Carne Asada Tacos

Carne asada tacos start with the right cut of beef, a citrus-and-lager marinade, and a screaming-hot grill. The marinade is built for skirt, flank, or flap steak. The cook is fast, the slicing matters as much as the cooking, and the meat is finished medium to medium-plus rather than medium rare. Wrap it in a Sonoran flour tortilla, top with onion and cilantro, and add salsa.

I grew up in Phoenix eating carne asada everywhere, but my father-in-law from Chihuahua is the one who demystified it for me. He showed me the recipe he makes at home: lager, lime, soy sauce, pepper, and oil, nothing else. The simplicity of those flavors changed how I thought about this dish. Over the years I have added two ingredients to that foundation, and the recipe below is the version I serve at every cookout.

Key Ingredients (and Why They Matter)

• Skirt, flank, or flap steak: All three work. Skirt is my favorite for its fat distribution. Flap soaks up the marinade like a sponge. Flank is the most accessible at any grocery store.
• Mexican lager: Modelo, Pacifico, or Tecate. The malt and CO2 tenderize the meat and add a subtle depth. Substitute with a non-alcoholic lager if needed.
• Soy sauce: Adds salt and umami while breaking down the surface of the beef. Tamari works as a gluten-free swap.
• Fish sauce: Red Boat is my brand. Trust the process. There is no fish flavor in the finished meat, just a beefier beef. In a pinch, swap 1 tablespoon Worcestershire for the fish sauce. Same umami principle, slightly different finish.
• Fresh orange and lime juice: Bottled juice will not deliver the same brightness. Squeeze your own.
• Flour tortillas: Small Sonoran-style flour tortillas are my pick for this recipe. They are the traditional choice in this region for carne asada. Look for thin, pliable tortillas with no baking powder.

Note: Sedona Sand Fiesta Seasoning makes a great seasoning in place of the salt and pepper before grilling for an added Southwest layer.

Choosing Your Cut

The three cuts I recommend, in order of preference:

Skirt Steak

My personal favorite. Skirt has ribbons of fat running through it that keep the meat juicy at higher temperatures. The edges crisp beautifully over direct fire, and the texture chops cleanly into taco-sized bites. Skirt benefits from being cooked a touch past medium rare so the fat renders properly.

Flank Steak

Beefier and leaner than skirt. Flank has a defined grain running the length of the steak, so slicing against the grain is non-negotiable. The marinade tenderizes the muscle, but you still need to pull this one slightly earlier than skirt because there is less fat to protect the meat from drying out.

Flap Steak (Sirloin Flap)

The most underrated cut for carne asada. Flap has a coarse, open texture that soaks up marinade better than skirt or flank. It is harder to find at standard grocery stores, but Costco and Latin grocers usually carry it. The flavor is closest to skirt with a slightly looser texture, and it cooks similarly.

How to Make Carne Asada Tacos: Step by Step

Step 1: Mix the marinade and add the steak

Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, lager, soy sauce, fish sauce, oil, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour into a large zip-top bag with your steak. Press the air out, seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. You can go up to 8 hours, but no longer. The citrus will start to break down the protein and the texture turns mushy past that point.

Step 2: Get the grill screaming hot

For charcoal, build a hot two-zone fire and let the coals fully ash over. You want to hold your hand 4 inches above the grate for no more than 2 seconds. For gas, preheat all burners on high for 15 minutes with the lid closed. The grates should be hot enough to sizzle aggressively the moment the meat touches them.

Step 3: Dry the steak and season

Pull the steak from the marinade and pat both sides completely dry with paper towels. A dry surface is the difference between char and steam. Season lightly with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. The marinade has soy and fish sauce in it, so the meat is already partially seasoned.

Step 4: Grill hot and fast

Place the steak over direct high heat. Skirt steak goes 3 to 4 minutes per side. Flank steak goes 4 to 5 minutes per side. Flap steak goes 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a probe thermometer to confirm the internal temp. Pull at 145°F for skirt and flap, 140°F for flank.

Step 5: Rest, slice, and chop

Let the steak rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board. Identify the direction of the grain, then slice thin perpendicular to those lines. Once sliced, chop the strips into half-inch pieces so they fit cleanly in a taco. This step is what separates good carne asada from chewy carne asada.

Step 6: Warm the tortillas and build

Hold each tortilla directly over a gas flame for 10 to 15 seconds per side until blistered and pliable. No gas stove? Use a dry cast iron over high heat. Stack the warm tortillas in a clean kitchen towel.

Build each taco with a generous spoonful of carne asada, finely diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The marinade can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Marinated steak can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours, no longer.

Cooked carne asada keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to bring back the char. Avoid the microwave when you can, since steaming kills the texture.

For freezer storage, freeze the cooked and sliced meat in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Optional Toppings

The classic street taco build is white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. That is the foundation. Beyond that, here are the additions worth keeping on the table:

• Crumbled cotija cheese: Salty, mild, and traditional with carne asada
• Thinly sliced radishes: Fresh crunch and a peppery bite
• Sliced avocado or guacamole: Adds richness, especially with leaner flank steak
• Quick-pickled red onions: Acid and color, both useful with rich beef
• Pickled jalapenos: Spicy, tangy kick with every bite.
• Lime wedges: Always

For salsa, three options from my site that pair well with carne asada:

• Charred Salsa Verde: The most classic pairing with carne asada. Bright, acidic, smoky.
• Hatch Chile Salsa Verde: Southwest signature, deeper and earthier.
• Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa: Smoky red salsa with medium heat.

A bottle of Smoky Sonoran BBQ Sauce on the table works here, too if you want a sweeter, BBQ-leaning option. It’s built with a rich guajillo chile puree, so it pairs well with grilled steak.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Beef Recipes from the Grill

• Charcoal Burgers: The classic backyard burger, cooked over screaming hot coals for a real char.
• Smoked Smash Burgers: A smoke-infused twist on the smash burger format, all live fire.
• Reverse-Seared Tri-Tip: Another lean Southwest cut that benefits from a slow start and a hot finish.

Print