The Best Carne Asada Recipe | Marinate Prep (2024)

I grew up in Southern California and lived (mostly at the time) on Mexican food. One of my favorite dishes was carne asada.

In order to make the best carne asada recipe ever, you need various ingredients that can be purchased from any grocery store. You also need to put a bit of time aside to prepare everything.

See below for more detail.

What is a marinade? And Marinate?

A marinade is composed of a variety of herbs. When mixed with acidic liquids (lemon) creates a strong acidic sauce that we then use to tenderize the meat but also add extra flavors. However, marinate is attributed to a verb form of marinade, which means to soak the food in an acidic sauce.

The reason I created my own?

When I moved to a small town in Colorado, I found that no store provided it and people always end up asking me “what is Carne Asada”?

Since I could no longer buy it from the store, I made it my mission to come up with the best carne asada marinade.

What are the ingredients for this great marinade?

We all like to create new flavors, therefore, fill free to be creative with your own marinades. Now talking about ours. I add half a small cup of herbs, spices, lemon, lime, and olive oil.

But see the recipe cart below.

The meat rests in the marinade, it will start to absorb the flavors of the herbs and spices into the food. The acid liquid will act as a tenderizer, allowing the flavored oil to infuse itself into the food.

Which veggies go well with this recipe?

You can add any veggies you like -here are some that go well with your carne asada dish:

• avocado,
• green or yellow peppers,
• onions,
• tomatoes,
• asparagus,
• broccoli (grilled),
• roasted potatoes,
• green Beans.

This recipe will taste better if you make it the night before, and it cooks very fast.

See the card below, to find out how.

How many people can you feed?

It depends on various factors. If you add lots of veggies as listed above, you can easily feed up to seven or eight people.

But, of course, you have to factor in if friends or family have a great appetite, how many side dishes you’ll be providing, etc.

Below, find all the ingredients needed, along with the instructions.

Follow The Steps Below To Prep Your Meat And Let It Marinade

Step 1. Combine all the ingredients into a glass bowl (except the flank steak).

Step 2. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined. Put a small amount of marinade in a separate bowl to pour over the meat after it is cooked.

Step 3. Now it is time for the flank steak; set the marinade to the side. Get your meat tenderizer out. If you don’t have a meat tenderizer, you can also use a rubber mallet or anything with a flat surface.

Step 4. Cut the steak into equal sections (it is easier to flatten in smaller sections).

Step 5. Place one section of meat into a large ziploc bag. Work on a section of your counter that is sturdy, as you will be using a lot of force to get that meat flat.

Step 6. Pound the meat until it is 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick. Take it out of the bag and place it directly into the marinade. (You can now see why I cut the meat into small sections).

Step 7. After all the meat is submerged in the marinade, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight. It has a better taste the next day. (promise)

Step 8. Give the barbecue grill a clean. Place the carne asada on the grill over medium heat.

See recipe box – Cook for approximately 4–5 minutes on each side (if you prefer blue).

Step 9. Finally, enjoy the carne asada as it is or eat it like a taco by placing the meat into a flour tortilla.

How long should you marinate your meat?

The length of a marinade depends upon the size or cut, of your meat. For beef, pork, or any red meat, I recommend marinating it for 24 hours or longer in the refrigerator. White meats (chicken), can be marinated within two to 8-10 hours.

To Sum Up

Everyone who tasted this carne asada told me that this was the best carne asada dish they have ever eaten. (Thanks Pinterest fans).

A quick note from us here, while you are here, do let us know once you tried this tasty recipe, and why not share your thoughts in the comments below?

Note: You might need a thermometer to check the ideal temperature. Just a thought (may contain an affiliate link).