Easy Grilled Carne Asada
Grilled Carne Asada is one of those recipes that delivers big flavor with very little effort. My recipe for easy carne asada is not an authentic recipe, I’m of French-Canadian heritage living in Alaska, but it IS a great way to grill up flavorful beef for a group of friends or your big extended family. I’ve combined a simple citrus marinade with flank steak for an easy grilled dinner that cooks quickly and delivers delicious results. Serve it with tortillas and vegetables for simple tacos, or serve it as a steak dinner with your favorite sides.
When you need a new recipe for grilling this is the one! It’s easy to make, marinates for the ultimate tender bite, and feeds a crowd. The citrus marinade is full of lots of punchy ingredients like garlic, cinnamon, zest, cilantro and more, which gives the flank steak layers of flavor.
Marinating Beef
Marinades typically follow a simple formula that works beautifully with beef: three parts oil to one part acid, and then flavorings as desired. Oils carry the flavors you add, and acids break down the meat to make it more tender.
The longer you leave meat in a marinade the more it gets broken down. While flank steak is a thinner cut, it is also a tougher cut of beef and needs to be marinated. It needs at least an hour, four hours is better, anything over 8 and you’re going to start getting mushy meat. The acid, while making the meat more tender, if left on too long, can cause an unpleasant texture instead of the tender bite you’re looking for.
Easy Carne Asada Ingredients
The marinade list is long but it’s not anything to wild or out of pocket. All the ingredients can be found in
- Avocado oil
- Orange juice and zest
- Lime juice and zest
- Sugar
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Ground cinnamon
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh cilantro
- Jalapeño
- Flank steak
For grilling:
- Reserved marinade
- Worcestershire sauce
- black pepper
You will also need a gas or charcoal grill, digital thermometer, and tongs for cooking. If you don’t have a grill you can also grill in on a griddle on the stove OR broil it in the oven.
Final Temperatures for Grilled Beef
Below we’ve got the final temperatures for grilled beef. If you’re going for medium rare remove it from the grill around 130° so it can rest and the temperature will rise to about 135°. But whatever temp you’re going for it works the same, remove it about 5 degrees before the final temp and let it rest.
- Rare: 125°
- Medium Rare: 135°
- Medium: 145°
- Medium Well: 150°
- Well Done: 160°
Slicing Flank Steak
For best results use a digital thermometer to check the temperature of the beef and don’t overcook it. No matter how you slice it, the beef will be tough if it’s overcooked. After the coking and resting look for the long muscle fibers running through the meat. You want to slice across them, not with them. Cutting against the grain shortens those fibers and makes the steak much more tender. Use a sharp knife and cut thin slices at a slight angle for the best results.
Making Changes
Swap the flank steak for skirt steak if that’s what you have available. They’re both thin cuts, that work well with a marinade.
For more heat consider using the seeds and pith of the jalapeño, or add more. Or really commit to heat and add chipotles in adobo for smokey heat.
Also use more cilantro, jalapeño, or garlic. The cumin and cinnamon are definitely ingredients to be wary of, they can easily overwhelm dishes with their flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Serve carne asada in tacos, burritos, salads, and bowls. It is super flexible and can be enjoyed in so many ways. When I was in Arizona I saw it being served as a main dish steak, alongside rice and beans. I was surprised as I’ve always seen in Alaska as a protein choice IN something, not just served like a steak dinner.
Pinto beans make a great side for this steak recipe or your favorite rice recipe, or serve them together. Try a strawberry horchata or a mojito mocktail for drinks.
Got Leftovers?
Store leftover carne asada in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or warm it briefly in the microwave. Leftovers are excellent in tacos, breakfast burritos, rice bowls, sandwiches, and salads.
Easy Grilled Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 9 tbsp avocado oil or preferred neutral oil
- 1 navel orange you will need the juice and zest
- 1 lime you will need the juice and zest
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 2 1/2 lb flank steak flank steaks can be anywhere between 2-3 pounds on average
For Grilling
- Worcestershire sauce
- black pepper
Instructions
- Zest the citrus directly into the oil
- Juice the orange and lime into a cup
- Measure out 3 TBSP of juice into a bowl, save the rest for another use
- Add the salt, sugar, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, and cinnamon to the bowl
- Stir to combine
- Whisk the oil into the citrus juice mixture
- Place the steak in a shallow dish or bowl
- Reserve a few spoonfuls of the marinade and set aside for grilling
- Pour the remaining marinade over the steak
- Turn to coat evenly
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours
- Turn the steak occasionally while marinating
- Preheat the grill until hot, you can hold your hand over it for 2-4 seconds before pulling it away
- Remove the steak from the marinade and pat away most of the excess marinade
- Place on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Turn and brush lightly with reserved marinade, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of black pepper
- turn again and lay in the opposite direction to create the grill marks pattern on the steak, brush with a little marinade, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of black pepper
- repeat the turn and baste one more time, be sure you're not over cooking the meat
- Remove from the grill and cover loosely
- Rest for 5 to 10 minutes
- Slice thinly across the grain and serve
- Check the temperature, the amount of time you cook each side depends on how well done you like your beef
Video
Notes
- The amount of time you cook each side depends on how well done you like your beef, be sure to adjust the cooking time
- 2-3 minutes per side equals roughly 8-12 minutes of cook time, and the finished steak was cooked to medium rare
- Always slice flank steak against the grain for the most tender texture
- Cooking time will vary depending on steak thickness and preferred doneness
- Resting the steak before slicing brings the final temperature up and helps retain juices and flavor
