Carne Asada Seasoning
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Mix up this easy and authentic Carne Asada Seasoning recipe in just 5 minutes to use as a dry rub, or to create a perfect marinade for grilled steak. Make carne asada tacos, burritos, nachos, fries, or bowls with your perfectly seasoned steak, and enjoy a tasty Mexican meal!
Table of contents
Carne asada, translated in English means “grilled meat”, but usually refers to beef. Where pollo asada refers to grilled chicken. Living in San Diego, we eat a lot of carne asada! Whether we’re grilling the beef for tacos, burritos, or nachos, it’s a staple in our house.
After making carne asada for years, I’ve perfected my seasoning and marinade for the meat. A delicious combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, cilantro, salt, garlic and onion powder, adds so much flavor to the steak for a taste of Mexico in your kitchen.
You can mix up this spice blend and use it as a dry rub right before grilling the steak. You can also combine it with olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice and orange juice to make an amazing marinade for the steak. Both methods will add wonderful flavor to the steak. If you’re in a hurry, the dry rub is a quick way to add flavor to the steak. If you have a little more time, let the steak marinate for a more tender end result.
To give your carne asada seasoning a smoky flavor, swap out the chili powder for chipotle powder. This is a frequent swap at our house. If you like things on the spicy side, add some cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix and spice up your carne asada!
Ingredients
For the full ingredient amounts, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chili powder – be sure to use chili powder, NOT chile powder! Chili powder is a blend of ground dried chili peppers with other spices. Chile powder is straight blended dried chiles and is much spicier than chili powder. If you want to make a smoky carne asada seasoning, swap in chipotle pepper powder for the chili powder.
- Ground cumin – cumin pairs perfectly with the chili powder in this carne asada seasoning. It boosts the natural spicy flavor of the dried chili powder, and it adds a rich, earthy, and nutty element to the spice blend.
- Dried cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can use dried Mexican oregano instead, or simply omit the cilantro from the spice mix.
- Paprika – while I use traditional paprika to make this homemade seasoning, if you’d like to add smokiness to the flavor, feel free to use smoked paprika instead.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
- Sea salt (or kosher salt) – both sea salt and kosher salt can be used interchangeably when cooking. I prefer either kosher or sea salt, over table salt, in this seasoning mix because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Easy as that, in 5 minutes or less, you have a flavorful carne asada seasoning, ready to spice up all your favorite carne asada recipes!
Recipe tips
- This recipe makes 12 tablespoons of seasoning mix. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to accommodate the new serving size.
- I recommend using 1 ½ tablespoons of seasoning per pound of steak for either a dry rub or marinade.
- The carne asada seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container in the pantry, for up to 6 months. After that the spice blend will not “go bad” but as spices sit longer, they begin to lose their flavor.
- I recommend storing the seasoning mix in an 8 ounce mason jar. If doubling the recipe, use a pint size or 16 ounce mason jar. I recommend labeling the carne asada seasoning with a date and using the seasoning mix within 6 months.
- To make a spicy carne asada seasoning, add 1-3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend. For a medium spice level, add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. To make it hot, use 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper.
- To make a smoky carne asada seasoning, replace the chili powder with chipotle pepper powder. And replace the traditional paprika with smoked paprika.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
How to use it as a dry rub
If you don’t have time to make a carne asada marinade, use this seasoning mix as a dry rub before grilling the steak.
To do this, rub 2 pounds of skirt or flank steak with 1 tablespoon olive oil on all sides. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of carne asada seasoning evenly on all sides of the steak and rub it in until it’s fully covered.
Preheat a grill to high heat, cook the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F for a medium-rare steak. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
During this time the internal temperature of the steak will rise between 5-10 degrees. The juices in the steak will also redistribute throughout the steak, giving you a more tender and juicy piece of meat.
After the meat has rested, slice the steak against the grain, or dice it up, and add it to tacos, burritos, or nachos.
How to make carne asada marinade
If you have at least 30 minutes, I recommend marinating the steak before grilling it.
To make carne asada marinade, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice and ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice with 3 tablespoons carne asada seasoning. Add up to 2 pounds of flank steak or skirt steak to the marinade in a bag and make sure the steak is fully coated in the marinade.
Marinate the steak for at 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. After marinating the steak, use tongs to remove it from the bag of marinade and add it to a hot grill. Discard any remaining marinade in the bag. Grill the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F.
Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time the internal temperature of the steak will rise between 5-10 degrees. The juices in the steak will also redistribute throughout the steak, giving you a more tender and juicy piece of meat.
After the meat has rested, slice the steak against the grain, or dice it up, and add it to tacos, burritos, or nachos.
What cut of meat to use for carne asada
Carne Asada can actually be made with 5 different cuts of beef. These cuts include:
- Skirt Steak
- Flank Steak
- Top Sirloin Steak
- Bottom Round Steak
- Sirloin Flap
While skirt steak and flank steak are the most common cuts of beef for carne asada, sirloin flap meat, top sirloin steaks and bottom round steaks are also great cuts for making carne asada.
How to make carne asada without a grill
If you don’t have a grill, you can use your stovetop or oven to cook the meat instead.
On the stovetop – use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if available. If not, use the heaviest bottom, largest skillet you have. Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carne asada and cook for 4-5 minutes per side.
In the oven – turn the broiler on to high. Place the steak on a large foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler, on the middle rack of the oven, for 4 minutes per side. If using this method, be sure to keep an eye on the steak while it’s cooking as oven broilers can vary in temperature and you don’t want the steak to burn.
Ways to use carne asada
This delicious Mexican grilled beef can be used in so many different ways. You can eat it a different way every day of the week! Try any of these tasty carne asada recipes.
- Carne Asada Bowls (pictured above)
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Steak Quesadilla
- Carne Asada Fries
- Beef Taquitos
- Burritos – add diced carne asada steak to a large flour tortilla with cooked cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice, black beans, fajita veggies and cheese.
- Nachos – spread tortilla chips in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Top with diced carne asada and shredded cheese. Pepper jack, monterey jack, or cheddar cheese will all work. Turn the oven broiler on to high. Place the nachos on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Add your favorite nacho toppings, like guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and sliced jalapenos.
More homemade seasonings
Stock your pantry with all of these homemade seasoning recipes to add flavor to every meal!
Carne Asada Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder, or chipotle pepper powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried cilantro, or Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Notes
- This recipe makes 12 tablespoons of seasoning mix. I recommend using 1 ½ tablespoons of seasoning per pound of steak for either a dry rub or marinade.
- To use it as a dry rub, rub a 2 pound skirt steak with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons carne asada seasoning. Grill over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
- To make a marinade, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice and ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice with 3 tablespoons carne asada seasoning. Marinate up to 2 pounds of steak for anywhere between 30 minutes and 8 hours. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
- To make a smoky seasoning, replace the chili powder with chipotle pepper powder, and replace the paprika with smoked paprika.
- To make a spicy seasoning, add 1-3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
Nutrition Facts
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