Description
This easy carne asada marinade recipe uses traditional Mexican flavors like lime and cilantro to tenderize and flavor skirt or flank steak perfectly for grilling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional, for spicy carne asada marinade)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the steak: Trim any excess fat from the skirt steak or flank steak. If using flank steak, you may want to slice it against the grain into thinner strips before marinating for faster cooking and better tenderness.
- Combine marinade ingredients: In a large bowl or a sealable plastic bag, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, minced garlic, jalapeño (if using), cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. This creates your citrus carne asada marinade.
- Marinate the meat: Place the steak into the marinade, ensuring all surfaces are coated.
- Refrigerate: Marinate the steak in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours for the best results with this best carne asada marinade for grilling. Do not marinate longer than 12 hours due to the acidity of the citrus.
- Grill: Remove the steak from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on the thickness of the cut.
- Rest and slice: Let the grilled carne asada rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Serve immediately for tacos or burritos.
Notes
- For an even deeper flavor in your Mexican carne asada marinade, add one teaspoon of chili powder or a pinch of smoked paprika.
- If you are short on time, this easy carne asada marinade still works well with a minimum of 2 hours of marinating time.
- Always use fresh citrus juices; bottled juice changes the flavor profile of this authentic carne asada marinade recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz cooked meat
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 85