prep allows me to make healthy meals in minutes on crazy days and also prevents me from heating up the kitchen when it’s 100 degrees outside (like today).

What are your weekend plans, any grilling involved? Please share in the comments your favorite way to serving grilled meat or if you have any beef meal prep ideas – XOXO, Jennifer

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Easy Beef Carne Asada

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

marinade

1 hr

Total Time

30 mins

 

One of my favorite summer grilling recipes! Great sliced thinly and served with sides, or in tacos, on a salad, or as a sandwich. Recipe from BeefLovingTexans.com

Course: dinner, entree, main

Cuisine: grill, Southwestern

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lbs. Flank Steak
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup fresh orange juice about 2 oranges
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 4 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and garlic. Pour into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
2. Add flank steak. Turn to coat both sides in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to marinate for up to 4 hours. Remove meat and discard marinade.
3. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to 400°F.
4. Place steaks on oiled grates and grill steaks 8-10 minutes on one side or until moisture starts to pool on the top and beef releases easily from grates with tongs. Flip once, grilling on the other side for 8-10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F with meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak.
5. Transfer steaks to a platter and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain.