Carne Asada with Citrus Marinade
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Authentic Carne Asada is a Mexican dish consisting of grilled and sliced beef. Carne Asada can be made with 5 different cuts of beef. In this carne asada recipe, flank steak is prepared with a delicious citrus marinade. The steak is grilled and added to tortillas for some seriously delicious tacos!
This easy Carne Asada recipe is the perfect way to add flavor to your next Taco Tuesday! Serve the tacos with Creamy Avocado Salsa and Mexican Street Corn to complete the fiesta!
Today’s post is sponsored by my friends at California Beef Council.
Looking for a new way to eat a classic favorite? Try these Citrus Marinated Carne Asada Tacos! I’m sure you’ve had carne asada tacos before, but preparing them in a citrus marinade, made with a combination of orange, grapefruit and lime juice is a whole new way to eat the classic Mexican dish.
Keep the tacos simple, like the street tacos you would get in Mexico, by only adding diced onions and fresh cilantro. Or load them up with all of your favorite toppings like guacamole or avocado, hot sauce, salsa, pico de gallo or queso fresco!
No matter how you top these tacos, I guarantee they’ll be a hit with all of your friends and family! This carne asada recipe is perfect for your next BBQ, but easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner. Simply whip up the marinade, marinate the beef, grill it up, slice it up and serve! It’s that easy to make truly epic carne asada tacos!
How to make the citrus marinade
- Combine 3 different types of citrus. The combination of orange juice, lime juice and grapefruit juice is what gives this marinade it’s distinct flavor. It’s tart, slightly sweet and so flavorful! The acid from the citrus also helps tenderize the proteins in the meat, making the steak both flavorful and tender!
- Add spices! Add traditional carne asada spices like garlic, cilantro, cumin and oregano to give the carne asada it’s authentic taste, with an extra hint of citrus.
- Only marinate for 30-60 minutes! Because the citrus in the marinade is slowly breaking down the proteins in the meat, you only want to marinate steak in a citrus marinade for 30-60 minutes. This is the optimal time for tenderizing the meat, without breaking down the proteins too much and the meat becoming mushy.
How to make carne asada tacos
- Prepare the marinade. Add orange juice, lime juice and grapefruit juice to a large resealable plastic bag. Add minced garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, salt, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes to the bag of citrus juice.
- Marinate the steak. Add a flank steak to the bag of citrus marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- Grill the steak. Preheat a grill over medium high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the steak on the grill and grill for 7-9 minutes per side.
- Slice the steak. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5-10 minutes. Uncover and thinly slice the steak against the grain.
- Serve the tacos. Toss the tortillas on the grill for 30 seconds per side. Fill the tortillas with the carne asada meat and toppings of your choice.
Topping ideas
In Mexico, you’ll typically find carne asada tacos simply topped with diced onions and fresh cilantro. You can go the traditional route and keep the toppings simple, or try adding some of these delicious toppings to your tacos!
- Hot Sauce
- Salsa
- Pico De Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sliced Avocado
- Diced Tomatoes
- Creamy Avocado Salsa
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Queso Fresco
- Sliced Radishes
- Sour Cream
What cut of meat is Carne Asada?
Carne Asada can actually be made with 5 different cuts of beef, all pictured above. These cuts include:
- Skirt Steak
- Flank Steak
- Top Sirloin Steak
- Bottom Round Steak
- Sirloin Flap
- Pre-marinated Skirt Steak for Taco Meat
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.
You can also find pre-marinated skirt steak at most grocery stores to make carne asada, but of course I recommend picking up a flank steak and trying out this citrus marinade!
More beef taco recipes
Looking for more tasty taco ideas? Try these 5 easy beef taco recipes!
- Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
- Cajun Steak Tacos
- Slow Cooker Smoked Chipotle Brisket Tacos
- Sloppy Joe Tacos
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Sriracha Shredded Beef Tacos
And be sure to visit CalBeef.org for even more delicious beef taco recipes!
Carne Asada with Citrus Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 lb flank steak
- 12 flour tortillas, taco size
Instructions
- In a large plastic bag, combine the lime juice, grapefruit juice and orange juice.
- Add the garlic, cilantro, salt, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Place the flank steak in the marinade.
- Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the steak on the grill, grill for 7-9 minutes per side.
- Remove from the grill and rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil, for 5-10 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife or electric knife to thinly slice the carne asada against the grain.
- Heat the tortillas on the grill for 30 seconds per side.
- Serve the carne asada in the tortillas with your choice of toppings.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free: to make these tacos gluten free, serve them on corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
Nutrition Facts
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