Recipes BBQ & Grilling Beef Carne Asada Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade 4.8 (660) 496 Reviews 66 Photos This carne asada marinade is our family's favorite — and I've tried many! A 24-hour soak in a spicy citrus and soy marinade ensures your flank steak will be perfectly tender when it comes off the grill. Submitted by Lisa Arlotti Updated on July 3, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 66 66 66 66 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Additional Time: 1 day 10 mins Total Time: 1 day 40 mins Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe A juicy and flavorful carne asada starts with a delicious carne asada marinade. This recipe begins with a 24-hour marinade to allow the flank steak to soak up all the tasty and fresh flavors before grilling. Whether you serve it as tacos, a salad topping, or simply chow down on the tender, flavor-packed steak by itself, this will be the best carne asada you've ever experienced. What Is Carne Asada? Carne asada is a Mexican dish featuring steak that's marinated in a lime juice and seasonings mixture. It literally translates to "grilled meat," so the steak is traditionally grilled. Learn more: What Is Carne Asada? What Is Carne Asada Marinade? This carne asada marinade is packed with delicious ingredients, like: Fruit JuiceOrange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice add fruity flavor to this marinade. Soy SauceSoy sauce lends a rich, savory flavor to the steak. Seasonings and SpicesThis marinade includes cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, pepper, and oregano. Chipotle PepperThe finely chopped chipotle pepper adds a kick of heat. Olive OilOlive oil keeps the steak moist and helps to lock in the flavors. How to Make Carne Asada Marinade Making this carne asada marinade is so easy: Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade for use after the steak is cooked. Then place the pounded out steak in the marinade and let it sit for 24 hours. How Long to Marinate Carne Asada This recipe calls for a 24 hour marination time, and we agree that 24 hours will produce the most flavorful and moist carne asada. However, overnight, or even a few hours, in the marinade is better than nothing. How to Make Carne Asada After your steak has marinated, pop it on a preheated grill and cook to your preferred doneness. About 5 minutes on each side will yield a medium-rare steak. Pour the reserved marinade over the steak and serve. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "It was my first time making carne asada," says AC in the City. "We marinaded for 24 hrs and it was so delicious! The marinade perfectly covered an almost 4lb skirt steak! This is a keeper!" "This was so delicious! I think I even liked it better than getting the Carne Asada meat at the local Mexican market. It had a citrus taste which made it seem so light and fresh. It worked really well to grill to medium rare, and it did continue to cook as we pulled it off to become medium. My family absolutely loved it!" raves dobrown. "This is amazing. It is perfectly spicy. I have gotten carne asada from several different places. But this recipe is way better. I added red pepper, not paprika, which gave it more heat. I had it marinate for 24 hours. I added a little more garlic and the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in a can but I can't explain how good it is..... you need to make it," according to Marissa Foster. Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings Marinade: ¾ cup orange juice ½ cup lemon juice ⅓ cup lime juice 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped ½ cup soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground paprika 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ cup olive oil Carne Asada: 3 pounds flank steak Directions Combine orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice for marinade in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, chipotle pepper, and oregano; stir to combine. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined. Remove 1 cup of the marinade and place in a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for use after the steak is cooked. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place steak between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound steak with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios After pounding, poke steak all over with a fork. Place steak in the marinade in the large bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios When ready to cook, preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove steak from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Cook steak on the preheated grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Remove steak from grill and slice across the grain. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place on a serving platter and pour the reserved, unused marinade over top. Serve immediately. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print 1,080 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 207 Calories 14g Fat 6g Carbs 15g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 207 % Daily Value * Total Fat 14g 18% Saturated Fat 3g 16% Cholesterol 25mg 8% Sodium 640mg 28% Total Carbohydrate 6g 2% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 2g Protein 15g 30% Vitamin C 17mg 19% Calcium 31mg 2% Iron 2mg 12% Potassium 309mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.