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This is my best carne asada recipe, and I’ve tested plenty. If you’ve been chasing that authentic Mexican flavor, this one delivers! Perfect for tacos, especially with Homemade Corn Tortillas.
I’ve made a lot of carne asada over the years, always trying to get back to that familiar flavor of bright citrus, Mexican spices, and that smoky grilled taste. After lots of trial and error, this is the version I keep coming back to. It’s straightforward, uses traditional ingredients, and delivers that authentic flavor you’ve been missing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic carne asada flavor: This classic citrus-garlic marinade will remind you of the best restaurant-quality carne asada you’ve ever had.
- Versatile: There are so many ways to enjoy carne asada! From as simple as carne asada tacos with homemade corn tortillas, to a classic full Mexican plate with arroz rojo (Mexican rice) and refried beans, the possibilities are endless.
Carne Asada Ingredients:
- Beef – if you want the most tender and flavorful cut, my opinion is that skirt steak is the absolute BEST for carne asada. There are two types of skirt steak––outside and inside. Outside skirt steak is the one you want, it is incredibly tender and SO flavorful!
- Citrus – for flavor & tenderizing the beef, you’ll need lime juice & orange juice. For an extra kick of acidity, I also add some white vinegar.
- Olive oil – To balance the citrus, infuse spices better, and improve browning/searing.
- Spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and chili powder.
- Garlic – softened roasted garlic ground into a garlic salt paste in a molcajete is my favorite way to make salsas, and it’s how I make my carne asada marinades too. Grinding the salt and garlic into a paste will bring out the most flavor.
- Beer – a little light beer to infuse moisture and flavor. Don’t worry if you can’t consume alcohol because I have a non-alcoholic substitute to make it halal! You can use ginger beer instead.
- Onion, cilantro, and jalapeno – aromatics for the the marinade. The jalapeño will not make it spicy!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Over medium low heat, roast the garlic cloves in a pan and cover for 5 minutes or until the garlic is soft and browned on all sides.
- Peel the skin off and add the roasted garlic to a molcajete (mortar) with 1 tbsp of salt. Grind to make a garlic salt paste.
- Add chopped onion and lightly press with the pestle to release some juices.
- Add the vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, beer, and spices. Mix well by scraping the bottom of the molcajete to incorporate all of the garlic salt paste.
- Mix in the cilantro and jalapeno.
- Trim off the silver skin membrane and any excess hard pieces of fat (but not too much because fat=flavor).
- Marinade in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Take the marinated steak out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before you cook it.
- Shake off excess marinade and grill over SCORCHING high heat (at least 600 degrees F) for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare, or 4-5 minutes on each side for medium. The timing will depend on how thick your steak is.
- Let the steak rest for 5 minutes on a cool surface before cutting into it. Do not skip this resting period.
- Cut the steak against the grain and enjoy 🙂
Best Cuts of Beef For Carne Asada
You can really use any cut of beef you prefer, but it’s best to use beef with some fat in it for the best flavor and texture. Here are the most traditionally used cuts:
Flap meat – Also known as ranchera, this is the most standard cut of beef for carne asada. It’s traditionally cooked well-done, and usually just eaten with our hands. Flap meat has good marbling throughout which keeps it juicy and flavorful, even when cooked well-done.
Skirt steak – Arrachera. This is the absolute best cut in my opinion––specifically the outside skirt steak. It’s a long cut of beef that has plenty of fat marbling which means maximum flavor. It’s a little pricey, and this cut can be difficult to find so I recommend going to your local butcher shop. If they don’t have it, inside skirt is easier to find in grocery stores but it doesn’t melt-in-your-mouth like outside skirt.
Flank steak – This is a popular cut for Americans. It’s thicker than skirt steak and also leaner, so it doesn’t have as much flavor but still good. It is also much easier to find.
Cooking Methods
The grill will always give you the most authentic flavor and smoky char, but a hot cast iron skillet can get surprisingly close—and sometimes it’s just the easier option. What matters most is high heat, quick cooking, and letting that marinade do its job.
Here’s how to get great results with either method.
Grill
Highly recommended for the best results. Carne asada means “grilled meat” after all.
The best way to cook skirt steak is fast & high. This means using SCORCHING high heat and cooking the steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness and desired doneness. It is okay to flip over a few times to get a more even char. That char is important! It adds that distinct flavor that we love with grilled meats.
If you are not confident in knowing when to pull the steaks off the grill, use a meat thermometer. When I use outside skirt for this, I don’t worry too much about the doneness because the meat is SO tender that having it a little overcooked is not a big deal.
Stove Top (Cast Iron Skillet)
If you don’t have a grill or don’t feel like firing it up, you can definitely cook it on the stove. I recommend a cast iron skillet for this. Get the skillet hot! Lightly oil it before adding the steak, and maybe crack open a window or two so your smoke alarm doesn’t go off.
I use this method sometimes because my grill is a pain to fire up (it’s a charcoal grill). One great thing about the stove top method is that you can simultaneously cook the onions in the pan to impart even more flavor. When using the grill, I usually throw the skillet on it to cook the onions too.
Serving Suggestions
So you’ve made some delicious grilled meat and now you’re wondering what to eat with it. There are lots of Mexican dishes made with carne asada, here are a few of my favorites:
Tacos: Who doesn’t love tacos? Simple yet so iconic and flavorful. Make my Homemade Corn Tortillas, Fresh Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, and pair it with you favorite spicy salsa. Hits every time!
Burritos: Carne asada also makes amazing burritos. Fill them with refried beans & arroz rojo (Mexican Rice) for a hearty, classic combo.
Gorditas: My Carne Asada Gorditas are lightly fried and stuffed with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and crema. This is one of my favorite recipes ever! So much flavor.
Refried Beans & Mexican Rice: You can never go wrong with a classic full Mexican plate. Carne asada served with Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans), Arroz Rojo (Mexican Rice), and some iceberg lettuce with chopped tomatoes. Classic, filling, and perfect for weeknight meals.
You’re Invited To The Carne Asada
Preparing for a Mexican BBQ? I got you covered. Here are all my best recipes that are perfect for any Mexican BBQ:
- Authentic Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
- Al Pastor
- Mexican Shrimp Ceviche
- Authentic Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- The BEST Margarita
- Tio Roman’s Paloma
- Horchata
Frequently Asked Questions
Skirt steak (outside skirt), flap meat, and flank steak, in that order. These are the most common cuts. They are flavorful, cook quickly, and slice well against the grain
2 to 4 hours is ideal. Longer can make the meat mushy, especially since the marinade is a bit acidic and the cuts of meat are not that thick.
Yes, I would use ginger beer (which doesn’t have an alcohol).
More CLassic Mexican recipes
If you tried this Carne Asada recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
The BEST Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 2 lbs outside skirt steak , or flap meat
Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/4 onion, sliced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp white vinegar, add 1 more tsp if you like it more tangy
- 1/4 cup lime juice, (about 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup orange juice, (about 1 small orange)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup light beer, or ginger beer to make it halal
- 1-2 jalapeno, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Over medium low heat, roast the garlic cloves (with the skin on) in a pan and cover for 5 minutes or until the garlic is soft and browned on all sides.
- Peel the skin off and add the roasted garlic to a molcajete (mortar) with 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Grind to make a garlic salt paste.
- Add chopped onion and lightly press with the pestle to release some juices.
- Add the vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, beer (or ginger beer to make it halal), and spices. Mix well by scraping the bottom of the molcajete to incorporate all of the garlic salt paste.
- Mix in the cilantro and jalapeno.
- Trim off the silver skin membrane and any excess hard pieces of fat, but not too much because fat = flavor. Skirt steak comes in a long strip with the grains running perpendicular to it's length, so I recommend cutting it into 6 inch pieces to fit on your grill and give you more control.
- Pour marinade over the skirt steak in a container and massage into the steak. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours max. Take the marinated steak out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before you cook it.
- Shake off excess marinade and grill over SCORCHING high heat (at least 600 degrees F). The timing will depend on how thick your steak is and your desired doneness (see recipe notes for a timing guide below). I add the jalapeños to the grill and just use a skillet for the onions. You can also cook it on a cast iron skillet if you don't have a grill. Get it really hot and lightly oil it before searing the meat.
- Let the steak rest for 5 minutes on a cool surface before cutting into it! This is very important, do not skip the resting period.
- Cut the steak against the grain and enjoy 🙂
Notes
- Marinate max 4 hours; longer can make steak mushy.
- Best cuts: outside skirt steak, flap meat, or flank steak.
- Beer substitute: beef/chicken broth, or ginger beer (it’s non-alcoholic)
-
Cooking time guide (high heat, per side):
- Rare: 2–3 min
- Medium-rare: 3–4 min
- Medium: 4–5 min
- Medium-well: 5–6 min
- Well-done: 6–7 min
- Rest 5 min before slicing to retain juices.
- Slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely divine, along with your arroz rojo. Thank you very much for putting a substitute for the beer. I am a Muslim and i truly appreciate the recommendation you did for this recipe.
Very tasty??😋😋 my family LOVED it!! Definitely putting on my regular family menu!! Ty for sharing it!! ❤️❤️
I’m Mexican and I have made this twice already both asada and just frying it and eating it with corn tortillas and salsa roja. It is amazing both ways. I love the taste of it fried a bit more I feel like it’s a little bit more juicier but even asada it is still so yummy!! Definitely one of my favorite ways to make carne asada now. Now I am excited to try more of our traditional recipes from Stella!
Made this a second time with a little more chili powder. It came out Awesome. Will be making this again. Recommend you make the verde salsa with it.
This recipe is perfect! This is the only way I would be making my Carne Asada from now on. It is soooo tasty. I love it! And also, I used beef chuck and I marinated it for a total of 18hrs and it was packed with flavor! No problem with the texture. Even used one of those meat tenderizers to help the meat soak up all the goodness from the marinade. I wouldn’t recommend marinating it for more than 24hrs though.
Hi, can you marinade this overnight?
Thanks!
Hi Natalee,
I do not recommend marinating longer than 4-6 hours. There is citrus in the marinade, which will turn the meat into a mushy texture after an extended period of time. Sometimes I only marinate for 2 hours and it is still fine, but 3-4 hours is usually the best!
I have been searching for a recipe like this my whole entire existence. This is absolutely unique, and amazingly delicious. To find the most equisite flavor in a skirt steak carne asada is rare when dining out at a restaurant–It is an absolute 95% miss. To make it at home is pretty good and satisfies. But when I found and made this… if only people knew how special this recipe is. It is everything you want to enjoy in every bite of THE perfect and flavorful carne asada! Thank you, I am so grateful.
What do you recommend for light beer?
Any Mexican lager would be ideal, like Modelo!
Absolutely delicious! Tried this for the first time last night. Loved it!
Amazing! I’ve been looking for THIS recipe for years! And it tastes even better than my mother-in law’s (don’t tell her), which is excellent!
How many people does this recipe serve?
It depends what you plan to serve it with. Generally, 1/2 lb of meat per person is enough so this could serve 3-4 people, or more depending on side dishes.
Very few Mexican restaurants make a good carne asada anymore IMO. There was one near me many years ago that had an excellent carne asada but all of a sudden it was no longer good – original chef must have left and took the recipe with him. This reminds me of that excellent carne asada that i could simply not find anymore.
I’ve tried so many carne asada recipes and this one is my final keeper. The roasted garlic and other details made all the difference. My suggestion- while the meat is resting, heat a pan over medium heat with a little oil and add the onions and peppers from the marinade. Sauté until starting to brown and soften (about 5 minutes). They are SO good either on their own or added to tacos with the meat.
I have been called a “food snob” because I am hard to impress.
The best tex-mex food I have had was what we fixed at home or a taqueria on the bad side of town.
This recipe is going into my personal book. It is the best carne asada I have had.
I cut a whole onion in half and grilled it along with the meat. We served on flour tortilla, grilled onion, a slice of avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
Due to time ingredients on hand I used home canned jalapeno and I added a tbs of home made adobo sauce. These ingredients put the salt a touch higher than I prefer, so next time I will back the salt down to 2 tsp when using home canned jalaps and adobo.
My go to carne asada marinade recipe!! So flavorful and authentic tasting. My whole family loves this! I make this once a week, it’s in our weekly meal rotation.
Phenomenal recipe with flavors that remind me of the authentic style carne asada from back home in California! 10/10 recommend!!
Wonderful recipe! I normally just wing it with a loose recipe I got from my father in law, but I used this for a recent family trip and it was a hit! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
She is not lying when she titled this recipe as the BEST Carne Asada! This is truly authentic. I’m from San Diego but have moved and miss the food from there, especially the Mexican food. I’m not able to find Mexican as good as California. With this recipe, it hits the cravings and the spot!
My first recipe I made from Stella. The Best !!!!! 10000% My number one recipe when I make carne asada tacos
Better than my grandmas recipe 🤤
We live in a major Latino community and my 8 yr old daughter is picky with food. But having Mexican classmates and besties, she loved her mom’s friend’s regular ground beef carne asada(easy to cook kid friendly). I was encouraged to cook and make it, all the way to making the corn tortillas from scratch. Used Maseca brand per dtr’s besties mom. So i was in a mission to do carne asada with flap steak. Made it today to celebrate my 20th wedding anniv. I used my Lodge’s plantsa and iron cast pan. This recipe is the best!!! I forwarded your recioe to my friends and we may do it again this coming July 4th holiday cook out. I felt so good learning authentic Mexican food! (I’ve been following you in IG and this my first to try one of your recipes, this wont be the last! More power to you! ) Thank you so much!!!
This is by far the best carne asada recipe I ever tried! So delicious even my picky kids approve. We made it several times he love to add it to tacos, ramen soups, noodles. Or even eat it just on its own. The flavor is amazing! It’s perfect for meal prepping. I never have to buy premade carna asada again! Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe ❤️.
Loved this recipe. Used it to make carne asada for burrito bowls and my daughter loved it. Thanks for sharing,
this is my favorite recipe! when i was shopping for the ingredients to make this recipe there was another woman shopping looking at the steaks. she looked at my cart and asked what I was making. i told her carne asada and she said she was making the same thing. i showed her your recipe on my phone and she said your version looked better than the one she was making. true story! thanks for the great recipe.
My favorite recipe hands down! So easy to follow and I love that you give alternatives. This is the best carne asada and I will never make it any other way.
My go to recipe to make carne asada at home! Thank you for the great recipe!
Love this recipe! This is what I use to make my tacos de carne asada.
SO good! would definitely make it again!
Loved this recipe! So flavorful and easy to do.
Thank you for sharing
We’ve made this marinade a couple times now & it’s so, so, so good! You will not be disappointed!
I’ve made this for my family for taco night and it was a huge hit! It was so good! It was my first actual Mexican recipe
I’ve tried and I can’t wait to try more of her recipes. I’ll probably try the Al Pastor at home next 😋
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and cultural knowledge with us! I know I can never question your recipes 🌶️
I’ve been following Stellanspice since lockdown and have used many of her recipes. This carne asada is hands down one of my favorites. We relocated from SoCal to NYC where you can find top rated cuisines from all over the world…except for Mexican food! Ask any transplant. This recipe gives me a taste of home and is always a hit sharing with friends!
I tried this recipe and my whole family loved the carne asada it was soooo good. 😋
Yummmm! The step by step instructions and describing what type of steak to use…THANK YOU! It makes things easier on what to buy. Can’t wait to make them when we go camping!
my Go To Carne recipe! Reminds me of the carne I would get at the local Mexican restaurant, and that’s hard to beat. Double down and make the Carne Asada Gorditas by Stella to fully enjoy this recipe. Trust me, it’s worth it.
This was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you
This marinade is 10/10!
100/10 recommend this recipe! My favorite recipe and it was my first time seeing her on IG so I tested out to see if Stellanspice can be my go to for recipes. The beer helped out a lot and her thoroughness of instructions help me so much! Thank you!
This recipe is soooo good! I’ve made it twice (using a grill and case iron skillet) and gotten rave reviews. This is my favorite carne asada marinade.
This was delicious. Flavourful and Juicy!
Can you marinate this overnight?
Update: marinated it for 6 hours. Best carne asada I’ve ever had! Will definitely make it again
Wow I haven’t made it yet but by the photos alone i’m giving it 5 stars! Cant wait to make it! 🙂
3 for 3! First the Al Pastor, then the Pazole, and now the Carne Asada! ALL WINNERS! This has great flavor, super easy to make (although I just roasted a whole head of garlic in the oven so I had it for other things), and so versatile! I’m heading to your Korean recipes next! One other change I made out of necessity. I didn’t have oranges on hand but I did have Trader Joes’ Spicy Tangerine Juice. I’ll try with oranges next time, but this was really really good! Bravo to you for such a great and approachable recipe!
Hi Tristan, thanks so much for following up again! If you want to try another one of my most popular Mexican recipes, please check out my carnitas! Excited for you to try my Korean recipes, as I am much more comfortable cooking Korean. Please let me know how they turn out.
Just left a comment on insta, but this was amazing. We are a Latino/Asian house and have made carne pretty often. This will be our new go to marinade!
This came out so excellent! It took me back to my time living in Tucson. Thanks for sharing!
Made this last night. Best carne asada we’ve had! Our whole family enjoyed it and it paired well with your Mexican rice. Thank you for the great recipes!
Can’t wait Stella!!!