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Home » Recipes » Main Courses

Grilled Carne Asada - Tasty and Easy to Make

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Carne Asada Marinated and Grilled

Grilled carne asada is one of those dishes that is easy to make and so satisfying. Make a batch of homemade corn tortillas to go with it.

Grilled Carne Asada: Skirt Steak vs. Flank Steak

It seems like there are a lot of recipes for grilled carne asada that use skirt steak and flank steak interchangeably. Heck, there are a lot of Mexican restaurants that use these cuts of meat interchangeably. So which one is correct?

The answer is that it depends, in part, on your personal preference. Do you prefer a thicker, steak-like piece of meat for your carne asada that comes from a flank steak, or do you prefer the much thinner cut that comes from skirt steak? The other variable is what you can find in your market or butcher shop. Flank steak seems to be more readily available in my market.

The preparation of flank steak and skirt steak can be the same, but the cook times are very different.

Flank Steak
Flank Steak

Marinate the Meat

Let's face it, flank steak can be as tough as an old shoe if it is not prepared properly. The first step to ensure a tender flank steak is to marinate the meat. The marinade will help break down some of the tough fibers and add a ton of flavor at the same time. Mix up the marinade ingredients in a blender and pour it over the flank steak.

Flank Steak Marinade
Flank Steak Marinade

The second step to ensure a tender flank steak is cutting it across the grain and on the bias, but more on that later. Give this six hours in the refrigerator resting in the marinade.

Flank Steak in Marinade
Flank Steak in Marinade

Grill the Meat

Take the marinated flank steak out of the refrigerator, transfer it to a plate, and let it warm up for about 45 minutes before grilling. Otherwise, the outside will char and the inside will be cold and raw. Why transfer it to a plate? Well, whatever dish the flank steak was marinating in is about 34˚ F when it comes out of the refrigerator. It just makes sense to move the flank steak to a plate that is already room temperature to speed up the process just a bit.

Setup your grill for medium heat and grill the flank steak for 3 - 4 minutes per sides. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. For skirt steak, grill for about one minute per side.

Flank Steak on Grill With Onions and Peppers
Flank Steak on Grill With Onions and Peppers
Flank Steak on a Hot Grill
Flank Steak on a Hot Grill

Cut on the Bias

Flank steak has long fibers that run lengthwise. If flank steak is cut lengthwise, well, save your jaw and just throw it out. It will be tough as nails.

Flank Steak
Flank Steak

For a tender flank steak, those fibers have to be cut as short as possible. Slice it across the grain in slices no more than ¼" thick. To make it even more tender, cut it across the grain AND on the bias. What does that mean? Hold the knife at a 45˚ angle (to the floor) as you cut across the grain.

Cutting a Flank Steak
Cutting a Flank Steak

That's how to make some tasty and tender grilled carne asada. Don't forget the homemade tortillas.

Some Similar Dishes

Here are some similar dishes to try:

  • Carnitas Empanadas
  • Chicken Birria Tamales
  • Carnitas Tacos
  • Pork Belly Tacos
  • Smoked Charro Beans

Watch the video on YouTube

Carne Asada

Grilled Carne Asada

Do you love carne asada? This easy-to-make carne asada recipe is worth trying. It's simple and tasty.
4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Marinate Time 6 hours hrs
Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 servings
Calories 239 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 flank steak fat trimmed
  • ½ red onion rough chopped
  • 2 Jalapeno peppers rough chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 adobo chili peppers from a can with adobo sauce
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ bunch cilantro fresh

Instructions
 

  • Mix all marinade ingredients in a blender. Pour over the flank steak and refrigerate for 6 hours.
  • Setup grill for direct heat. Grill to medium, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  • Remove from heat and cover with foil. Allow flank steak to rest for 10 minutes before cutting across the grain on the bias.
  • Serve with hot tortillas and grilled green onions.

Video

Notes

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Nutrition

Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 660mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 298IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
Keyword carne asada
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Dave

I'm Dave, just a guy who likes to cook for family and friends and take pictures of what I make. I am not a chef. While some of my recipes might look complicated and intimidating, I assure you that they are all really quite easy. If you can cut an onion, you can make any recipe on this website. Have some fun and make something new.

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