Carne Asada (Grilled Marinated Beef)
Thin cuts of beef marinated in orange and lime juice, garlic and spices, then grilled fast over high heat until charred outside and juicy inside. Sliced thin and piled onto warm tortillas with salsa, lime and onion, it's the heart of every Mexican backyard asada.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Even out the meat
Pat the steak dry. If any part is thicker than about 1.5 cm, press it with your palm or pound gently with a mallet so the whole piece is an even thickness. This makes it cook evenly and fast.
- 900 g steak
✅ Done when: the steak is a flat, even thickness all over
Mix the marinade
In a bowl or zip-top bag, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt until combined.
- 120 ml orange juice
- 60 ml lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 60 ml soy sauce ()
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the marinade looks well blended, no separate layers
Marinate the beef
Add the steak, half the onion slices and the chile to the marinade, turning to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours; don't go longer, or the citrus will start to make the meat's surface mushy.
- 900 g steak
- 1/2 sliced onion
- 1 sliced (optional)
✅ Done when: the meat has rested in the marinade at least 2 hours
Heat the grill very hot
Lift the steak out of the marinade and pat it dry so it sears instead of steams; discard the marinade. Heat a grill, griddle or heavy skillet over high heat (highest setting on electric or induction) until smoking hot.
- 900 g marinated steak
✅ Done when: the surface is smoking hot and a drop of water sizzles instantly
Grill fast and hot
Grill the steak over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply charred outside and at least 63°C (145°F) in the center, with no raw red remaining. Grill the remaining onion slices alongside until softened and lightly charred.
- 900 g marinated steak
- 1/2 sliced onion
✅ Done when: steak is well charred outside and reaches 63°C (145°F) inside; onions are soft and lightly charred
Rest, then slice thin
Transfer the meat to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle back in. Slice it thinly against the grain, then cut into bite-sized strips.
- 900 g grilled steak
✅ Done when: the meat is cool enough to slice cleanly into thin strips
Serve with tortillas
Pile the sliced beef and grilled onion onto warm corn tortillas. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro so everyone can finish their own tacos.
- 900 g sliced grilled beef
- 1/2 grilled onion
- 12 warm corn tortillas
- to serve lime wedges
- to serve fresh cilantro
✅ Done when: tortillas are warm and pliable, and the filling is hot throughout
Even out the meat
Pat the steak dry. If any part is thicker than about 1.5 cm, press it with your palm or pound gently with a mallet so the whole piece is an even thickness. This makes it cook evenly and fast.
- 900 g steak
✅ Done when: the steak is a flat, even thickness all over
Mix the marinade
In a bowl or zip-top bag, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt until combined.
- 120 ml orange juice
- 60 ml lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 60 ml soy sauce ()
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the marinade looks well blended, no separate layers
Marinate the beef
Add the steak, half the onion slices and the chile to the marinade, turning to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours; don't go longer, or the citrus will start to make the meat's surface mushy.
- 900 g steak
- 1/2 sliced onion
- 1 sliced (optional)
✅ Done when: the meat has rested in the marinade at least 2 hours
Heat the grill very hot
Lift the steak out of the marinade and pat it dry so it sears instead of steams; discard the marinade. Heat a grill, griddle or heavy skillet over high heat (highest setting on electric or induction) until smoking hot.
- 900 g marinated steak
✅ Done when: the surface is smoking hot and a drop of water sizzles instantly
Grill fast and hot
Grill the steak over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply charred outside and at least 63°C (145°F) in the center, with no raw red remaining. Grill the remaining onion slices alongside until softened and lightly charred.
- 900 g marinated steak
- 1/2 sliced onion
✅ Done when: steak is well charred outside and reaches 63°C (145°F) inside; onions are soft and lightly charred
Rest, then slice thin
Transfer the meat to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle back in. Slice it thinly against the grain, then cut into bite-sized strips.
- 900 g grilled steak
✅ Done when: the meat is cool enough to slice cleanly into thin strips
Serve with tortillas
Pile the sliced beef and grilled onion onto warm corn tortillas. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro so everyone can finish their own tacos.
- 900 g sliced grilled beef
- 1/2 grilled onion
- 12 warm corn tortillas
- to serve lime wedges
- to serve fresh cilantro
✅ Done when: tortillas are warm and pliable, and the filling is hot throughout
The Story Behind the Dish
Carne asada grew out of the cattle-ranching culture of northern Mexico, where beef was abundant and open-fire grilling was a practical, everyday way to cook it. Thin cuts like arrachera or flank steak sear quickly over very hot coals, which suited both ranch kitchens and later the backyard gatherings called asadas.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's less a single recipe than a social event: families and friends gather around the grill, and the beef is almost always served with warm tortillas, salsa and lime so everyone builds their own taco.
💡 Fun Fact
The word "asada" simply means "grilled," and asadas have become so central to Mexican weekend life that the gathering itself is often just called by the same name as the dish.
Northern Mexico (Sonora, Nuevo León, Coahuila)
25.69°N, -100.32°W
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