Carne Asada Fries
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Carne Asada Fries are a delicious Mexican dish, that originated at taco shops in San Diego. They’re made with crispy fries, topped with flavorful grilled steak and melty cheese. The fries are finished off with a scoop of guacamole and sour cream, to create the perfect pairing for taco night, or a tasty appetizer recipe for your next party or game day!
Most college kids eat late night pizza or fast food, but if you went to college in San Diego, you ate at taco shops. After moving to San Diego at 18, I was quickly introduced to a staple in every neighborhood, the taco shop. Nothing fancy, just a little stand, serving up California burritos, carne asada fries, and rolled tacos.
Coming from Oklahoma, where Tex-Mex was more the name of the game, this was all new to me. But a plate of fries, smothered in steak, cheese, and guacamole, I mean, what could be wrong with that?
Now having lived in San Diego for over 20 years, I can say that I’ve eaten at dozens of taco shops and enjoyed my fair share of lunchtime carne asada fries, late-night carne asada fries, and carne asada fries for dinner.
After perfecting my carne asada recipe a few years ago, I knew that I had to make these magical San Diego fries and share them with everyone across the world! For my recipe, I made homemade french fries in the air fryer, but you can also use frozen fries. The real secret to these fries is in the flavorful carne asada, plenty of melty cheese, and fresh guacamole on top!
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes – these are the best potatoes for making french fries. You can peel the potatoes or leave the skin on, totally your call. I like to leave the skin on because it reminds me of the taste and texture of restaurant-style fries. When selecting the potatoes, I recommend trying to find medium-size potatoes that are all approximately the same length. This will help when cutting the potatoes into fries, so that the fries are all about the same size and will cook at the same time. If you want to use frozen fries, you can also do that. You’ll need one pound (16 ounces) of frozen fries for this recipe.
- Olive oil – you’ll want to toss the fries, fresh or frozen, in oil before cooking them in an air fryer or oven. You can use another vegetable oil, if you prefer canola oil or avocado oil.
- Taco seasoning – to season the fries before cooking them. This is optional but adds more flavor than just salting the fries. Click the link for my easy homemade seasoning mix of ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and more basic spices.
- Carne asada – for this recipe, I recommend using a flank steak or skirt steak. Rub the steak with olive oil, then season it with carne asada seasoning and grill the steak. If you have a little extra time, you can marinate the meat in my famous carne asada marinade, with lime juice, orange juice, and soy sauce. Click the link for the seasoning above and it will take you to the recipe for the marinade.
- Cheddar cheese + Monterey jack cheese – I always recommend grating the cheese at home, instead of buying pre-shredded cheese at the grocery store. The bags of shredded cheese contain anti-caking additives, which means the cheese won’t melt nearly as well as freshly grated cheese. This cheese grater is my favorite! It grates cheese so quickly and easily, and it’s only $12.
- Guacamole + sour cream (optional) – while you can make the carne asada fries without adding these dips as toppings, I wouldn’t recommend it. Honestly, my favorite part of carne asada fries is getting the perfect fry, topped with cheese, steak, guac and sour cream. It really is the perfect bite!
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll want to start this recipe by preparing the guacamole and carne asada. Click the link for my guacamole recipe. You can mix it up in 10 minutes, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to top the fries.
Prepare the carne asada.
- Season the steak. Coat a skirt steak, or flank steak, with olive oil. Season the steak on all sides with carne asada seasoning.
- Grill the steak. Preheat a grill over high heat. Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F for a medium-rare steak. A skirt steak will cook faster than a flank steak. If using a skirt steak, plan for 3-4 minutes per side. If using a flank steak, plan for 5 minutes per side. Remove the steak from the grill, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest while you cook the fries.
If you have time, you can marinate the steak for up to 8 hours before grilling, instead of simply seasoning and grilling the steak. Follow the blog post for carne asada seasoning for the marinade recipe.
Prepare the fries. If you’re making fresh fries in the oven or air fryer, follow the instructions below. If using frozen fries, toss the fries in olive oil and taco seasoning, then cook them according to the package instructions.
- Slice the potatoes into french fries. I recommend starting by slicing each potato in half lengthwise. Depending on the thickness of the potatoes, you can then slice each half lengthwise again through the middle, or slice each half into 3 sections. Then proceed to slice each section into 1/4″ fries. Repeat until all of the potatoes have been sliced into fries.
- Soak the fries (optional). If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step. But if you plan ahead a little bit, this step will help you achieve the crispiest fries. Simply submerge the sliced fries in a large bowl, or casserole dish, filled with salt water. Let them soak for 1 hour. After the soaking time, remove the sliced potatoes from the water and pat them completely dry with paper towels before seasoning and cooking the fries.
- Oil and season the fries. Toss the fries with olive oil, or spray them with cooking spray until they’re covered. Sprinkle taco seasoning, or salt, over the fries and toss until they’re fully coated.
- Air fry the french fries. Place the fries in a single layer in an air fryer basket, with enough space around each french fry for the air to move around it. Cook for 8 minutes at 380°F. Flip and continue cooking for an additional 8 minutes. You may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
To make the fries in the oven, preheat the oven to 425°F (use the convection setting, if you have it). Follow steps 1-3 above, then place the seasoned fries in an even layer on a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. You don’t need to flip the fries if you cook them on a wire rack. If cooking them directly on a baking sheet, you will need to flip the fries halfway through the cooking time.
Assemble and cook the carne asada fries.
- Preheat the broiler in the oven to high heat. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Add the cooked fries to a large cast iron skillet or a rimmed baking sheet. I like to use a cast iron skillet because it maintains it’s heat and will keep the fries warmer longer than on a baking sheet.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin strips, then dice it into small pieces and place it on top of the fries.
- Cover the fries and steak with shredded cheese. Place the fries in the oven on the middle rack for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from the oven and add the toppings of your choice, like a scoop of guacamole and sour cream.
Ways to top the fries
Most taco shops in San Diego will only top the fries with guacamole and sour cream, but this is your carne asada fry party and you can do what you want!
Without skirting too far from the traditional fries, I added pico de gallo, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Most taco shops will give you a selection of salsas and hot sauce to add to the fries if you want.
This 10 minute homemade salsa would be a delicious addition to top these fries, or a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce. Basically any topping that you like on nachos, you’ll probably like on these fries!
Recipe tips
- You can make the carne asada ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator whole (without dicing it up) after it’s cooled, in an airtight container. You can do this up to 2 days in advance. When you’re ready to make the fries, remove the steak from the fridge before cooking the fries. Just before topping the fries, dice up the steak and add it on top of the fries. It will heat up in the oven while melting the cheese.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak on the stovetop instead. Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if you have one 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, or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from the skillet and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dicing.
- These fries are best eaten hot and I do not recommend reheating leftovers. You can always make a half batch of the fries. Next to the word “scale” in the recipe card below, click the ½ button and the ingredient amounts will automatically update to cut the recipe in half.
More Mexican recipes
If you love these carne asada fries, I guarantee that you’ll love the other 175+ Mexican recipes on the blog. Let’s start with these fan favorites, then work our way through the rest!
Carne Asada Fries
Ingredients
Carne asada
- ½ pound skirt steak, or flank steak
- ½ tablespoon olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon carne asada seasoning, click link for the recipe (or use steak seasoning or taco seasoning)
Fries
- 1 pound russet potatoes, or frozen fries
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning, or 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- ½ cup guacamole, click the link for my homemade recipe
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
Make carne asada.
- Rub the skirt steak with olive oil, then cover on all sides with the carne asada seasoning. If you have more time, you can marinate the steak for up to 8 hours, using the carne asada marinade recipe in this post.
- Preheat a grill over high heat.
- Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F for a medium-rare steak. A skirt steak will cook faster than a flank steak. If using a skirt steak, plan for 3-4 minutes per side. If using a flank steak, plan for 5 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the grill, cover loosely with foil and let the steak rest while cooking the fries.
Prep the fries. (Skip this step if using frozen fries.)
- Slice the potatoes into ¼ inch french fries.
- Optional: soak the cut potatoes in a large bowl of cold salt water for 1 hour, for extra crispy fries. Remove the potatoes from the water and completely pat dry with paper towels.
Air fry the fries (or cook them in the oven).
- Toss the sliced potatoes (or frozen french fries) in olive oil, then toss with taco seasoning.
- Place in a single layer, with the fries not touching, in an air fryer basket. Air fry at 380°F for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cook in multiple batches, if needed.
- Or cook the fries in the oven.
- Evenly spread the seasoned fries out a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes. Remove from the oven when lightly browned and crispy.
Assemble the carne asada fries.
- Preheat the broiler in the oven on high and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Arrange the fries in an even layer in an oven-safe skillet, or on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin strips, then dice it into small pieces and place it on top of the fries. Cover the fries and steak with the shredded cheeses.
- Place the fries on the middle rack of the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Remove from the oven, top with the guacamole and sour cream. Add any other optional toppings of your choice and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make the carne asada ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator whole (without dicing it up) after it’s cooled, in an airtight container. You can do this up to 2 days in advance. When you’re ready to make the fries, remove the steak from the fridge before cooking the fries. Just before topping the fries, dice up the steak and add it on top of the fries. It will heat up in the oven while melting the cheese.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak on the stovetop instead. Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if you have one 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, or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from the skillet and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dicing.
Nutrition Facts
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One Comment on “Carne Asada Fries”
Fantastic. Sooo good