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Carne Asada is a must for your Cinco de Mayo celebration or any night you’re craving bold, vibrant flavor. This juicy, tender carne asada steak is marinated in an easy, authentic blend that brings out all the best in grilled flank or skirt steak.
Forget takeout; this carne asada recipe is better than your favorite restaurant version. Pile it into tacos, burritos, or nachos, toss it over salads, or keep it simple with fresh avocado and the best homemade Pico de Gallo. Once you know how to make carne asada at home, it’ll be on repeat all year long.
What Makes This Carne Asada Recipe Work
What makes this Carne Asada recipe truly shine is the balance of bold flavors and simplicity. The marinade does all the heavy lifting: fresh lime juice, garlic, cumin, and oregano come together to tenderize the carne asada steak while infusing it with deep, zesty Mexican flavor.
Grilling locks in all that juicy goodness with a smoky char you just can’t get from stovetop cooking. Whether you’re learning how to make carne asada for the first time or perfecting your go-to version, this recipe delivers consistent, mouthwatering results every time.
What Goes Into This Recipe
This Carne Asada recipe starts with a simple yet flavorful marinade that transforms flank or skirt steak into something seriously crave-worthy. Just a handful of pantry staples and fresh ingredients bring out the best in every bite.
- Flank or Skirt Steak: These cuts are perfect for Carne Asada thanks to their rich flavor and quick-cooking texture when grilled or seared.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice not only adds brightness but also helps tenderize the meat as it marinates.
- Garlic: Minced garlic infuses the steak with bold, aromatic depth that complements the other spices beautifully.
- Ground Cumin: Earthy and warm, cumin is a key spice that gives this Carne Asada its classic Mexican flavor profile.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Carne Asada
- Prepare Marinade: Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a large shallow bowl or plastic container until well combined.
- Marinate: Place the flank or skirt steak into the marinade, turning to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate your steak for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor and tenderness.
- Preheat Grill: Heat your grill to high. Flank steak is best cooked rare, while skirt steak can handle a well-done finish.
- Grill Steak: Remove steak from the marinade. Grill for 5–7 minutes on each side, or until your desired doneness is reached.
- Rest and Slice: Transfer steak to a plate and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain to serve.
Pair your Carne Asada with a Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Taco Salad for a fresh, zesty complement. For something warm and comforting, go with the Warm Chicken and Pumpkin Lentil Stew.
Prefer a lighter side? The Chicken, Haloumi and Avocado Salad with Lime Dressing adds a creamy, citrusy balance to every bite.
Recipe FAQ’s
Skirt steak and flank steak are the top choices. Skirt steak is more tender and flavorful, and it holds up well even when cooked through. Flank steak is leaner and best served rare to medium.
Absolutely! While it’s traditionally barbecued, you can also cook it in a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove. Just make sure the pan is smoking hot before adding the meat.
At least 2 hours is great, but overnight gives the best flavor. The lime juice and spices work to tenderize and infuse the meat with bold, zesty goodness.
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Carne Asada Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lime juice fresh squeezed, about 3 limes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 pound skirt or flank steak
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large shallow bowl or plastic container. Add the meat, rotating to evenly coat, and cover with plastic wrap (or lid if using container).
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat barbecue (or grill) on high heat. Note that lean flank steak is best cooked rare, while skirt steak can be cooked well without losing moisture or flavor because it has more fat marbling.Remove the flank steak from the marinade, and discard excess marinade. Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached.
- Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- To serve, slice against the grain into thin strips.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for dinner last night, and it was delicious. I marinated overnight in a zip lock bag, then grilled 4 min each side. Turned out perfect.
Please send me the marinade recipe ?
Hi! I’m so sorry about this. It seems to be a technical issue and we are working on it right now. Hopefully we will have all recipes up again soon! Thank you for your patience! Karina X
Where is the receipe?
Hi! I’m so sorry about this. It seems to be a technical issue on mobile only and we are working on it right now. The recipes are on desktop if you need them urgently! Hopefully we will have all recipes up again soon! Thank you for your patience! Karina X
Excellent recipe, my family loved it! It was so easy too!
That is great to hear! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed it! XO
I was wondering if this could be a freezer meal? Place steak and marinade in a freezer bag and thaw when ready to cook?
Yes! That is a great idea! You are able to make so many fun recipes with this carne aside! Enjoy!
Oh gosh, it looks delicious!! And I agree that your photos are great!
AWE! Thank you so much! That is really nice of you! I am glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for following along with me!
Do you have recipes for agua de peppino,agua de apio
It calls for fresh garlic and garlic powder? Can I just use the fresh garlic and leave the garlic powder out and if so, should I then increase the fresh garlic with an extra clove?
Yes, that sounds like a great idea! Hope it works out just how you like it! Thanks so much for following along with me!
I am literally sitting here with my pen and paper trying to come up with a menu for Cinco de Mayo and this is *perfect*! We’re having friends over so I think I’ll do some black beans and rice on the side, maybe a salad, and definitely guac, salsa, and all the chips!
Thanks and have a great one!
P.S. I made your baked chicken with honey mustard sauce last night and just finished the leftovers for lunch. So good and so easy! 🙂
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! Your pics are awesome! ??❤️