Taco Tuesday will never be the same once you make this recipe for Carne Asada Tacos. These are the real deal y’all, with authentic grilled carne asada strips tucked into warm tortillas with traditional toppings like onion and cilantro.
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Why You’ll Love This Carne Asada Taco Recipe
- Tacos Like They’re Meant to Be Eaten. These aren’t school lunch style tacos with bland ground beef, limp iceberg lettuce, and powdery shreds of cheddar packed into a hard shell. Oh no! Carne asada tacos are authentic Mexican street tacos, with juicy grilled steak and fresh, flavorful toppings.
- Quick and Easy Prep. While you will need time to marinate the flank steak or skirt steak for carne asada, the hands-on time for this recipe is minimal and you can get a head start the day before, making it perfect for busy evenings.
- Juicy, Tender, Flavorful Steak. Steak Tacos are always a win in my book, but the carne asada marinade really makes them swoon-worthy. It packs in plenty of bold flavor, with zippy citrus, cilantro, jalapeño, and Tex-Mex spices.
- Customizable for Everyone. Whether it’s Shredded Chicken Tacos or Shrimp Tacos, adding your favorite toppings to make your taco just-so is what makes Taco Night the best night!
How to Make Carne Asada Tacos
The Ingredients
- Carne Asada. This recipe uses a half batch of Carne Asada, which means you’ll have some leftover to make Carne Asada Fries. (Win!)
- Avocados. Or use Guacamole.
- Lime. A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens things up.
- White Onions. A traditional taco topping! White onions have more bite than yellow or red. You can mellow them a bit by tossing them with a squeeze of lime juice after cutting.
- Cilantro. If you’re not a fan, you can skip it.
- Cheese. Queso fresco is most authentic, but crumbled feta tastes great too.
- Tortillas. Corn tortillas are traditional, but flour also work.
- More Toppings. Try sliced radishes, Pickled Jalapeños, Salsa Roja, or pico de gallo.
The Directions
- Prep the Steak. Make the carne asada as directed, then dice it.
- Make the Avocado Topping. Mash the avocados with the juice of half a lime and salt.
- Start Assembling. Scoop the avocado mixture onto a warm tortilla and spread.
- Add the Meat. Place the carne asada on top of the mashed avocado.
- Top It. Add onions, cilantro, and cheese to your carne asada tacos and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Carne Asada Tacos
- Corn. Use Grilled Corn to make elote or Mexican Street Corn Quinoa Salad.
- Salad. Amp up the veggie factor in your dinner with this Mexican Salad.
- Rice and Beans. White rice with Instant Pot Black Beans or Crock Pot Pinto Beans makes for a satisfying meal with carne asada tacos.
- Chips and Salsa. You can never go wrong with chips and salsa with tacos! Or try this Mexican Corn Dip.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Mince the Onions Finely. Traditional Mexican street tacos have verrrry finely minced onions, so make sure to take the time to get them as small as possible. This allows them to be evenly distributed and the small mince means they don’t add an unpleasantly crunchy texture.
- Let the Meat Rest. After grilling the steak, let the carne asada rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat tender.
- Warm Up Your Tortillas. Cold tortillas are a HARD NO. Warm them up on the grill or in a pan on the stovetop. This makes them more pliable and less likely to fall apart on you.
- Double Up If Needed. A lot of taquerias and street vendors will use two corn tortillas for each taco. If you feel like you need reinforcements, add that second tortilla for backup.
Carne Asada Tacos
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This Carne Asada Tacos recipe gives you street taco flavor at home! Tuck juicy grilled flank steak into tortillas with your favorite toppings.
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Ingredients
- ½ batch Carne Asada
- 2 avocados or swap Guacamole
- 1 lime divided, plus additional wedges for serving
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt omit if using guacamole
- Finely chopped white onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Queso fresco or crumbled feta
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Optional additional toppings thinly sliced radishes, Pickled Jalapeños, Salsa Roja
Instructions
- Prepare the Carne Asada according to recipe instructions (heads up! It needs to marinate for 4 hours prior to cooking). Once it has rested at least 10 minutes, thinly slice it across the grain, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Just before serving, scoop the avocados into a bowl. Juice in 1/2 the lime (cut the remaining half into wedges for serving) and add the salt. With a fork, roughly mashed to combine (if you are using Homemade Guacamole, skip this step). Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet, or by blistering over a gas stove. For each taco, spread a tortilla with a scoop of the avocado, then top with the asada.
- Add the onion, cheese, and any additional desired toppings. Enjoy immediately
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Store leftover carne asada and toppings in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The meat and toppings will last 3 to 4 days, but the avocado mixture should be used within a day or so.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat the carne asada in a pan over medium heat until heated through. Warm tortillas on a grill or pan, then assemble.
- Nutritional information was calculated with .75 pounds flank steak meat, avocados, and lime; does not include tortillas or toppings since there is so much variation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 4Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 20gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 51mgPotassium: 786mgFiber: 7gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
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These tacos rock! That mashed avocado was so freaking awesome! It really compliments the carne asada really well. I was pleasantly surprised that my finicky daughter ate more tacos than us! She loved them.
Love that! Thank you Aubrey!
The first words that came out of my mouth when I took a bite was OMG. It was so good that I ate it for breakfast too. This is such a great alternative to a traditional taco!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Annalise! Thank you!
I love anything taco related so this was already a win, and it’s so easy to pull together. My family loved it. I added a bit of sauté bell peppers on my toppings and some mozzarella cheese instead of feta and it was AWESOME! Thank you!
Great to hear, thank you Steffi!