Carne Asada

Tips and secrets to making the best Carne Asada with multiple cuts of meat, but it all starts with a great marinade. This recipe creates juicy and flavorful meat that is perfect for tacos, burritos, nachos and all kinds of Mexican cuisine.

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I have lived in Southern California my entire life and the one thing we know here is good Mexican food.

Honestly, there are just a few places in the United Sates that make really awesome Mexican cuisine and San Diego is absolutely one of them.

Being surrounded by this incredible food my entire life I have learned a thing or two about how to make mouth watering Mexican food.

Something to keep in mind though, the style of Mexican food is subjective to taste preferences, personal opinions and basically what region of Mexico you have been influenced by.

Here in San Diego, my influence is predominately from Baja California or more accurately, North Mexico.

So, if you are looking for To Die For Carne Asada, authentically inspired Mexican cuisine, then you are in the right place.

What exactly is Carne Asada?

In Mexican cuisine Carne Asada is simply marinated beef, usually in some form of a steak and marinated in oil, citrus juices and spices.

Listed below is several of the different types of steaks that can be used for Carne Asada and specific details to help you choose the best cut for you.

Different Cuts of Meat for Carne Asada and Marinating Times

Flap Steak

Seen in the first 3 pictures.

• Coarse Grain
• Tends to be more affordable depending on the butcher and regional location.
• Very popular in Latin American cooking.
• Marinade for 1-5 hours but no longer than 6 hours.
• Cut against the grain with thickness of your choosing.

Flap steak is an amazing cut of meat and my favorite for making Carne Asada. (This cut is also known as Sirloin Tip in New England). Because of its course texture it soaks up marinades extremely well and has rich beef flavor. It also is a very versatile cut of meat in that works well on the grill, cut into cubes for Kabobs or cooked in a crockpot for shredded beef.

Ask anyone in the Hispanic community in Southern California and they will tell you that flap steak is their favorite for Carne Asada. If you want a truly authentic experience, this is the cut to go with.

Flat Iron Steak

• Coarse grain.
• Tends to be midrange in cost.
• Very trendy in the U.S.
• Marinade 2 hours to overnight.
• Slice thinly across the grain.

This is one of the newer cuts that is very trendy in the United States. Flat iron steaks have a rich beefy flavor that are relatively tender and the cuts have a uniform thickness. Something to keep in mind, this cut has different names in different countries.

Sirloin Petite Steak

Seen in the last 2 pictures.

• Average Grain
• Extremely Affordable
• Marinade over night.
• Cut across the grain in average sized slices.

Pictured in the last two photographs on this post, sirloin petite steak is a very lean but not a very tender cut of meat. Also known as tip steak, this cut has great flavor and will work best if marinaded for 24-32 hours.

Top Sirloin Steak

• Average Grain
• Mid range cost.
• One of the most well known cuts of meat that most groceries carry.
• Marinade 6- 8 hours.
• Cut across the grain in average sized slices.

The good news about top sirloin steak is chances are your grocery store will carry this cut. It is wildly popular, probably due to how very lean it is and has very little waste. It has a mild beef flavor and does well with marinading but no longer than 8 hours.

Flank Steak

• Coarse Grain
• Tends to mid range in price.
• Very popular cut of meat in the U.S.
• Marinade for 2-24 hours.
• Cut against the grain in thin slices.

Aside from flap steak, flank steak would be my next favorite for making authentic Carne Asada. This cut tends to be fairly easy to find in most stores. It has an intense beefy flavor and works very well with the Carne Asada marinade due to the meat being a little on the tougher side.

Skirt Steak

• Coarse Grain
• Slightly more costly than top sirloin steak.
• A popular cut for fajitas.
• Marinade for 1- 4 hours.
• Cut against the grain in thin slices.

Skirt steak has a more intense beefy flavor and is tougher than flank steak. In my opinion, this cut works well for Carne Asada if only cooked to no more than medium rare. If you, your family or guests do not enjoy eating meat on the rarer side, then this cut is not for you.

Hanger Steak

• Coarse Grain
• Mid Range Cost
• Marinade for 2 hours- overnight.
• Cut against the grain in thickness of your choosing.

Nicknamed the “Butchers’s Steak”, hanger steak is a very tender cut of beef with a robust beefy flavor. The drawbacks, often you will need to trim the steak of its silver skin and excess fat. Also, grilling it on high heat to no more than medium will yield the highest quality of Carne Asada.

How To Make the Best Mexican Carne Asada Marinade

The purpose of a really good marinade is trifold. It adds flavor, tenderizes the meat and enhances browning. Really excellent flavored Carne Asada meat can be done with a high quality oil, citrus juice, orange zest, garlic, jalapeño, spices, salt and pepper. Some would argue sugar needs to be added, I however do not believe it is necessary for creating the best Carne Asada marinade. How do I know this? Because every time I make Carne Asada it disappears before I can even get a second helping.

Pro Tip: Use the guide above to know length of times for marinading different cuts of meat.

Commonly Asked Questions About Carne Asada

What does cutting against the grain mean?

The grain refers to the long muscle fibers that run through a cut of meat. To cut against the grain means you cut crosswise of the grain. Cutting the meat like this rather than with the grain is one additional step in ensuring a tender cooked meat.

What all can I use Carne Asada meat for?

There are so many options to use this incredibly flavorful meat. The most popular ways would be in burritos, tacos, nachos and a torta (Mexican sandwich). Other options would be with fried eggs for a fine morning breakfast, in a quesadilla, Carne Asada Fries or on a tostada. Two fun healthier options would be in a low carb bowl or on a salad with avocado and Pico de Gallo.

What are the best tips for making Carne Asada for a crowd?

For smaller batches of Carne Asada an indoor skillet works beautifully.

However, if you are cooking 2 lbs or more, using am outdoor grill will be so much easier and less time consuming. Cooking instructions for both are very similar. Here are some of my best tips for feeding Carne Asada to a crowd.

• Shop at least 1-2 days before. Depending on the cut of meat you choose you may need more marinating time.
• Call your butcher ahead of time to make sure they have the cut of meat you want. I live in San Diego where many of these cuts should be easily accessible and even I have challenges finding my preferred cut.
• Plan on going to 2 locations to buy all the ingredients. Connected to the above tip, you may need to go to a butcher shop for the meat and a regular grocery store for the rest of the ingredients.
• Separate the meat into 1- 1 1/2 pound portions into ziplock bags with the appropriate amount of marinade.  Once the bags are full and sealed, line them up in a large roasting pan and then refrigerate  and marinade.
• When grilling work in an assembly like fashion with tables on either side of the grill. Have the uncooked meat on one side and a platter on the other side to hold the cooked meat. Have aluminum foil handy to cover the grilled meat to help keep pesky critters off.
• Last but not least, if you are the cook, make sure you to set some aside for yourself. This meat can go fast.

More To Die for Mexican Food Recipes

Lightened Up Salsa Verde Enchiladas

Simple Healthy Guacamole

Tortilla and Beans

Mango Shrimp Salsa 

Mexican Chicken Avocado Sandwich

California Shrimp Ceviche