Grilled Carne Asada Tacos
Everyone loves Mexican tacos and Grilled Carne Asada Tacos are as authentic as they get. Flank steak is marinated in delicious flavors, grilled and sliced thinly and to add a little extra flavor, the tortillas are grilled as well.

Here in Southern California we are blessed with 2 things: year ’round great weather and a heavy Mexican cuisine influence and there is no end to the authentic Mexican food restaurants. Sometimes I don’t always feel like eating out when I’m craving Mexican food and the beauty of that is, it is so easy to get authentic tasting Mexican food at home.
Because of the near idyllic weather, I am usually grilling pretty much year ’round, except for the few days of rain (of which I wish there were more because we have a serious drought).

Grilled Carne Asada Tacos are a popular Mexican street dish. Carne asada is thinly sliced beef, either flank or skirt steak, that is marinated for at least 8 hours and typically grilled to achieve a generous amount of charring.
Which steak is best for fajitas?
I like to use either skirt or flank steak. It depends on what my store has available that day.
How long do you marinate steak fajitas?
The steak should marinade at least 2 hours up to 8 hours. Don’t marinate too long as there is acid in the juices in this marinade and it can make the meat tough.
What spices are in fajita seasoning?
The most common blend is cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper
How long do you cook skirt or flank steak on the grill?
A very hot grill is best and can be ready in 6 to 8 minutes depending on what doneness you prefer. Use a meat thermometer to measure the inner temperature. 115 to 120°F (46 to 49°C) for medium-rare. 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) for medium
Resting the meat is a must?
Do not slice into the meat right off the grill. You want to allow it to rest so all the juice don’t run out and stay in the meat.

For an American-style BBQ twist, I made a chipotle bacon BBQ sauce gives the tacos a nice spicy-sweet kick to round out the flavors. So good!

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Grilled Carne Asada Tacos

Flank steak is marinated in delicious flavors, grilled and sliced thinly and to add a little extra flavor, the tortillas are grilled as well.
Ingredients
- For the marinade:
- Juice of 3 oranges, 1 cup
- Zest of 2 oranges
- Juice of 2 limes, 2 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds flank or skirt steak
- 6 Flour tortillas
Instructions
- To a blender or food processor add the orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, red wine vinegar, cilantro, green onion, soy sauce, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- To a large container with a lid, add the beef and pour over the marinade. Make sure it is well coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling. * see note Preheat grill.
- Grill the meat on high for 4 minutes per side for medium, longer for medium well.
- Remove and allow the meat to rest for a few minutes.
- Grill the tortillas on 1 side.
- Slice the beef into thin strips and add to the tortillas. Top with salsa, fresh cilantro and chipotle BBQ sauce.
Notes
* This produces more tender meat.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 313Saturated Fat 3gCholesterol 90mgSodium 1023mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 35g
16 Comments on “Grilled Carne Asada Tacos”
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I really want to visit southern California to experience all the wonderful Mexican influenced cuisines. I bet the vegetarian food is just brimming with delicious flavors. Your recipe looks very easy to make. You did a great job with it.
For years, my cousin in SoCal would always rave about the Mexican food out there. I always thought, how different can it really be? Boy was I surprised when I went out several years ago and had some tacos from a taco truck – WOW! Now that I’m living on the west coast, I’m happy to say that I too can enjoy this cuisine on a whole new level anytime! ๐
These tacos look ridiculously delicious, Janette! That steak couldn’t look any more perfect – I want to dive into my monitor and devour this!
OH YUM!!!! I miss steak tacos ๐ Oh well I’ll get over it ๐ These are particularly fabulous because of that gorgeous looking steak you have!!! Love the tablescape too!!!
Beautiful post and brilliant photos; these tacos look out of this world!
These tacos sound totally amazing! Wish I was having these for dinner tonight ๐
These look soooo good! Love ’em!
My younger sister introduced me to Carne Assada, and I just love tacos, so combining them just makes perfect sense. Love your flavorful recipe, I’ll have to remember to make it when we have flank steak left over. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
Well, first of all … beautiful photos, Janette!
Secondly, I am VERY jealous of both of those ‘best things about where you live’. I just adore Mexican food and would love to have really good restaurants here where I live (alas there aren’t very many, if any!) and would be very happy to have good weather all year round (she says as the rain drips down the window here … again!)
Thirdly, the tacos look just wonderful. The flavours … mmm!
Thank you Helen. I think you just gave 2 great reasons to come and visit L.A ๐
Everything about this looks great from the taco to the sauce. I love the char on the end of the taco shell.
I am loving all the citrus notes in these tacos! And – I am a little jealous of y’all year round good weather – but then again, I live in Atlanta where even if a 1/4 inch of snow falls, we all get a snow day! ๐
The citrus marinade brings delicious flavor to the meat. I’d love a snow day, thank you for stopping by Shashi.
This looks fantastic! So vibrant and colorful!
I’ve been thinking of these tacos, ever since I saw the recipe for the sauce ๐ Gorgeous! Pinned!
Thank you, they were pretty yummy