This Mexican Carne Asada Marinade Recipe has been one of my secret recipes, until now! The marinade makes an amazingly flavorful and tender Carne Asada. Use leftovers to make California burritos and Carne asada fries, then use this marinade to make smoked Traeger Carne asada!
There is a reason why this carne asada marinade is one of my most popular recipes. People can't get enough of this succulent carne asada thanks to this amazing marinade!
You can build an entire Mexican feast around this dish! Start with some ceviche de camaron to wet your guests appetites, then work your way to carne asada tacos served with fire roasted salsa, and these sweet and tangy tamarind margaritas!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
Don't take this the wrong way, but you haven't had good Carne Asada until you've had it in San Diego. The fact that we are neighbors with Mexico means we are spoiled with amazing Mexican food! This includes delicious options like Mexican Breakfast Burritos, Carne Asada fries, Carne Asada tacos, and a San Diego original, the California Burrito!
This Mexican Carne Asada Marinade is the first step in making all the delicious food mentioned above. It has the perfect blend of ingredients and spices and the taste is incredible!
Like many, you may be thinking that soy sauce has no business in an authentic Carne Asada recipe. However, it really works in this recipe. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself and then let me know what you think.
If you're in a hurry and don't have time to marinate the meat, try my Mexican carne asada seasoning instead!
🛒 What Goes into This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredient And Substitutions
- Flank or Skirt Steak — The best cuts of beef to use for making Carne Asada are flank and skirt steak. Both cuts of meat come in long strips. Flank steak is usually thicker and a lot leaner. Skirt, on the other hand, has a lot of marbling, which makes it perfect for this recipe.
- Onion & Garlic — If you don't have fresh onion and garlic, add 1 teaspoon of powdered onion and 1 teaspoon of powdered garlic instead.
- Vinegar — I prefer using red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in the marinade, but distilled vinegar may be substituted.
- Citrus – Either lemon juice or lime juice can be used in the marinade. I also like to add some orange juice. Although you can use bottled juice, fresh is always best, if available.
🥩 How to Make Carne Asada Marinade
Step 1: Whisk all the marinade ingredients into a bowl.
Step 2: Add meat and marinade to a large Ziploc bag and seal. Allow the meat to marinate for 4 or more hours, or overnight.
Step 3: Barbecue meat using high heat, until charred on the surface, and cooked to medium-rare or medium. Don't overcook the meat.
Step 4: Remove Carne Asada from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Step 5: Slice the Carne Asada against the grain and serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, and sour cream.
If you're looking for another steak marinade option, be sure to check out this yummy steak marinade recipe from Kita at GirlCarnavore.com
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The two cuts of meat that are most often used to make Carne Asada are flank steak and skirt steak. Of the two, I prefer skirt steak. The two cuts have a lot in common.
First, they are located next to each other on a cow's body. Additionally, both cuts are lean and fibrous. As a result, both flank steak and skirt steak do well being marinated in this Mexican Carne Asada marinade.
Carne Asada is best when cooked using high heat, for a short period of time, or to medium-rare. Finally, the cooked meat should be cut across the grain. Following these steps will ensure the Carne Asada is tender, delicious, and full of flavor!
Carne Asada can be served in so many ways. Let's take a look at some of the possibilities. When served in restaurants, Carne Asada is often served with Mexican Rice and Chipotle Chorizo Beans.
Additionally, if you're doing Keto, or are on a low-carb diet, you can slice the Carne Asada meat and serve it over a salad, or wrap it in a low-carb tortilla with some creamy cilantro lime sauce. Another delicious option would be to serve it diced, over nachos. Or, my favorite option, use it to make Carne Asada Quesadillas!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- The best meat for making Carne Asada, in my opinion, is skirt steak.
- Use approximately ¾ teaspoon of salt, for each pound of meat.
- Marinate the steak for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably, overnight.
- Instead of discarding the leftover marinade, use it to marinate some boneless chicken to make Pollo Asada (Chicken Asada) the following day.
- Serve leftover Carne Asada diced over Instant Pot Mexican Rice!
🌶Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Carne Asada Marinade
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Skirt steak
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 lime or lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoon orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup onion (diced)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 Serrano pepper (diced)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk all the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Add meat and marinade to a large Ziploc bag and seal. Allow the meat to marinate for 4 or more hours, or overnight.
- Barbecue meat using high heat, until charred on the surface, and cooked to medium-rare or medium. Don't overcook the meat.
- Remove Carne Asada from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.
- Slice the Carne Asada against the grain and serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, and sour cream.
Notes
- The best meat for making Carne Asada, in my opinion, is skirt steak.
- Use approximately ¾ teaspoon of salt, for each pound of meat.
- Marinate the steak for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably, overnight.
- Instead of discarding the leftover marinade, use it to marinate some boneless chicken to make Pollo Asada (Chicken Asada) the following day.
- Serve leftover Carne Asada diced over Instant Pot Mexican Rice!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on 5/2/1019 and was updated on 1/8/2021 by adding a few additional images and recipe ingredient notes.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Andrea, Thank you so much for the review! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Andrea R Walker says
Delicious!! I also made this recipe roughly 1 yr ago, however, I used Flat Iron steak, as my local grocer was out of Skirt Steak. And honestly, I do prefer the Flat Iron steak over the Skirt Steak. It has a lot less fat. it either way, this recipe is delicious, and I will continue to make this with Flat Iron steak.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Brian, can't wait to hear what you think!
Brian Manns says
I have it marinating for the day will see
how good it is.. Smells great and I'm very hopeful
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Boo, you can add an equal amount of broth, beer, tequila, or water, but you may need to increase the salt in the recipe. Traditional carne asada does not include soy sauce but it sure gives it a wonderful flavor!
Boo says
Do not like to use soy sauce nor Worcestershire sauce, not even low sodium types. Please, what else can I use in its place, vinegar, apple cider vinegar, wine, orange juice/lime juice ? This recipe looks good except for those ingredients. I keep seeing either or both sauces on Pinterest marinade recipes. Do not like the overly saltiness taste of either, I do not remember Mom nor Granny ever using these sauces, sadly, do not have their recipes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank You
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Allyson, I agree with you, it's one of our family's favs too! Thanks for coming back and reviewing the recipe.