Juicy San Diego-style carne asada is stuffed inside two soft corn tortillas and topped with onions and cilantro to create an authentic Mexican street tacos recipe. Carne Asada street tacos can be made outdoors on the grill or inside on a grill pan.
If you like easy taco recipes check out our other popular Taco Tuesday treats: Fully Loaded Carne Asada Tacos, or Steak Picado tacos.
Steak Street Tacos
The base of this carne asada street tacos recipe is our authentic San Diego-Style Carne Asada Marinade. It tastes exactly like the carne asada meat you’d find at local taquerias. It’s unparalleled. Getting the meat right is 99% of tacos.
Don’t pick a recipe just because it only has 3-4 ingredients. The meat itself needs FLAVOR. The flavor shouldn’t come from the toppings themselves.
For an quicker version, use my carne asada seasoning recipe instead of the we marinade.
What Are Street Tacos
A Mexican taco is basically a smaller, paired down taco. It’s served on two small corn tortillas topped with only meat, onions and cilantro. Maybe a hit of lime juice.
Authentic Mexican street taco recipes don’t have tomatoes, lettuce, cheese or guacamole. Although, due to popularity, some taquerias do serve them with guacamole.
Costco street tacos and Buffalo Wild Wings street tacos are a far cry from authentic, so do yourself a favor and skip them next go around. Homemade street taco recipes really are superior.
Taco Toppings
Here are some carne asada recipes and taco topping ideas we love using on carne asada street tacos when we’re looking to mix it up.
- 4 Ingredient Guacamole or Guacamole Molcajete
- Sour Cream
- Cheese – Monterey Jack, Cotija Cheese, Queso Fresco or Oaxaca
- Pickled Red Onions
- Pickled Banana Peppers or Pickled Peppers
- Salsa – Pico de Gallo, Mango Pico de Gallo or Smoked Salsa
- Shredded Lettuce
- Lime Juice
Street Taco Tortillas
Street taco tortillas are generally around 4.5″ – 5″ in diameter, much smaller than the classic 8″ diameter. Since corn tortillas can tear easily, street tacos have two tortillas vs. one. If you’re watching your calories or budget, feel free to use only one.
The best way to heat taco tortillas is on the grill or stove. The microwave works in a pinch, but the pliability and texture suffers a bit.
- Grill – Heat the grill to medium heat. Place the tortillas directly on the grill. Heat for about 30-45 seconds and flip for another 30-45 seconds. You should have pretty grill marks when finished. Do not overcook as the tortillas will become hard and brittle.
- Stove – Pre-heat a comal or non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Heat the tortillas, 2-3 at a time, depending on how many fit in the skillet without overlapping. Heat for approx. 20 seconds on side one, flip and cook for 15 seconds on side two.
- Microwave – Wrap 5-6 tortillas with a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Check and add 10 seconds at a time until warmed throughout.
Street Taco Sauce
Street taco recipes don’t come served with sauce, but it’s easy to add. We’re partial to Tapatio, Cholula, Mexican Crema, Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce, Chipotle Crema, salsa verde or Homemade Salsa. Use what taco sauce you love and you can’t go wrong.
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What To Serve With Tacos
Tacos are amazing on their own, however if you’re looking to make it a well rounded meal, here are some ideas:
- Chips and Salsa
- Aguachile Verde
- Beans Recipes
- Corn on The Cob
- Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
Recipe Variations
Chicken Street Tacos – Replace the carne asada with a batch of our Pollo Asado to make a chicken tacos recipe. You can also use this dry chicken taco seasoning.
Shredded Beef Tacos – Replace the carne asada with a batch of Mexican Shredded Beef.
Pork Street Tacos – Replace the carne asada with a batch of carnitas or Instant Pot Carnitas.
Keto Tacos – Use crisp salad greens in place of the tortillas.
Recipe Tips
- To keep the authenticity, heat up a cast iron skillet and brown the carne asada chunks on all sides. You can skip this step if you like. It’s not required, but this is how San Diego taco shops finish their meat. We do this step right before heating up the tortillas.
- Cut meat into 1/4″ squares for the best ratio per bite and texture.
- Plan on using about 2 oz of steak per taco.
- To cut down on prep time (even though it’s already minimal), cut the onions and cilantro while the carne asada is resting.
- This is a great recipe to feed a crowd! Just set up a taco bar and let your guests go to town.
Drink Ideas
Anything Mexican themed – Mexican Mule, Michelada, Beermosa, or Margarita.
Mexican Street Tacos with Carne Asada
Equipment
Ingredients
Taco Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas, street taco size
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup diced white onion
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 lb flank, skirt steak or flap steak (*Note 1 and 2)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tbsp garlic salt
- 1½ tsp white pepper
- 1½ tsp cumin
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 small pinch ground cloves
- 1 whole orange, sliced
Instructions
Carne Asada Meat
- Add all the marinade ingredients (except the meat and orange slices) to a medium size bowl and stir until blended. Transfer to a large Ziploc Bag. Add the steak and shake to coat the entire piece of meat evenly.
- Lay the bag flat and add the orange slice directly to the meat – half on top and half on bottom. Refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
Carne Asada Street Tacos
- Remove the carne asada from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before grilling.
- Pre-heat grill to medium high heat.
- Place meat directly on greased grate for 6-8 minutes. Flip and grill for an additional 6-8 minutes, until your desired doneness is reached. Let rest for 10 minutes before dicing into 1/4" pieces. (*Note 3)
- OPTIONAL STEP (*Note 3): Dice the meat into 1/4" pieces. Add the chunks of carne asada to a pre-heated skillet over medium high and brown on all sides. Remove to a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel to keep in the heat.
Build The Tacos
- While the meat is resting, pre-heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel if you used it to brown the meat. Heat the tortillas, 2 at a time. Heat for approx. 20 seconds on side one, flip and cook for 15 seconds on side two. Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel until all the tortillas are warmed. (*Note 4)
- Build the tacos: Place two tortillas on top of each other and add steak, diced onions and cilantro. Enjoy immediately.