Carne Asada Tacos
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Apr. 20, 2025
These carne asada tacos are juicy, flavorful, and boldly flavorful. They’re easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough to steal the show at your next gathering.
In This Article
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Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
We love easy homemade Tex-Mex dinners, and our Carne Asada Tacos are our new favorite! Here’s why this recipe works:
- Bold Flavors: This marinade is garlicky with just the right amount of smokiness. The steak soaks in all the flavor, similar to our Grilled Steak Tacos.
- Perfectly Tender Steak: Just 30 minutes, and the meat turns out melt-in-your-mouth tender every time.
- Taco Night Favorite: Stack these tacos with fresh toppings, avocado, and a hit of hot sauce. They’re easy to build and impossible to stop eating, like these Maui Chicken Tacos.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Soy Sauce – We recommend regular-strength soy sauce, as it’s the only form of salt you’ll be using.
- Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice – Lime juice provides the citric acid that will help in tenderizing the meat while adding flavor. Avoid bottled lime juice.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil in the marinade will help it adhere to the beef, as well as assist in the browning during cooking.
- Sugar – A bit of sugar balances out the flavors as well as helps the meat to brown on the grill.
- Garlic – As always, we aren’t shy with the garlic. I use about 6 large cloves of minced garlic in the marinade.
- Kiwi – This is our secret ingredient for tenderizing meats, without any trace of kiwi flavor. Just be sure not to include kiwi until the last 30 minutes of marinating.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are a few of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Spices: The spice blend in this recipe is a key component of the flavor. However, feel free to adjust the quantities or even add your own favorite spices. For a smokier flavor, try using smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.
- Gluten Free: If you need gluten-free, go with Tamari soy sauce. I use that exact Tamari sauce because of its purity in flavor. You may need to add a pinch of salt if using Tamari, as it contains less sodium than regular soy sauce.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients in a large dish. Pat beef dry and poke holes with a fork. Place beef in the marinade and coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 3-9 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of marinating time, press mashed kiwi onto all sides of beef. Cover and refrigerate for a maximum of 30 minutes.
- Oil and heat the grill. Grill the steak until both sides are charred and the interior is medium rare.
- Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Serve with your choice of taco shells and toppings.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our best prep-ahead strategies for this recipe:
- Marinate the Meat: You can marinate the meat for up to 24 hours in advance. Then simply follow the recipe instructions for delicious homemade tacos!
- Prep the Sides: The toppings and sides for the tacos can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge up to a day in advance.
What To Serve With Carne Asada Tacos
Toppings
- We like to keep it classic when serving carne asada – fresh lime wedges, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and diced onions are always on the table.
- It also goes great with crumbled queso fresco or a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick.
Sides
- We always serve carne asada with a side of fresh Pico de Gallo. It’s bright, juicy, and adds the perfect contrast to the smoky grilled meat.
- It also goes great with our go-to Blender Salsa or a scoop of easy Mexican rice to round out the plate.
Tex-Mex Favorites
- These beef tacos are also delicious with Tex-Mex favorites such as this Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) and Best Easy Mexican Rice.
Drinks
- Big Batch Pineapple Margaritas are a favorite with carne asada. They’re tropical, bold, and made for taco night.
- We also love a 3-Ingredient Lemonade Margarita – it’s quick to mix, super refreshing, and the perfect match for those bold, savory flavors.
Did you make this?
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Carne Asada Tacos
These carne asada tacos are a taco lover's dream. The beef is irresistibly tender and the flavors are scrumptious. This carne asada taco recipe will make you almost famous.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs skirt steak, or flank steak, roughly trimmed
- ¼ cup regular strength soy sauce, or Tamari, for gluten-free*
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 TB olive or canola oil
- 1 TB sugar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ancho chili powder
- 2 whole kiwi, peeled and mashed
- taco shells
Toppings
- Pico De Gallo
- avocado, sliced
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- hot sauce, Tapatio, or your favorite
Instructions
- In a 9×13 pan or large dish, add the soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, oil, sugar, cumin, onion powder, and chili powder. Use hand whisk to incorporate well. Set aside.
- Using paper towels, dab off all excess moisture from beef. Use fork to poke holes throughout beef. Place beef in the pan with marinade. Evenly coat beef on all sides, ensuring every bit of beef is well coated – if you have two steaks, ensure even coating on both. Cover with cling wrap. Chill 3-9 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of marinade time, evenly press mashed kiwi onto all sides of beef, making sure every part of the beef has a bit of kiwi on it. Cover and chill no more than 30 minutes max.
- Oil the grill and heat on high until smoking hot. Grill steak just until both sides are nicely charred and browned, and interior is medium rare. Cook time will vary, depending on thickness of steaks.
- Transfer steak to cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, without slicing. Then, slice very thinly against the grain (perpendicular to the grain) and serve with your choice of taco shells. Garnish with your choice of toppings.
Notes
- If using gluten-free Tamari soy sauce, feel free to add a pinch or two of kosher salt to your marinade, as Tamari is less salty than regular soy sauce.
- When grilling your carne asada, make sure your grill is nice and hot. This will give your steak a beautiful char on the outside while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- If you’re unsure about the doneness of your steak, use a meat thermometer to check. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be around 135°F.
- Usually, once the exterior is nicely charred, skirt/flank steaks should be done, as they are thinner cuts.
- Resting just-cooked meat on cutting board prior to slicing allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat moist and flavorful.
- When slicing your carne asada, always cut against the grain. This breaks up the muscle fibers and makes the meat more tender and easier to chew.
- This recipe is part of our Beef Recipes Collection.
- These beef tacos are delicious with Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) and Best Easy Mexican Rice.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.9g | Protein: 25.5g | Fat: 9.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 291.4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3.8g
Commonly Asked Questions
What cut of beef is used for carne asada?
Skirt steak or flank steak are popular choices for carne asada. I use either of those with delicious results.
Why is a tenderizing marinade essential for good carne asada meat?
Skirt and flank steaks can often turn out tougher or chewier than ideal, even when you “do everything right” and even when you slice against the grain. Thus, you want a marinade that will flavor and tenderize the meat.
Can I use a different type of fruit instead of kiwi?
Yes, you can substitute kiwi with other fruits like pineapple or papaya. These fruits also contain natural enzymes that help tenderize the meat. Just make sure to mash them before applying them to the beef.
How long do carne asada tacos keep?
Carne asada tacos can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store the grilled steak and the taco shells separately. To reheat, simply warm the steak in a pan over low heat.
More to Cook And Eat
- Easy Mexican Chicken Stew – This Easy Mexican Chicken Stew is one of the easiest, most delicious cool-weather stews.
- Salsa Verde Chicken – This Salsa Verde Chicken recipe is perfect for busy weeknights: it’s healthy, tasty, super easy, and ready in 30 minutes!
- Queso Dip Recipe – This Queso Dip recipe blows away any store-bought cheese dip with real, natural ingredients.
- BBQ Chicken Nachos Recipe – This BBQ Chicken Nachos is a deliciously fun way to kick up Nachos Night.