The next time you're craving a San Diego taco shop-style carne asada quesadilla, mix up a jar of this Mexican carne asada seasoning. It's the dry rub I use for authentic taqueria-style carne asada, and the steak comes out full of flavor whether you grill it, smoke it, or sear it in a skillet.
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When you're from San Diego, you know what good Mexican food should taste like. Spend some time on my blog, and you'll find recipes for smoked carne asada, California burritos, and this carne asada fries recipe.
All you need is this seasoning, a lime, and a flank or skirt steak. If you'd rather use a wet marinade, check out my very popular carne asada marinade recipe! It has a perfect blend of spices, along with orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and soy sauce. Yes, that's not a typo, soy sauce! I know that doesn't sound like a Mexican ingredient, but trust me, it works!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sea salt: I prefer sea salt, but you can use whatever salt you prefer.
- Black pepper: Coarse, fine, or white pepper can be used.
- Onion powder: Besides onion powder, you can use dried minced onion.
- Garlic powder: Make sure you don't accidentally use garlic salt!
- Chili powder: Your favorite chili powder can be used. If you have to, you can substitute smoked paprika.
- Tajín Clásico: Tajín Clásico is a delicious Mexican spice mix used in Mexican cooking. It has an outstanding chile-lime flavor!
- Cumin powder: If you don't have ground cumin, you can grind toasted cumin seeds. You can also substitute with ground coriander.
- Chipotle pepper: Chipotle pepper will add some smoky heat to the seasoning. If you want a mild flavor, you can substitute smoked paprika or just leave it out.
- Cayenne pepper: Again, the cayenne can be left out, or you can use less if you are concerned about the heat.
- Mexican oregano: If you don't have Mexican oregano, plain dried oregano is fine!
How to Make Carne Asada Seasoning
Step 1: Measure out the carne asada spices according to the recipe card. If you are sensitive to heat, either leave out the chipotle and cayenne pepper or reduce the amount.
Step 2: Mix the seasoning ingredients until combined.
Step 3: Pour the seasoning mix into a spice jar and store it in a cool, dry location. It keeps for up to 6 months.
If you enjoy making your own spice mixes, check out this easy homemade chicken taco seasoning!
How To Make Authentic Carne Asada
Squeeze some lime juice on both sides of your thawed flank steak. Another cut you can use is skirt steak. Sprinkle carne asada seasoning generously on both sides of the beef. If you have time, refrigerate for up to two hours or until you're ready to grill the carne asada.
Carne Asada Grilling Instructions
To cook the carne asada on an outdoor grill, cook the meat over medium-high heat until charred on the surface but still pink, tender, and juicy in the center. Serve in steak-sized portions or slice into medallions. Another option is to dice the meat into small pieces to serve it in tortillas as carne asada tacos!
To smoke carne asada, follow my smoked Traeger carne asada recipe instructions.
Stovetop Carne Asada Instructions
An even easier way to cook the seasoned carne asada (especially if you will be adding it to tacos or burritos) is to dice the meat first, toss it with the seasoning, then quickly sear it in a hot, oiled cast-iron skillet. Move the meat around in the pan until charred and cooked to medium-rare or to your preference. This is how I make carne asada taco meat on a busy weeknight.
What to Serve With Carne Asada
Carne asada can be served in so many ways! Whether you serve it in steak-sized portions, slice it into fajitas, or dice it into tacos, you can't go wrong pairing it with some delicious sides. Serve it with Mexican rice, chunky or creamy guacamole, and salsa ranchera. You can also add some Mexican pickled carrots, fresh pico de gallo, or elote in a cup (Mexican street corn) for a flavorful, satisfying meal.
What our readers are saying...
Excellent mix. I like the purity of the ingredients.
-A.I.R
Recipe FAQs
What is carne asada seasoning made of?
Carne asada seasoning is usually a mix of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. My version also adds Tajín for a little chile-lime flavor, plus chipotle and cayenne for heat.
What does carne asada seasoning taste like?
It's salty, savory, and a little smoky with some heat. The Tajín adds a light chile-lime tang, and the lime juice you squeeze on the steak brings the rest of the citrus flavor.
Is carne asada seasoning the same as taco seasoning?
No. Taco seasoning is made for ground beef that simmers in a little water, so it leans heavier on chili powder and cumin. Carne asada seasoning is a dry rub for steak that goes on before grilling, with more salt and pepper so it seasons the meat on its own.
What is the difference between carne asada and carne asado?
Carne asada translates to "grilled meat" in Spanish and typically refers to grilled beef. You may occasionally see it written as carne asado, but carne is a feminine noun in Spanish, so asada is the grammatically correct form. On its own, asado refers to a barbecue or cookout, particularly in Argentina, where it's also the name of a traditional style of grilling meat.
Pro Tips
- Store leftover carne asada meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store in the freezer for longer storage.
- Don't marinate the steak in lime juice for longer than a few hours. The acid in the lime juice will begin to break down the meat more than you'd want.
- If you want to keep it really simple, serve the carne asada as a steak with fresh avocados, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Store the seasoning in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. If you make a larger batch, you can freeze some of it to retain its freshness.
If you enjoy making your own spice mixes, be sure to try my corned beef seasoning, shawarma spice, everything but the bagel seasoning, and bezar.
More Spice Recipes
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure out the carne asada spices according to the recipe card. If you are sensitive to heat, either leave out the chipotle and cayenne pepper or reduce the amount.
- Mix the seasoning ingredients until combined. Pour the seasoning mix into a spice jar and store it in a cool, dry place.
- Squeeze lime juice on both sides of the flank steak, then season generously with the carne asada seasoning. Allow to marinate for up to 2 hours, if possible, before grilling the carne asada.
Nutrition
Notes
- Store leftover carne asada meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store in the freezer for longer storage.
- Don't marinate the steak in lime juice longer than a few hours. The acid in the lime juice will begin to break down the meat more than you'd want.
- If you want to keep it really simple, serve the carne asada as a steak with fresh avocados, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Store the seasoning in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. If you make a larger batch, you can freeze some of it to retain its freshness.
tina says
clutch! i wanted to make tacos ina pinch and it is a MUST to have authenticity when i make the seasoning 🙂
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Tina, enjoy!
da says
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you!
Bill says
prettyy good recipee. Tajin sets it apart. I mde botom round beef jerky with this. Spice combo is spot on.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Bill! I appreciate the review!
A.I.R. says
Excellent mix. i like the purity of the ingredients.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you!
Tina says
Why are the carb counts so high?
Hilda Sterner says
The nutrition facts are for the entire jar, not for one serving. Just to make sure, I tried calculating the nutrition facts with a different app and got the same results. I hope that answers your question.