Description
Delicious and easy carne asada tacos featuring tender marinated flank or skirt steak, grilled to perfection and served with fresh onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime wedges on warm corn tortillas.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Marinade
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 orange (about 1/4 cup)
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for grilling)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more for grilling)
Main
- 2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak, excess fat removed
- 16 corn tortillas, warmed (or flour tortillas)
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- Lime wedges, for serving
Optional Toppings
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a bowl, combine the minced jalapeño, garlic, chopped cilantro, olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, white wine vinegar, chili powder, kosher salt, ground cumin, dried oregano, ancho chili powder, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to blend all flavors.
- Marinate the steak: Place the flank or skirt steak in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure the meat is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat.
- Preheat the grill: Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly season the steak with additional kosher salt and black pepper.
- Grill the steak: Grill the steak for about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness and desired doneness, until nicely charred and cooked to medium rare or medium. Remove from the grill and let the steak rest for 10 minutes to retain juices.
- Warm the tortillas: While the steak rests, warm the corn tortillas on the grill or in a hot skillet until pliable and slightly browned, about 30 seconds per side.
- Slice the steak: Thinly slice the rested steak against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Assemble the tacos: Place sliced steak onto each warm tortilla. Top with finely diced onion, chopped cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges and optional toppings such as avocado slices, sour cream, or salsa for extra flavor.
Notes
- For best results, marinate the steak overnight to enhance flavor and tenderness.
- Use skirt steak or flank steak as they are flavorful and perfect for grilling.
- Warm tortillas just before serving to keep them soft and easy to fold.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain to ensure tender bites.
- Optional toppings like avocado, sour cream, and salsa can add additional texture and taste variations.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak in a hot cast-iron skillet or broil it in the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 337 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 584 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
