Mexican Carne Asada with Grilled Onions

About This Recipe

Carne asada is a cornerstone of Northern Mexican and Mexican-American grilling, built on a quick marinade of citrus, garlic, and a little oil applied to a thin, well-marbled cut like skirt or flank steak. The marinade's job isn't to tenderize for hours the way a braise would — it's meant to season the surface and add a touch of brightness in a relatively short window, usually no more than a few hours, before the meat hits very high heat. Grilling over direct, high heat for just a few minutes per side is what gives carne asada its char without overcooking a naturally thin cut — pulling it off the grill a touch before it looks fully done and letting it rest is the difference between juicy and dry meat. Slicing against the grain afterward is essential, since skirt and flank steak have long muscle fibers that turn tough and chewy if cut the wrong way. Sweet onion rounds grilled alongside the steak, brushed with a little oil, char and soften at the same time, adding a smoky sweetness that pairs naturally with the citrus-marinated beef, wrapped together in warm tortillas with salsa and lime.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gskirt or flank steak
• 0.33 cuporange juice
• 3 tbsplime juice
• 4 clovegarlic, minced
• 2 tbspoil
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 wholesweet onions, cut into thick rounds
• 12 piececorn tortillas, warmed
• 0.25 cupcilantro, chopped
• 1 wholelime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the steak

   Whisk orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper together. Marinate the steak 1-3 hours in the fridge.

2. 2

   Heat the grill

   Preheat a grill to high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, patting off excess.

3. 3

   Grill the steak

   Grill steak 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until well charred outside and medium-rare to medium inside (52-57C / 125-135F).

4. 4

   Grill the onions

   Brush onion rounds with a little oil and grill alongside or after the steak, 3-4 minutes per side, until charred and softened.

5. 5

   Rest and slice

   Rest the steak 5-8 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the sliced steak and grilled onions with warm tortillas, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Use flap steak or sirloin if skirt or flank steak isn't available.

• •

  Add a chopped chipotle to the marinade for a smoky heat.

• •

  Serve over rice with black beans instead of in tacos for a plated dinner.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked, sliced steak in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat or eat cold in a salad, since reheating too long can toughen it.

Frequently Asked Questions