Carne asada tacos made with marinated skirt steak which are ready to devour in just 30 minutes. We used one of these 5 steak marinade recipes to tenderize and richly flavor the meat in 20 minutes and then cooked the skirt steak in up to 6 minutes. The result was the best skirt steak tacos that one could ever ask for (well-seared outside and tender inside)!
Tacos are a staple in Texas! We have them for breakfast, as a lunch-on-the-go, and of course, a quick and easy yet filling dinner. They are as bold in flavor as any Mexican street tacos.
One of my favorites are skirt steak tacos, also known as carne asada tacos.
They are budget-friendly, easy to prepare, and super-flavorful.
The only problem you may encounter is trying to keep yourself from scarfing down several of them all at once.
What Is Carne Asada?
The literal translation for the Spanish term carne asada is roasted beef (‘carne’ means beef and ‘asada’ means roasted). But in Mexico and some South American countries, the authentic carne asada recipe requires the meat to be grilled on a charcoal grill instead of roasted in the oven.
Brazil is an exception. Carne assada (with double ‘s’ in Portuguese) refers, in fact, to roasted beef. The meat is usually cooked in the oven instead of on a grill. If cooked either on the stovetop or grill, other terms are added such as ‘carne assada na panela’ (stovetop carne asada) or ‘carne assada na grelha’ (grilled carne asada, a term which is more typical when making Brazilian churrasco). It is one of the traditional Brazilian foods.
Although Mexican carne asada most often calls for skirt steak or flank steak, you may also use sirloin steak, tenderloin steak, or rib steak.
The meat can be marinated or simply seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking. It develops a gently charred and crispy exterior and a tender interior. Then it is sliced against the grain and used as the main ingredient for tacos, tortas (sandwiches), quesadillas, sopes (an appetizer), nachos, gorditas, burritos, and alambres (a protein-loaded main dish).
Ingredients and Substitutions
Our carne asada tacos recipe, also known in Spanish as tacos de asada, calls for 5 ingredients:
- Skirt Steak: this is one of our favorite meats because it is low cost and cooks in up to 6 minutes, either on the stovetop or on a charcoal grill. But you may use flank steak if desired, although it is not the same cut.
- Taco seasoning: Although I buy mine ready-made, you can make your own at home by mixing together 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, garlic powder, and paprika, plus ½ tsp of onion powder, ¼ tsp each of salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Olive oil: It has a great flavor but you can use any neutral flavor vegetable oil.
- Lime juice: This is a staple in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines, but use lemon juice if it is what you have at home.
- Tortillas: I used flour tortillas because they can be kept for longer in the pantry without drying out. But either white or yellow corn tortillas are also great options. To make this recipe keto, use low carb tortillas.
As for garnishes or extra serving items, pico de gallo, chimichurri sauce, sour cream or Mexican crema, queso fresco, avocado slices, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and Mexican pickled red onions make some of the best toppings for these tacos. Choose whatever you like!
Skirt Steak Taco Marinade
The marinade is easy to prepare, requiring only 3 ingredients: taco seasoning, olive oil, and lime juice. Yet it’s jam-packed with flavor! You’ll need to marinate the steak for 20 minutes maximum– otherwise you’ll risk losing that savory meat flavor.
Just mix all the 3 ingredients together in a large sealable plastic bag, toss the meat in, squeeze the bag to remove as much as possible, seal it, and let the steak rest at room temp for 20 minutes.
Because this is a quick marinade, there is no need to refrigerate it. In fact, after resting for 20 minutes outside the fridge the steak will cook more evenly.
Best Meats for Carne Asada
Traditional Mexican carne asada calls for skirt steak or flank steak. But you may use sirloin steak, tenderloin steak, or rib steak instead.
I personally prefer skirt steak because it is tastier and more tender than flank steak yet inexpensive when compared with the other cuts mentioned above. Skirt steak contains more marbling (streaks of fat) than flank steak (a leaner cut) which makes the meat more tender, taking less time to marinate.
But all the meats mentioned above can be grilled in a short time.
Carne Asada Seasoning Recipe
Our easy carne asada tacos call for store-bought taco seasoning. It seasons the meat in a marinade instead of being simply applied directly on top of the skirt steak.
To make homemade taco seasoning, mix together the following:
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, garlic powder, and
- ½ tsp of onion powder
- ¼ tsp each of salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
In Mexico it is quite common to have the carne asada seasoned with salt, or salt and pepper.
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos (Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos)
- Place skirt steak on a cutting board, remove the top fat and silver skin, cover with a plastic sheet, and pound the meat with a kitchen hammer on both sides until it is about ¼-inch thick. Slice the steak into 3-4 pieces to fit in into the pan where it will cook. SEE PIC. 2
- Then, mix taco seasoning, olive oil, and lime juice in a sealable plastic bag and place the steak inside. Shake to combine! SEE PIC. 1
- Next, squeeze the bag to remove as much air as possible, seal, and let the steak marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes maximum. If you marinate longer, the meat flavors may get lost.
- Remove the steak from the bag and dab to remove excess moisture from the marinade. This is so the steak can properly sear and get a nice brown crust.
- Cook the skirt steak either on a charcoal grill (preferred) or in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle. Because of the weather, I cooked mine indoors! For that, heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for about 3-5 minutes or until super hot and add the oil. It will shimmer! Place the steak(s) flat (do not overcrowd the pan), lower the heat to medium-high, and cook the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until medium-rare (internal temp: 130 – 135°F or 54-57°C). SEE PiC. 3
- Transfer the steak(s) to a plate and tent with foil. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes and squeeze the juice of a lime on top.
- Cut into thin slices against the grain. Assemble your carne asada tacos and enjoy them with your favorite garnishes. SEE PIC. 4
Storage
Store skirt steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Other Beef Recipes to Try
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Carne asada tacos with marinated skirt steak
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- knife
- cutting board
- Plastic bag
Ingredients
- 1 lb skirt steak
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 oz taco seasoning 1 bag (see recipe in the notes)
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 8 tortillas medium-size (flour tortillas, or yellow or white corn tortillas, or low carb tortillas like the ones I used)
- Garnishes of choice such as red pickled onions, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream, lime wedges, chimichurri sauce, and pico de gallo.
Instructions
- Place skirt steak on a cutting board, remove the top fat and silver skin, cover with a plastic sheet, and pound the meat with a kitchen hammer on both sides until it is about ¼-inch thick. Slice the steak into 3-4 pieces to fit in into the pan where it will cook.
- Then, mix taco seasoning, olive oil, and lime juice in a sealable plastic bag and place the steak inside. Shake to combine!
- Next, squeeze the bag to remove as much air as possible, seal, and let the steak marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes maximum. If you marinate longer, the meat flavors may get lost.
- Remove the steak from the bag and dab to remove excess moisture from the marinade. This is so the steak can properly sear and get a nice brown crust.
- Cook the skirt steak either on a charcoal grill (preferred) or in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle. Because of the weather, I cooked mine indoors! To do this, heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for about 3-5 minutes or until super hot and then add the oil. It will shimmer! Place the steak(s) flat (do not overcrowd the pan), lower the heat to medium-high, and cook the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until medium-rare (internal temp: 130 – 135°F or 54-57°C).
- Transfer the steak(s) to a plate and tent with foil. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes and squeeze the juice of a lime on top.
- Cut into thin slices against the grain. Assemble your carne asada tacos and enjoy them with your favorite garnishes.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, garlic powder, and
- ½ tsp of onion powder
- ¼ tsp each of salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
2pots2cook says
Love everything tasty made under 40 minutes. Perfect week dinner. Thank you so much, dear Denise !
Denise Browning says
Thank you! These carne asada tacos have very tender skirt steak as the main ingredient and easy accompaniments such as our pickled red onions. Indeed, quite quick and easy to put together for a family dinner.
Raymund says
Cant resist a good carne asada like that