Carne Asada Tacos
How to make the best Carne Asada Tacos with juicy, tender marinated flank steak (grilled or cooked in a skillet), tortillas, cilantro, onion, and lime!
Servings: 4
Calories: 589kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice about 6-8 limes
- 2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems (about 1 bunch of cilantro)
- 2 jalapeños roughly chopped (seeds intact)
- ½ white onion roughly chopped
- 5 large cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt + 1 ½ teaspoon, separated
- 1 tablespoon black pepper + 1 teaspoon, separated
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup canola or avocado oil (+ 3 tablespoons if cooking on the stovetop)
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 16 corn tortillas (you will need 2 corn tortillas per taco)
- Chopped white onion, cilantro, and fresh lime juice for topping
Instructions
MARINATE
- Add the lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños, white onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin, as well as a ¼ cup of water to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Slowly drizzle in a ¼ cup of oil, whisking with the tines of a fork to combine.
- Place the flank steak in a gallon-sized ziptop bag, pour over the marinade, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Set the beef out at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to grilling. Remove the protein from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub all over to adhere, and set aside until ready to use.
GRILL INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare a gas or charcoal grill and bring to medium-high heat. To test whether or not your grill is hot enough, (carefully) hold your hand about 6" from the grate. It should be so hot, that you have to move it by the count of 3.
- Add the beef to the grill. Cook flank steak for about 12-14 minutes, turning it about half-way through.
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a large, skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once the oil has come to temperature, add the steak and cook for about 12-14 minutes, turning it about half-way through.
SLICE AND ASSEMBLE
- Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Then, slice the beef as thin as possible (cutting against the grain) and set aside.
- Add the steak to a tortilla, top with diced onion, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and other taco toppings, if desired.
Notes
The thickness of the steak matters. If your flank steak is thicker than ¾", it will very likely be rare if you use the indicated cook times. Thinner flank steaks work best for this recipe, but if you cannot find one, there is a fix:
If the flank steak is between 1 to 1 ¼" thick (before searing the steak) preheat the oven to 375°F degrees. Cook the flank steak as indicated in the recipe card. Then, transfer it to a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on how "done" you like your beef.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 2285mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 657IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 7mg