This Carne Asada Taco recipe is made with a juicy, flank steak marinated in fresh, vibrant orange juice, lime juice, chilis, garlic, and the perfect blend of seasoning. Grilled to perfection and served on warm tortillas, these tacos are not only good, but they are so easy to make that they will be on repeat all summer long!

Tacos have always had a special place in my heart and stomach. Where I grew up in Texas, we had taco trucks everywhere! As a kid, whenever I would go shopping with my mom, we frequently stopped to get the most delicious street tacos while we were out. Some of my favorite taco truck eats were always the grilled beef tacos and Elote, also known as Mexican street corn. Boy, do I miss those days!

Since it’s grilling season and no BBQ is complete until the tacos show up, here we are… So it goes without saying that tacos are one of my favorite weeknight dinners to make. On the weekends especially in the summer, we grill everything from chicken to ribs and of course skirt steak.

Carne Asada tacos have got to be one of the laziest, yet delicious tacos you’ll ever make. This recipe is as simple as making the marinade, marinating the steak, and grilling. It doesn’t get any more laid back and flavorful than that! I’m confident that you will love this taco recipe. If you are looking for more delicious recipes try my Blackened Fish Tacos, Restaurant Style Salsa, and Queso Blanco recipes.

CARNE ASADA TACO INGREDIENTS

Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Flank steak – about 1 pound, fat trimmed

Chili Peppers – A combination of any of the following: Jalapeno peppers, habaneros, ancho chilis, or serranos.

Brown sugar – can be substituted with granulated sugar

Cumin – whole cumin or ground (I use ground often)

Garlic – finely minced garlic

Cilantro – Fresh cilantro

Oil – I use olive oil, but

Citrus Juice – Freshly squeezed lime and orange juice

Tortillas – corn or flour

HOW TO MAKE CARNE ASADA TACOS

Follow these steps to make this recipe:

Make the marinade – rehydrate the dried chilis in boiling water, then place in a blender or food processor along with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Blend for about 5 minutes or until smooth.
Combine the steak and marinade – Place the skirt steak inside a large ziplock bag or add to the large mixing bowl and pour all the marinade over it, tossing the marinade and steak together coating it well in the marinade.
Refrigerate – Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours up to overnight
Grill – Cook over a heated outdoor grill or on a stove top griddle or grill.
Assemble and enjoy!

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Pulse the marinade. Place the marinade ingredients in a blender and pulse for a couple of minutes for an extra flavorful marinade.
Use whole spices. Whole spices are more aromatic and fresher in flavor,
Adjust the spice. If you are looking to make a mild version of this recipe, omit the peppers and proceed. If you want to amp up the spice level, toss in a few more chili peppers!
Grill. Nothing beats the flavor of meat cooked on an outdoor grill. This is my preferred way to make these tacos, so I highly recommend it. If you do not own an outdoor grill, a cooktop griddle or grill will also work.

Carne Asada Tacos

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Jamie Tryon Course: MainCuisine: Mexican

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Delicious street tacos made from marinated skirt steak

Ingredients

1 lb 1 Skirt Steak
1 1 jalapeno or habanero pepper, seeds removed
1 1 orange, juiced
3 3 limes, juiced (about 6 Tbsp)
5 cloves 5 fresh garlic
1 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
2 2 dried ancho chilies
1/3 cup 1/3 olive oil
2 tsp 2 brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp 1/2 salt
1 tsp 1 black pepper
2 tsp 2 ground cumin
1/2 cup 1/2 cotija cheese, garnish
12 12 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
1/3 cup 1/3 red or white onion, diced

Directions

If using dried chilis, rehydrate in boiling water and cover for 10 minutes or until soft. Remove the stem and the seeds. Dice the chili and place in a blender or food processor.
Add the jalapeno, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin, olive oil, brown sugar and salt. Blend for about 5 minutes, or until smooth, then add black pepper to taste.
Transfer the marinade to a large bowl or place in a large ziplock bag, then add the skirt steak and toss well in the marinade to coat. Seal the ziplock bag or cover the bowl, then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours up to overnight,
When ready to cook the steak, remove it from the refrigerator and cook over a heated outdoor grill or on a stove top griddle or grill.
Slice the cooked steak first against the grain, the cut into pieces.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet on medium-high heat and place in a tortilla warmer or cover to keep warm.
Assemble the tacos by placing down one tortilla, then add the steak, top with the diced onions and cotija cheese. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro

Did you make this recipe?

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Until next time. Keep following and commenting. Join me on Youtube next week where I will be cooking up another recipe and maybe telling a few of my terrible jokes! Yes, that’s right.