Carne Asada Street Tacos are sure to hit the spot. This authentic Mexican dish is always a crowd-pleaser in our home. With just a few simple ingredients, you will get the most mouth-watering beef dinner at home!
We partnered with Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner., on behalf of the Beef Checkoff to show you how to make great tasting street taco, just like the one from a food truck! SO good!
Carne asada street tacos? Yes, please! With everyone cooped up inside, this is the perfect time to bust out the BBQ and make this a takeout at home.
With the current state of the world, many of us are trying to balance having the kids at home, working remote and being forced to stay indoors. On top of this, you might already be struggling with picky eaters or a child that is “always bored”. I can relate!
I have a really great trick that I want to share with you. It helps educate your kids about cooking, while also keeping them occupied.
It’s taco night! Our boys LOVE beef dinners and taco night is one of their favorites. They love getting involved with making their own taco creations. It’s also a blast getting everyone involved in the kitchen. The kicker? They can’t complain about the food because they made it themselves!
What’s in a Street Taco?
Street tacos are made with carne asada, cilantro, avocado, onion and a sprinkling of Cotija cheese (think of it as Mexican feta) piled into corn tortillas. You can also top your taco off with your favorite salsa. The beauty of street tacos is that they are healthy and packed with fresh veggies.
When you are putting these tacos together with your little ones, they will get up close and personal with produce. This is the perfect opportunity to help them build a healthy relationship with whole foods! As a mom, that’s priceless.
What Cut of Beef is Used for Carne Asada?
For Sure, Beef — there is nothing quite like it. I love the flavor and it is always welcome at our dinner table. Whether I am biting into a big, juicy ribeye or making these wonderful street tacos, I have to satiate my craving for red meat at least twice a week.
One of my favorite parts about carne asada tacos is that it calls for such a simple cut of beef. Great carne asada is made with flank or skirt steak. The overnight marinade makes it tender and juicy.
Hot tip: If you can, stick to cooking your flank or skirt steak to medium-rare. Anymore done and you risk it becoming super tough. If you are a bit nervous about gauging the doneness of your steak, invest in a meat thermometer. Your internal temperature should read 145 °F for medium-rare.
The internal temperature of your roast will continue to rise during this rest period.
How do you Cut Carne Asada for Tacos?
Now that you have grilled your meat to perfection, you have to cut it into bit pieces for tacos, burritos or salads. Easy peasy, right? Well, yes. But many folks are actually cutting their beef all wrong. The key to keeping your strips uniform and your pieces tender is cutting your beef against the grain.
You may be thinking: What is the grain? The grain is the natural, fibrous lines in muscles that run through all cuts of beef. If you look closely at your meat you will see them. Slicing against these lines (versus parallel to them) makes for a more pleasurable eating experience.
FAQ
What makes a street taco a street taco?
Street tacos are made with corn tortillas and stuffed with meat. Unlike other tacos, they are very meat-forward and tend to be topped with chopped white onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
What cut of meat do you use for carne asada street tacos?
Traditional carne asada is made with flank steak or skirt steak. It’s marinated in a citrusy sauce and typically grilled over an open flame to create perfect sear-marks.
What does carne asada taste like?
Carne asada is super savory, with hints of citrus and onions. Oftentimes, the marinade is made with oranges and limes to offset the beefy flavor.
Why do some carne asada street tacos come with two tortillas?
Some carne asada tacos come with double-stacked tortillas simply to give the tacos more durability and structure. Some tacos come super stuffed with meat and this is necessary!
Other Mexican Recipes
- The Best Guacamole – Add this incredible guacamole to the tacos, so good!
- Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers – A fan favorite, so vibrant and so delicious!
- Fritos Chili Cheese Salad – So much flavor in one bowl!
Recipe
Ingredients
Carne Asada
- 2 lb beef Flank or Skirt Steak
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 medium orange
- 2 small limes
- 4 green onions
Carne Asada Street Tacos
- 2 avocados mashed
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 limes garnish
Instructions
Carne Asada
- Place the Flank Steak in a large plastic storage bag. Add soy sauce, orange slices and lime juice. Chop green onions and cilantro and add them into the bag. Rub the seasoning all over the beef. Seal the bag and let it marinate for at least 6 hours.
- Remove the meat from the marinade. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove all excess herbs from the carne asada. Grill the carne asada 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.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it against the grain and cut it into bite-sized strips.
Carne Asada Street Tacos
- Spoon mashed avocado onto a tortilla. Top it off with a couple of strips of carne asada.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and onion. Sprinkle with cotija cheese. Right before serving, squeeze some lime juice over the top.
- Serve with your favorite salsa.
Hi, instructions say rub seasoning over steak. I don’t see any seasoning listed. What seasoning is used?
Hi Leilani, The seasoning is the soy sauce, orange slices and lime juice and the rest of the contents that you are supposed to add to the bag for the marinade time. You are supposed to massage all of those things into the meat and then leave it for 6 hours to marinade. Hope this helps. Have a great day!
Great recipe! My question is can the steak be slow-cooked THEN grilled on the stove or grill just for the char?
Hey Delance- I wouldn't recommend slow cooking it since flank steak is already a pretty thin cut of beef and cooks fast, so slow cooking and then grilling may lead to overcooked meat. Grilling is the optimal way to make it. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello! I’m really excited to try your recipe today for Cinco De Mayo!
I don’t currently have a grill or grill pan. Do our think cooking this in a cast iron skillet would be okay?
Hi Charissa - Thanks for reaching out. I think you can make that work, although I've never tried it. I would just give the carne asada enough time to char before flipping it. Hope this helps and Happy Cinco de Mayo. 🙂
have you thought about making a recipe video for this?
Hi Liz - That is such a great idea ahead of summer. I'll add it to the list! Have you made them yet?
When we squeeze the lime juice do we throw the squeezed limes into the back, or do you have separate limes for the bags?
Hi Liz - Thanks for the question! Yes we throw the squeezed limes into the bag for the marinade. Hope this helps!
one more thing. the recipe calls for 4 green onions. greeb onion comes in bundles so is it 4 pieces of green onion or 4 whole bundles?
Hi Jason - Great catch! It's 4 green onion stalks, not bundles. I hope this helps! We will update the recipe card to be more clear. Thanks again for spotting that. 🙂
can i justthe meat into pieces prior to marinading?
Hi Jason - Thanks for reaching out. It's actually best not to slice the meat before marinating it, as a whole piece of meat will retain more moisture and flavor during cooking. Hope this helps!
Exactly how much lime juice do you add and do we add the limes to the ziplock bag?
Hi JJ - Thanks for the question. We use the juice from about 2 medium-sized limes and yes you add them straight to the bag. Hope this helps!
What if u dont have access to a grill and a grill pan for the stove top..any tips.
Hi Jazmin - You can simply saute the carne asada over high heat in a skillet. It won't have the same smokey flavor, but it will be super tasty still! Hope this helps.
I wish I could post pictures when I'm done
Please share it on Facebook, I would love to see it 🙂
Marinating my steak now and I can wait. I'm serving this with street corn and authentic rice that my friend made for me. Can't wait 🙂
Hi Sommer, those sound like incredible sides, thank you for sharing that idea!
Hi, how far in advance can I marinade the steak?
Hi Agnes, 24 hours in advance is good timing. Hope you love the recipe!
Hi! I am cooking this tonight but without a grill. Any tips?
Hello Gisella, if you have a grill pan you can make the recipe on the stovetop.
We are making these tomorrow! Can we also use the same marinade for chicken, and if so, would you still marinate overnight or only for a few hours?
Hey Sara, I would do a few hours and I think same marinade would work great.
These are the most amazing tacos! So flavorful and delicious.
A go to dinner of mine! We make it weekly!
It’s amazing how something so easy can taste so complex and perfect!
Truly an amazing recipe.
Alina, this is the best review ever! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it 🙂
This recipe was amazingly tasty with such basic ingredients!! I. We’ve tried other recipes but this literally tops them all.
Hey Tina, I am so happy to hear this. Glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
We made these tonight and they were a hit! So delicious and flavorful!
Melissa, this makes my day. I am so happy to hear this. Thank you for sharing!
These tacos are unbelievably good!! Seriously we're so obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Chelsea, thank you so much for sharing. SO happy to hear this! Thank you!
This is our go-to-Mexican food! The ingredients are simple and it's very easy to make. I love the flavor and my kids also had fun preparing this with me.
Oh wow, this is so awesome! 🙂 Happy to hear this.