Use this Carne Asada Marinade when grilling meat for tacos or planning a delicious steak dinner. It’s the perfect starting point for making a fantastic meal everyone will love. The combination of spices and ingredients in this marinade takes the meat to the next level, adding a depth of flavor that is hard to beat.
We can all agree that carne asada is delicious, and using this steak marinade will give you a perfect head start! The citrus juices in this marinade flavor the meat and add tenderizing power. The jalapeno provides a hint of spiciness but does not overpower the dish. If you are sensitive to spicy foods, omit the jalapeno and use a mild pepper like poblano or Anaheim.
What is Carne Asada?
Carne asada, when translated from Spanish to English, means “cooked beef or grilled beef.” The meat is typically marinated in a citrus-heavy marinade, grilled hot and fast over high heat, and then chopped for tacos and other dishes.
What Type of Steak to Use in Carne Asada:
The best beef cuts for making Carne Asada Marinade include flat steaks like skirt, flank, and hanger. They are more forgiving with longer marinating times, hold flavor well, and cook quickly. Of course, any steak less than an inch thick will work.
Thinner, chewier flat steaks benefit the most from the acidity of the marinade. If you’d prefer some tequila in the marinade, add a tablespoon or two for a nice kick! Use this carne asada marinade on chicken breasts and pork as well. See below for marinating times.
Ingredients
- Fresh orange juice
- Fresh lime juice
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce (or Tamari)
- Chopped cilantro (sub with flat leaf parsley)
- Garlic
- 1 large jalapeno (Sub with serrano for a spicier marinade)
- 2 medium green onions
- Cumin powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
Making carne asada marinade
- Add citrus juices and soy sauce to a medium plastic or glass bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil while gently whisking. Doing so will help the oil incorporate into the liquid.
- Add remaining ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir through. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes, stir through, and taste it. Adjust seasonings to suit your tastes.
Marinating times
We recommend a lengthy marinating time for most beef steaks; especially flat steaks. Use 1 cup of carne asada marinade per pound of meat.
- Flank Steak: 8-24 hours
- Skirt and Hanger Steaks: 4-6 hours
- Sirloin Steaks: 4-8 hours
- Ribeye, T-Bone, NY Strip: 2-4 hours
- Thicker cuts of beef, like roasts: 12-24 hours
- Chicken breasts: 2-3 hours
- Pork tenderloin or steaks: 2-3 hours
- Pork roasts: 4-5 hours
Like this recipe? Try these!
Carne Asada Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (sub with flat leaf parsley)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
- 2 medium green onions finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Add citrus juices and soy sauce to a medium plastic or glass bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil while gently whisking. Doing so will help the oil incorporate into the liquid.
- Add remaining ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir through. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes, stir through, and taste it. Adjust seasonings to suit your tastes.
- To marinate:
- Place steaks into a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade on top.
- Gently move the meat around to get it well coated.
- Release air from the bag and place it into the refrigerator.
- Marinating times: (Use 1 cup of marinade per 1 pound of meat.)
- Flat steaks (skirt, hanger, flank, flat iron, sirloin flap steak): 4-8 hours, but can go as long as 12 hours for thicker cuts.
- Steaks (NY strip, ribeye, sirloin, T-Bone): 2-4 hours
- Tri-tip and chuck roasts: 12-24 hours
