These carne asada tacos are made with tender and tangy marinated carne asada that is a total cinch to make and topped with lightly charred red onions, sliced avocados, and cilantro.
Today I have for you another Carne Asada recipe made with my absolute favorite Carne Asada Marinade, super quick and simple Carne Asada Tacos.
Easy Carne Asada Tacos Recipe
These carne asada tacos are made with tender and tangy marinated carne asada that is a total cinch to make and topped with lightly charred red onions, sliced avocados, and cilantro.
Technically the tacos take about 24 hours to make since you’ll want to marinate your carne asada overnight (both for flavor and for convenience), but your actual hands-on cooking and prep time is very short.
We’re going to cook the steak for the tacos under the broiler, so it doesn’t need a ton of babysitting and cooks up to a beautiful medium-rare in less than 10 minutes. From the time you pull your marinated meat out of the fridge, between cooking, cutting, and assembling the tacos, you can be eating in less than 25 minutes.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
- Start marinating your steak the night before so it’s ready to go when dinner comes around the next day. Flip the marinade bag in the fridge before you head off to work so the meat marinates evenly.
- When you’re ready to cook, place the steak on a heavy-duty baking sheet or broiler tray. Arrange sliced onions around the meat, and broil everything for a few minutes per side. The meat is done when its internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium and onion slices are lightly charred and softened.
- Then give your meat a short rest before slicing and assembling into tacos.
What is the best meat for carne asada tacos?
The best meat for carne asada tacos is something with a well-defined grain that’s going to pick up a marinade well, and something that you can cook over quick, high heat. Flank steak, skirt steak, and flap meat all fit this bill. They have a ton of flavor and do well when cooked fast and hot.
Flap meat is my favorite of the three because it’s typically the cheapest option, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Alternative Taco Toppings
- Diced white onions
- Sliced radishes
- Crumbled Cotija cheese
- Chipotle yogurt sauce
- Eggs, cheddar cheese, and fajita veggies for breakfast tacos
More Carne Asada Recipes
Recipe Notes
- If you have leftover carne asada, pour any remaining pan juices over the top before storage–this will help keep the meat moist.
Ingredients
Carne Asada Marinade
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt, flank, or flap steak
- 1/2 cup orange juice bottled is fine
- 1/2 cup soy sauce low-sodium is fine
- 1/4 cup lemon juice bottled is fine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice bottled is fine
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper OR 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle pepper, optional
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped about 3/4 cup very loosely packed
Tacos
- 1/2 red onion sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (do not separate the layers)
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 8 taco-size tortillas flour or corn are fine
- 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro for topping
- 2 limes quartered, optional for topping
Instructions
Carne Asada Marinade
- Place steak in a gallon plastic bag or shallow container for marinating. In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, stir together all marinade ingredients and pour marinade over the steak. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, flipping the meat halfway through.
Carne Asada and Onions
- Adjust the top rack in your oven so it’s about 4 inches from the broiler and heat broiler on high. Transfer meat to a foil-lined heavy-duty baking sheet or broiler pan. Place onion rounds around the meat on the baking tray wherever they will fit.
- Broil for 4 to 6 minutes per side (flip both the meat and the onion rounds), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak reads 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium.
- If onions have not yet reached your desired level of doneness, you can transfer the meat to a cutting board and return onions to the oven. Once onions are done, slice the rounds in half, separate the slices, and toss them in the pan juices. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain into strips.
Assemble Tacos
- Gently warm tortillas by placing them on a plate and covering the stack with a damp paper towel. Microwave until heated through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Top warmed tortillas with sliced carne asada, onions, sliced avocado and cilantro. If desired, add a squeeze of lime juice, and enjoy!
Notes
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