The Best Carne Asada Marinade

Sliced carne asada sits on a light blue plate surrounded by sliced oranges, limes, a bunch of cilantro, tortillas, and a glass of beer.

This is the best carne asada marinade out there, packed with authentic Mexican flavor. It's smoky, citrusy, savory, and perfect for everything from carne asada burritos to a carne asada plate that rivals your favorite Mexican restaurant.

5 from 48 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 8

Marinating Time: 2

Total Time: 2 18

Servings: servings

Calories: 487kcal

Equipment

Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Metal Bowl with Lid
Paring Knife
High-Speed Blender or Food Processor
Gas or Charcoal Grill or Grill Pan
Tongs
Instant Read Thermometer
Cutting Board
Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
⅓ cup orange juice from 1 fresh orange
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 fresh lime
½ onion small, white, peeled, cut in half
2 jalapeños
4 cloves garlic peeled
½ bunch cilantro rinsed well
8 ounces beer lager
2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
2 tablespoons soy sauce reduced sodium
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

Roasted Jalapeños

Place jalapeños directly over the flame of a gas grill. Turn the peppers with tongs to ensure each side is evenly blackened. Remove them from the heat, add them to a metal bowl, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. You can also place the peppers on a sheet tray under the broiler in the oven until the skin is blackened.
After 5 to 10 minutes, remove the lid or plastic wrap. Use a paring knife or a spoon to peel the skin off of the pepper. Remove the stem as well.
Slice the pepper in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membrane. Add the peeled, deseeded, and deveined pepper to the blender.

Marinade

Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the steak to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Carne Asada

Place meat in a nonreactive container, like a ceramic pie dish or a large resealable plastic bag.
Pour marinade over the meat and cover. Place in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. 48 hours is ideal for the strongest flavor.
Remove the steak from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before cooking. Drain and discard the marinade and pat the meat as dry as possible with paper towels.

For a Traditional Grill

Set a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. When the grill is hot, spray the grill grates with a bit of nonstick spray or brush the steaks with a tiny bit of oil and place the steaks on the grill (directly over the coals if using charcoal).
Cook until the steaks are seared and reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit (for medium-rare steak), about 2 to 4 minutes per side.
Remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain on a bias and serve.

For a Grill Pan

Place the grill pan over two burners on high heat. Spray or brush the pan with a bit of oil.
Add the meat to the grill pan once it is hot and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Remove when internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F.
Remove the steaks from the grill pan and let them rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain on a bias and serve.

Notes

General

To achieve nice grill marks, place the steak at a horizontal angle on the grill grates or grill pan. Then turn the steak to the opposite horizontal angle after 1-2 minutes to achieve the cross-hatched pattern.
Having an instant-read thermometer is helpful for determining the doneness of your carne asada.
I recommend using high heat here rather than medium-high heat to achieve better charring and caramelization of the sugars in the marinade. Steak is best cooked on high heat for a shorter time.
If using flap steak in place of skirt steak or flank steak, I recommend shortening the marinating time to a maximum of 24 hours.
If you are in a hurry, you can marinate the carne asada for less than 24 hours. However, it will not be as flavorful.

Storage and Reheating

Fridge Store leftover carne asada in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer I don't recommend freezing cooked carne asada as the texture will be negatively impacted. You can, however, freeze raw steak for about 6 months. You can also freeze the marinade for about 3 months.
Reheating To reheat cooked carne asada, you can add it to a pan with a bit of oil or reheat in the microwave at 30-second internals until it is heated through. You can also try reheating the carne asada in the oven on a low temperature until it reaches your desired temperature.

Nutrition