These Carne Asada Tacos are the best Mexican street tacos on the internet with an addictive citrusy steak marinade that’s so easy to make!
Ingredients and substitutions
Steak marinade
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- Striploin steak – I like using sirloin but you can use any cut of beef with a small amount of marbling like ribeye or skirt steak.
- Olive oil – use any other high-smoke-point oil like avocado, peanut or coconut oil. Melted ghee would also work.
- Orange juice – freshly squeezed orange juice is best but bottled orange juice will also work.
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lime juice are good. Lemon juice will work in a pinch but has a slightly different flavour.
- Soy sauce – use low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari instead.
- Chili powder – make your own chili powder using a blend of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne.
- Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
- Paprika – double up on the chili powder if you don’t have any paprika on hand.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but you can also try using garlic powder or jarred minced garlic.
- Orange zest – lime zest would also work.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Tacos
- Corn tortillas – flour tortillas would also be good or you can make them into lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
- Pico de gallo – I like using fresh pico de gallo or salsa but you can also use jarred salsa or some fresh diced tomatoes.
- White onions – red onions are also delicious.
- Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
- Lime wedges – to garnish.
- Cheese – Cojita and/or feta are my go-to choices but any type of crumbly cheese will work well.
How to make carne asada tacos
- Cut the steak.
- Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Sauté the steak until browned.
- Heat up corn tortillas.
- Assemble toppings.
- Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with carne asada tacos
Tacos are really easy to customize with your favourite toppings! If you’re having a party, set up a selection so that everyone can top theirs with whatever they like. Some ideas:
- Lime crema – basically sour cream with lime juice added
- Diced tomatoes – fire roasted tomatoes are really delicious!
- Sautéed bell peppers – any colour bell pepper will work
- Grilled onions – red onions are really good
- Citrus fruits – lime, lemon and even oranges are delicious on tacos
- Avocado – fresh sliced avocado or homemade guacamole
Delicious side dishes for this meal include:
- Mexican or Spanish rice
- Refried beans
- Cactus salad
- Chips and salsa or guacamole for dipping
- Corn and black bean salad
- Grilled vegetables
Frequently Asked Questions
Carne asada translates in English to “grilled steak”. So, these are essentially grilled steak tacos. The seasonings are simple but the toppings are usually very flavourful. In Mexico, this dish is often sold by street vendors.
If you have this meal in an authentic Mexican restaurant, it is typically made using flank steak or skirt steak. The primary reason for this is because those cuts cook very quickly. For the same reason, flank steak is also commonly found in restaurant versions of fajitas. The meat is cut into very thin strips, so it’s important to use a lean cut of beef. Beef with a lot of marbling (fat) takes much longer to cook down.
There are 494 calories per serving. Each serving is three tacos, so that equals to about 165 calories per taco.
Storing and reheating
Wait until serving to build your tacos. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to store the tacos fully loaded with toppings.
Leftovers should be kept in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The meat and toppings should keep well there for up to 5 days.
Any leftover beef can be reheated quickly on a grill. You could also use a sous vide or warm the meat in the oven. Microwaving is not recommended because the steak can easily dry out, even if you don’t use full power. If you do microwave, make sure to sprinkle some water over top first to keep it from drying out.
Freezing the beef
You can freeze carne asada either before or after cooking, which makes it a super easy recipe for meal prep!
You can freeze the beef in marinade before cooking for up to 3 months. It’ll be full of flavour and ready to cook as soon as it thaws. Just pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight then cook as normal.
If you want to freeze the meat after cooking it, be sure to allow the beef to cool to room temperature first. Transfer it to Ziploc freezer bags on an airtight glass container for 3 to 4 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat on the grill or warm it up in the oven.
If you notice any ice crystals or freezer burn on the meat, it’s safe to eat but it won’t have much flavour and the texture will be chewy.
More delicious taco recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls for storing the leftovers.
- I get all my steak from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders to marinate the steak.
The Best Carne Asada Tacos {Mexican Street Tacos}
Ingredients
Steak marinade
- 16 oz striploin steak
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp orange juice preferably from an orange
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp orange and/or lime zest
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Tacos (assembly & toppings)
- 12 Corn tortillas (3 per person)
- Store bought pico de gallo or salsa
- Raw white or red onions, diced
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Feta or cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Cut steak into 1/4-inch pieces and mix together with marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare toppings of choice and microwave corn tortillas for 10-20 seconds until softened.
- Heat skillet over high heat for 1-2 minutes until hot. Add steak and sautee for 2- minutes until fully cooked.
- Add steak to corn tortillas and add toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Megan Byrd says
Hi Taylor! This carne asada taco recipe looks so amazing! I love using orange juice and even a little beer to slow cook mine at home! I completely agree that some of the most flavorful recipes can be so simple. I definitely will try this sometime, thank you for the recipe!