Mexican Carne Asada Seasoning

Name: Carne Asada Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp sea salt; 1 Tbsp chili powder; 1 Tbsp Mexican oregano; 2 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp Tajin Classico; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chipotle pepper; ½ tsp cayenne pepper

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The next time you are in the mood of some good carne asada, use this Mexican carne asada seasoning recipe to make authentic taqueria-style carne asada with incredible flavor! The seasoned carne asada comes out perfect no matter how you cook it, just don't boil it!

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, carne asada marinade, carne asada fries, and California burritos with diced carne asada and fries!

If you want to make amazing authentic carne asada, this Mexican carne asada seasoning is all you need. Well, that and a lime and some flank steak. The seasoned carne asada can be grilled, smoked, or cooked in a skillet!

If you're looking for a wet marinade, make sure to 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!

🧐 Why This Recipe Works

My carne asada seasoning is super easy to make!
You will need common spices that you most likely already have in your pantry.
The seasoning can be prepared ahead of time and stored in a jar for anytime you feel like having carne or pollo (chicken) asada with literally no wait time!

🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

Here's what you'll need to make this carne asada seasoning recipe:

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.
Tajin Classico: Tajin Classico 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 spice 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.
Herbs: 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 in a cool, dry location.

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 meat tacos!

To smoke carne asada, follow my smoked Traeger carne asada recipe instructions.

Stove top 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 diced the meat first, then quickly sear 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.

🍽 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 with the following sides!

🤷🏻‍♀️ FAQs

What is carne asada seasoning made of?

Most carne asada seasoning contains salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Sometimes other spices are also added including onion powder and citric acid.

What does carne asada seasoning taste like?

Carne asada seasoning is salty, tangy, spicy, and citrusy.

What is the difference between carne asada and carne asado?

Both carne asada and carne asado are Spanish terms used to describe seasoned barbecued steak. In Spanish, "carne" means "meat" and "asada" (or asado) describe the method in which the meat is cooked, in this case "roasted or grilled."

👩🏼‍🍳 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 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.
If you make a larger batch of this carne asada seasoning recipe you can freeze some of it to retain its freshness.

carne asada seasoning in a spoon over a jar on a red plate

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Mexican Carne Asada Seasoning

🧐 Why This Recipe Works

🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions