Carne Asada Marinade
This easy carne asada marinade is your ticket to that street taco flavor you love. A zesty blend of citrus, cilantro, onion, garlic, and Mexican beer infuses steak with just a short marinating time.
Carne Asada is so versatile —you can serve it in tacos, on chilaquiles, in poblanos, or on top of fries.
While I love the simplicity of my no-marinade carne asada recipe, I also love the flavors that come through on this easy carne asada marinade.
Ingredients for the Marinade
Here’s what you’ll need for the carne asada marinade:
- Citrus– This helps tenderize the meat and adds brightness and acidity.
- Garlic– I’m using fresh garlic and mincing it for the marinade. You can use pre-minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Onion – Add sliced onions to the marinade for flavor, and grill them with the carne asada for more smoky flavor.
- Jalapeno– This does not make the meat spicy; instead, it just adds more flavor.
- Cilantro– Adds an herbiness to the marindae
- Beer– I used a Mexican lager, but if you don’t have/want beer, substitute ginger ale or root beer.
- Oil– This prevents the meat from sticking to the grill and helps lock in moisture.
For the meat, I’m using a flap meat steak, which is more tender than flank steak. But both flank and skirt steaks are popular cuts for carne asada. I prefer the thinner cuts of meat since they cook faster.
How to Make
Combine all the marinade ingredients, then add the beef to a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Squeeze out all of the air and seal the bag. Use your hands to massage the meat and distribute the marinade.
Allow the beef to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. But you can keep it longer for up to 8 hours.
Remove the beef from the marinade and reserve the sliced onions. Grill the meat over a direct flame for a few minutes on each side until you get some grill marks. Use a small skillet or slotted tray to grill the sliced onions.
The thinner the steak, the faster it will cook. I remove the meat just before it hits 140°F.
Slice the carne asada against the grain and serve it on a plate with rice and beans or in tacos.
Try these other tasty side dish options:
Easy Carne Asada Marinade
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Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and Mexican beer. Then add sliced onions, jalapenos, and cilantro stems. Use a spoon to combine.
- Add the beef to a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Squeeze out all of the air and seal the bag. Use your hands to massage the meat and distribute the marinade.
- Allow the beef to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. But you can keep it longer for up to 8 hours.
- Remove the beef from the marinade and reserve the sliced onions. Grill the meat over a direct flame for a few minutes on each side until you get some grill marks. Use a small skillet or slotted tray to grill the sliced onions.
- Slice the carne asada against the grain and serve with the grilled onions.
Video
Notes
- Flap meat steak is more tender, but you can also use Skirt steak or Flank steak. If the steak pieces are thicker, it will take a few more minutes to cook on each side. I prefer my carne asada with a bit of pink, so around 140°F.
- For a non alcoholic option, substitute Ginger Ale or Root beer for the Mexican beer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
