Carne Asada

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican / TexMex

Keyword: grilled Mexican meat recipe, how to make carne asada

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Chill time in the marinade: 8

Total Time: 8 25

Servings:

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Carne Asada is an incredibly flavorful and juicy cut of beef grilled to perfection. Similar to steak fajitas but without all the fixings. We go with flap steak which can be found in the meat department of many well-stocked supermarkets or at your local meat market.

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Equipment

Grill, charcoal, gas, or electric

Ingredients

For the Chili Sauce

16 guajillo chiles Stemmed and seeds removed (as many as possible)
16 arbol chilis Stemmed and seeds removed (as many as possible)
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 cube chicken bouillon
water for boiling

For the Carne Asada

1 lb flap steak or skirt or ribeye (sliced thinly)
½ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp chili sauce
½ onion cut into slices
1 clove garlic minced
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
8 flour tortillas warmed
chimichurri sauce optional
pico de gallo optional
finishing salt such as Maldon's, for finishing

Instructions

Make the Chili Sauce

Bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Carefully add the seeded peppers and cook for 15 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the softened peppers and a cup of the chili broth to a blender. To the blender, add the garlic, salt, and bouillon cube. Puré until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and set aside.

Make the Carne Asada

In a medium-sized bowl, add the soy sauce, vegetable oil, chili sauce, onion, garlic, pineapple juice, and salt. Mix to combine.
Place the meat in a large plastic baggie. Pour the marinade mixture over the meat. Use your fingers to carefully remove the air out of the baggie and then seal. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, up to 24 hours. If you can, massage the baggie every few hours.
Heat your charcoal, gas, or electric grill to high.
Remove the meat from the marinade. Discard the marinade.
Place the meat on the grill over direct heat. Sprinkle the meat with a little more salt. After 4 to 5 minutes, use a pair of tongs to flip the meat over. Hit it with a little more salt. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 125° to 130°F is reached. Remove from the grill and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve at once with tortillas, chimichurri, and pico de gallo. We like to sprinkle finishing salt (such as Maldon's) over the meat after slicing.

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Flap steak is also called sirloin tip and sometimes a bavette tip. If you can't find flap, go with skirt or ribeye.

The chimichurri sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.

The longer the meat sits (up to 24 hours) the better.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave for 30-second intervals until heated through.

Nutrition