This carne asada tacos recipe is inspired by La Caretta, a food stand located in Sonoyta, México. I stopped there on a recent trip to Puerto Penasco, México. A week or two after returning to Arizona, I started craving carne asada tacos and decided to make my own. (Fig 1)
Carne asada means "grilled meat." It refers to the method of cooking the meat, rather than a specific recipe, which involves using thin cuts of marinated beef and cooking them over an open flame. A good reason to gather around a fire and argue about football, or whose tía makes the best salsa.
You can purchase the carne (flank steak) at most grocery stores. If you have a carniceria in your neighborhood, the cuts are usually more authentic. If flank steak is unavailable, skirt or flap steak can be used as an alternative.
The Importance of Mesquite Charcoal
Here’s the non-negotiable: mesquite charcoal. It ties everything together. If you skip this step (and use Kingsford charcoal, for example), you're not making carne asada, you're just grilling meat. Mesquite is the soul of the operation, smoky, earthy, and a little wild.
In the Phoenix region, I've found mesquite charcoal at Cardenas Markets (Los Altos Ranch Market), El Super, and WinCo. A seven-pound bag costs about $5. No branding, no phone number, no flashy packaging, just a plain, brown sack of mesquite from somewhere south of the border. (Fig 2)
If you don't own a charcoal grill, you can cook the steak on a gas grill or indoors, or, for example, in a cast-iron pan, but the flavor will not be the same. I use a classic kettle grill made by Weber— no gas, just hot coals and gut instinct.
Avoid using charcoal lighter fluid unless you want your tacos to taste like fuel. I crumble a few pieces of paper and place them under the charcoal. Next, I lightly sprinkle vegetable oil onto the paper and charcoal and light it with a match. You can also use an electric charcoal lighter or a Weber chimney starter.
Tortillas Caseras (Homemade)
A taco is only as good as its tortilla. And a bad tortilla? It will betray your taco faster than a crooked federale in "Narcos: Mexico." I am still teaching myself the art of tortilla making. It's harder than it looks, but a heavy-duty, cast-iron tortilla press makes things easier.
I’m a flour-over-corn (masa) guy. In the Sonoran region of Mexico, flour tortillas are more common than corn tortillas. The best tortillas come from México, but you can find good ones at El Super and Cardenas Markets, or local tiendas throughout Arizona and Southern California. (Fig 3)
If you find a good source for tortillas, buy extra and freeze them. Before freezing, separate each tortilla and then place them back into a plastic bag. Otherwise, you will end up chiseling apart a frozen lump of flour come taco night.
Salsa Picante
The other major component of this recipe is salsa. Salsa is the glue that brings everything together. Whether you go with salsa roja (red), salsa verde (green), or avocado salsa, avoid the salsa found in grocery store aisles.
If you're short on time or ambition, El Super has decent options. I used to be a fan of salsa from Cardenas Market until they outsourced the production to a commissary.
Whichever salsa you ultimately choose, it should pack some heat. You don't want the salsa to taste like ketchup, but at the same time, you don't want it to be ridiculously hot unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing.
Toppings (Complementos)
There's no wrong way to eat a taco; however, if you want to eat tacos like they do in Mexico, skip the shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, and sour cream.
Street-style tacos tend to be very simple. The typical toppings you will see are onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges.
Tacos in sit-down restaurants tend to offer a wider variety of toppings. Some of my favorites are cotija cheese (grated), chopped cabbage, sliced red onions, pickled red onions, cucumbers, and avocado salsa.
Avocado salsa is easy to make; however, I have not been able to replicate my version to the same standard as those I had in Mexico. Here's the avocado salsa recipe I use. Unfortunately, I can't recall where I found this recipe, so I don't know who to give credit to.
Carne Asada Marinade
Before adding the marinade to the flank steak, tenderize the meat with a tenderizer mallet. Don't smash the beef so that the steak becomes too flat. The idea behind tenderizing is to break down the muscle fibers and connective tissue, allowing the meat to cook evenly. Tenderizing also allows the marinade to penetrate deeper into the steak.
After combining and mixing the ingredients, place the flank steak in a plastic bag or a large bowl. Let the steak marinate overnight. This is key to allowing the steak time to absorb the flavors of the marinade.
When placing the steak on the grill, you can drizzle any leftover marinade on the steak as it begins to cook.
Sonoran Carne Asada Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
- 1/3 cup extra vigin olive oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orang juice
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 diced serrano pepper with seeds in
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and salt and pepper.
- Place the steak on a clean, flat surface. Cover with plastic wrap and using a mallet, pound the steak to help tenderize the meat.
- Add flank steak to bowl. Cut the steak in half or fold the meat if it is too big to fit into bowl.
- Pour ingrediants from first step into bowl and using your hands cover the meat with the marinade.
- Place lid on the bowl or cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl into the fridge overnight.
- Light the mesquite charcoal. When charcoal begins to glow, it's ready for the meat.
- Place the steak on the grill and cover the grill to reduce the flames.
- After about 5 minutes, remove the lid from the grill and flip the steak.
- Remove the steak when cooked to desired temperature. Don't overcook the steak or it will become tough.,
- Let the steak rest for a few minutes. Cut the meat (against the grain) into small pieces.
Notes
- Let the steak marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Serve with warm flour tortillas, lime wedges, and arroz (rice).
Ask Me! 
Need some expert guidance? Shoot me a message, and I'll provide actionable, free advice to solve your problem.
Message Me