Grilled Carne Asada is juicy, tender, and deeply flavorful. There is no doubt about it, we are crazy for steak fajitas. But there is also something equally as satisfying about this cut of meat that is marinated for hours and then grilled perfectly. Truly spectacular.
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🍍 The Ingredients
The bold combination of pineapple, garlic, onion, spices, and homemade chili sauce comes together to create one of the most flavorful and tender meats. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🌶️ Substitutions and Variations
- Beef – The flat iron steak is one of the most tender cuts of beef available, and it’s not overly expensive. Ask your butcher: It’s from the chuck, specifically the top blade section of the shoulder. Skirt steak, ribeye, or flap steaks are all excellent options for carne adada.
- Citrus – Pineapple juice helps to tenderize the steak, but also adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Lime juice is a great substitution.
- Chili sauce – Making it from scratch is easy and adds such depth of flavor. However, you can use bottled chili sauce and still get excellent results. It can be found in the condiments section of most supermarkets, near the ketchup.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🥩 How To Make Grilled Carne Asada
- Step 1: Soften the chiles in hot water, transfer to a blender with garlic, salt, and chile water.
- Step 2: Purée for 1 minute.
- Step 3: In a bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients and cover the meat with it in a baggie
- Step 4: Grill until internal temperature reaches 135°F.
- Step 5: Let the meat rest for about 5 to 10 minutes, then slice against the grain.
- Step 6: Garnish with chimichurri sauce and coarse sea salt.
Expert Tip
We recommend using a digital meat thermometer to ensure the meat has reached the correct temperature. We find the medium-rare to medium is perfect. Once you’ve reached 130°F on the grill, take the meat off. It will continue to cook off the heat to 135°F.
🍽️ How To Serve Carne Asada
- This meat is so amazing, it doesn’t need a lot of accouterments.
- Warm flour tortillas and a fresh batch of homemade chimichurri are all you need. Pico de gallo is always a nice addition, too.
- Serve with a nice batch of Borracho Beans or Mexican Black Beans and Mexican Rice for the perfect meal.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Flat iron or flap steak is best because they are very tender, marbled, and grill perfectly. Flank steak and skirt steak work well, too. Ribeye will work, but, isn’t traditional.
For optimal flavor and tenderness, marinate the meat for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Grill carne asada over high heat for 3-5 minutes per side to achieve a nice char while keeping the inside juicy and tender, then let it rest before slicing against the grain. We like grilling over super-hot charcoals, but a gas or electric grill will work, too.
🔥 Other Amazing Grilling Recipes
Ready to make the best grilled meat this side of Mexico? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it and post it on Instagram and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Carne Asada
Video
Equipment
- Grill, charcoal, gas, or electric
Ingredients
For the Chili Sauce
- water for boiling
- 16 ancho chiles Stemmed and seeds removed (as many as possible)
- 16 arbol chilis Stemmed and seeds removed (as many as possible)
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
For the Carne Asada
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon chili sauce
- ½ onion cut into slices
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb flap or flat iron or skirt or ribeye (sliced thinly)
- 8 flour tortillas warmed
- chimichurri sauce optional
- pico de gallo optional
- finishing salt such as Maldon's, for finishing
Instructions
Make the Chili Sauce
- Bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Carefully add the seeded peppers and cook for 15 minutes.16 ancho chiles, 16 arbol chilis, water
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the softened peppers and a cup of the chili broth to a blender. To the blender, add the garlic, salt, and bouillon cube. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and set aside.4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 cube chicken bouillon
Make the Carne Asada
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the soy sauce, vegetable oil, chili sauce, onion, garlic, pineapple juice, and salt. Mix to combine.½ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon chili sauce, ½ onion, 1 clove garlic, ¼ cup pineapple juice, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Place the meat in a large plastic baggie. Pour the marinade mixture over the meat. Use your fingers to carefully remove the air from the baggie and then seal. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, up to 24 hours. If you can, massage the baggie every few hours.1 lb flap or flat iron
- Heat your charcoal, gas, or electric grill to high.
- Remove the meat from the marinade. Discard the marinade.
- Place the meat on the grill over direct heat. Sprinkle the meat with a little more salt. After 4 to 5 minutes, use a pair of tongs to flip the meat over. Hit it with a little more salt. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 125° to 130°F is reached. Remove from the grill and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve at once with tortillas, chimichurri, and pico de gallo. We like to sprinkle finishing salt (such as Maldon's) over the meat after slicing.8 flour tortillas, chimichurri sauce, pico de gallo, finishing salt
Wes says
Possibly the most tender, juiciest piece of meat I’ve ever had!
Kris Longwell says
So true!!!!