No Marinade Carne Asada Street Tacos

This Easy Carne Asada requires no marinade and gets flavor from a good quality cut of steak and cast iron flat top over a hot grill.

Street tacos are an iconic dish in Mexico, and a popular one being Carne Asada Tacos. There are different versions of carne asada, and most of them incorporate a marinade to make the meat tender and flavorful.

The recipe I’m sharing today requires no marinade, so perfect if you are short on time. Instead were using a good quality cut of steak, dicing it small, and cooking on a cast iron flat top over a hot grill.

What is Carne Asada?

In Spanish ‘Carne’ translates to meat or beef, and ‘Asada’ translates to grilled or BBQ. So Meat that is Grilled. 

Typically you’ll find Carne Asada served as a thin piece of steak and with Rice, Beans, Salsa Verde, and a side of Tortillas.  

Carne Asada Street Tacos are traditionally grilled steak that’s chopped up and served on corn tortillas and topped with salsa, diced onions, and cilantro.  

As with any dish, you’ll find variations depending on the region of Mexico or in different parts of the US. 

The majority of carne asada recipes call for flank or skirt steak, and the marinade helps to tenderize and flavor the meat. I think this method is great to pack in a lot of flavor and saves money on a more affordable cut of beef. 

Tips for No-Marinade Carne Asada

The key to making a delicious no marinade carne asada taco is to use a good piece of steak. I recommend a NY Strip or Sirloin steak, the excess fat trimmed, and then diced into small bite size pieces. 

Another tip is to use a seasoned cast iron flat top like this one. You want the steak to get that flavor from a fire pit, so cooking it on the grill is a must. 

Be sure to get the flat top nice and hot before adding the meat. Grilled onion bulbs are also delicious!

After the steak has been diced into small even pieces, add 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 pound of meat, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil.

That’s it for the carne asada, super easy right?

Building The Taco

For any great street taco, you need toppings to complete it.

Salsa Verde- This salsa pairs perfect with the carne asada, but you can also do a spicier red salsa. I also like to add diced avocado to make a chunky salsa. 

Then top with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and sliced radishes. I also like to add whole beans to my taco and my husband likes to have carne asada tacos with grilled onion bulbs on the side.

To serve the carne asada, place tortillas on the flat top till they get soft and keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or a clean kitchen towel.

Layer the carne asada, salsa verde, avocado, onions, cilantro, and sliced radishes on a tortilla.  Use leftover steak to make these Carne Asada Poblanos.

To put your Carne Asada Tacos over the top, try them on Homemade Corn Tortillas.