Jump to Recipe

These carne asada street tacos come from a close Mexican friend, and they are sure to hit the spot. Set aside six hours for the marinating, then get the toppings out!

carne asada street tacos on a serving tray

Taco nights are a family favorite, especially when it’s carne asada street taco night! My family and I love setting up a board with bowls of all sorts of toppings so everyone can build their own taco, just how they like it. It truly is one of my go-to family meals.

This carne asada street tacos recipe came from my friend — her family came from Mexico, and this is how they always made their tacos. My inner Mexican food lover (did you know I worked at a Mexican restaurant for years?) loved them so much. A huge reason why I love cooking so much is probably because I worked in a restaurant and was exposed to so many different cuisines growing up. So, give this Mexican street taco recipe a try — it’s simple and has so much flavor, and it’s one of the easy meals I keep on repeat.

mom and two kids cooking together

Bring the family together! My kids really loved taco night growing up. They’ve always loved beef, but they also loved getting involved in making their own taco creations. It’s a blast getting everyone involved in the kitchen and it brings the whole family together.

What is a Street Taco vs Regular Taco

Did you know street tacos and the traditional “americanized” tacos are very different?

  • Street taco: Street tacos are small, usually made with soft corn tortillas. They are filled with steak bites (or carne asada), and are topped with onions, cilantro, and lime. Sometimes, they’ll also have a Cotija cheese topping.
  • “Americanized” tacos: These tacos are larger, use hard or soft shell tortillas, and are filled with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes.

How to Make Carne Asada Street Tacos

To make carne asada street tacos, you’ll need to first make carne asada steak bites. While you are grilling or cooking the meat, prepare your toppings and warm up the tortillas!

a boy checking temperature of the meat

Making the Carne Asada Meat

  • Make the carne asada marinade: Combine the soy sauce, orange slices, and lime juice in a bag. Add chopped green onions and cilantro to the bag. Place the flank steak into the bag and rub the spices/marinade ingredients all over it.
  • Marinate: Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for at least six hours (up to 24 hours).
  • Grill the beef: Remove the meat from the marinade, dry it with a paper towel, then grill on medium high heat until the internal temperature is 145°F.
  • Rest the meat: Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice it against the grain into bite sized strips.

Optional addition: If you want to add more flavor to the marinade, adobo sauce gives delicious intense heat!

Herbs and sauce for the carne asada
marinating carne asada in a bag
Carne Asada cooking on a grill
Sliced carne asada on the grilling pan with cilantro

Assembling the Taco

  • Begin with avocado spread: Spread mashed avocado onto a warm corn tortilla, then top with a few strips of carne asada steak.
  • Add the toppings: Sprinkle cilantro, onion, cheese, and lime juice (from the lime wedges) on top.
  • Serve: Serve the carne asada tacos with your favorite salsa.

More toppings: If you want even more topping variety, consider thinly sliced radishes, pico de gallo, pickled onions, queso fresco, rice, and/or refried beans. Just choose any (or all) of your favorite toppings!

Carne Asada Recipe Tips

A lot of people feel like authentic Mexican tacos are too hard to make at home (maybe even impossible?!). With these tips, I want to encourage you that YES – you CAN make the best tacos at home!

  • Use flank or skirt steak: To make carne asada tacos, I most often use flank or skirt steak. It’s simple and the overnight marinade makes these cuts tender and juicy.
  • Cook the carne asada to medium rare: If possible, stick to cooking the flank or skirt steak to medium-rare. Any more done and it may become super tough. If you are a bit nervous about gauging the doneness of the steak, invest in a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 145 °F for medium-rare doneness.
  • Avoid cutting the steak before marinating & cooking: It may seem like it saves time later, but it’s best to marinate and grill the steak as one whole piece. This keeps the flavor and juiciness locked into the steak!
  • Cut cooked steak against the grain: You’ve grilled the meat perfectly, so make sure to cut it correctly, too. Cut against the grain to ensure your pieces are tender. If you cut with the grain, your steak bites will be more tough.
  • Use a grill pan if you lack a grill: If you don’t have a grill, that’s ok. Use a grill pan or a cast iron skillet. It may not have the same smokey, charred flavor, but it’ll still be tasty.
  • Opt for warm tortillas: You really won’t regret waiting to put the toppings on until you have warm corn tortillas. Put them on the pan and char up each side before topping!
Sliced carne asada on the grilling pan with lime and herbs

Storing & Reheating Tacos

The flavor of these tacos is best when they’re fresh. However, storing for a day or two is acceptable, as well.

  • Refrigerator: Store leftover steak in the fridge for up to three days. Store the toppings for 1-2 days, but fresh is always better!
  • Freezer: Freeze the steak for up to three months in an airtight container. However, avoid freezing any toppings.

More Tex-Mex Recipes

Recipe

Carne Asada Street Tacos

Print Pin
Servings
8 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
These carne asada street tacos come from a close Mexican friend, and they are sure to hit the spot. Set aside six hours for the marinating, then get the toppings out!

Ingredients

Carne Asada

  • 2 lbs beef flank or skirt steak
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 medium orange sliced
  • 2 small limes juiced
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro chopped

Carne Asada Street Tacos

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 2 avocados mashed
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese
  • 2 lime wedges garnish
US Units – Metric

Instructions

Carne Asada

  • Place the flank steak in a large plastic bag. Add soy sauce, orange slices, and lime juice. Chop the green onions and cilantro and add them into the bag. Rub the sauce all over the beef. Seal the bag and let it marinate for at least 6 hours.
    marinating carne asada in a bag
  • Remove the meat from the marinade. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove all excess herbs from the carne asada. Grill the meat until the internal temperature reaches medium-rare at 145 °F.
    Hot tip: Don’t have a grill? Snag a grill pan and make carne asada right on your stove top.
    Carne Asada cooking on a grill
  • Let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it against the grain and cut it into bite-sized strips.
    Sliced carne asada on the grilling pan with lime and herbs

Carne Asada Street Tacos

  • Spread the mashed avocado onto a tortilla. Top it off with a couple of strips of carne asada.
    Tortillas with carne asada on them
  • Top with cilantro, onion, and cotija cheese. Right before serving, squeeze some lime juice over the top.
    carne asada street tacoson a counter
  • Serve with your favorite salsa.
    carne asada street tacos on a plate
Nutrition Facts
Carne Asada Street Tacos
Amount Per Serving
Calories 360 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 1803mg75%
Potassium 862mg25%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 7g28%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 429IU9%
Vitamin C 26mg32%
Calcium 129mg13%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Updated May 5, 2026

About Author

Avatar photo

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.