This carne asada marinade is full of delicious flavors and it really brings out the flavor of the meat. The meat is marinated in citrus juice, vinegar, and spices, then cooked to perfection. The result is, a juicy and delicious cut of meat.
Carne asada is so delicious and versatile. You can eat it as is, make tacos, burritos, quesadillas, mulitas, gorditas, etc. Carne asada is great for get-togethers or parties. My family always made carne asada for family parties. Its super easy to make and everyone loves it. Throughout the years, I have eaten many different types of carne asada, but this marinade is by far the tastiest. Nowadays, you can buy marinated carne asada at the local grocery stores, but I find that those marinades are not as tasty. We usually make our own marinade because its super easy to do and super delicious.
I marinade the meat overnight, grill it, then serve it with tortillas and pico de gallo. My mom’s pico de gallo is super simple and it’s the best. I have included the recipe below. You can serve carne asada with rice and beans too.
This recipe would be great if you’re hosting a taco bar for a party.
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada is marinated flap meat. This is a thinner cut of meat that is marinated then grilled or cooked on a griddle. I prefer to cook carne asada on the grill. I love the char flavor that you get from grilling. When you buy carne asada tacos, burritos, etc. at a restaurant, most likely it was cooked on a griddle. If you are going to make this carne asada for tacos or burritos and do not have access to a grill or a griddle you can cook it in a cast iron skillet or frying pan. The results are not the same, but you can still enjoy it.
Here is more information on flap meat.
What type of meat to use for carne asada?
When it comes to making carne asada the most popular cut to use is flap meat, in Spanish is called “carne ranchera”. Carne ranchera is what they call it in Hispanic markets. The cut is a thinner cut of meat. Some people use other cuts of meats, but the authentic cut, is flap meat. Other cuts of meat will not give you the texture you are looking for in carne asada.
Flap meat sometimes has a membrane and it needs to be removed before marinating it. The membrane is a thin silver skin, it has a silvery sheen to it. If you don’t remove the membrane you will get a super chewy cut of meat, and no one likes chewy hard to eat meat.
How to make carne asada
To make carne asada you need to put the orange juice, lime, juice, avocado oil, vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Then add the flap meat, cilantro, and onions. Massage all the ingredients into the meat. Let it marinade for at lease 2 hours, but for best results marinade overnight.
Once the meat has marinated, put it on a hot grill, grill until it reaches the desired doneness.
Here is another recipe you may like BBQ Beef Ribs.
Carne Asada Marinade
Ingredients
Carne Asada Marinade
- 2 lbs. flap meat
- ¼ orange juice
- ¼ lime juice
- ¼ avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup Cilantro packed
- 1/4 Onion thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Pico de Gallo
- 1 Jalapeno small – finely chopped, deveined, and deseeded
- 2 tomatoes medium – finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Carne Asada
- Place the orange juice, lime juice, avocado oil, vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Then add the flap meat, cilantro, and onions. Massage all the ingredients into the meat. Let it marinade for at least 2 hours, but for best results marinade it overnight.
- Once the meat has marinated, put it on a hot grill. Grill until it reaches the desired doneness. (Rare: 120-130 °F, Medium-rare: 130-140 °F, Medium: 140-150 °F, Well-done: 150-165 °F).
Pico de Gallo
- Finely chop the jalapeno, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Put it in a bowl, then add the lime juice, and salt to taste. Stir all ingredients and its ready to serve.
