Mexican Street Tacos with Carne Asada

carne asada street tacos next to lime and cilantro.

Mexican Street Tacos with Carne Asada

Juicy carne asada stuffed inside two soft corn tortillas and topped with onions and cilantro for an authentic Mexican street taco recipe. Carne Asada street tacos, made with Carne Asada Seasoning, are the pinnacle of Mexican recipes, along with Tacos al Carbon. This steak street tacos recipe is perfect for taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo parties!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Cinco De Mayo Recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Carne Asada Meat (Marinating) 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings tacos

Calories 222kcal

Author Darcey Olson

Cost $25

Equipment

Cast Iron Skillet

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.

Notes

Note 1 - This is our popular carne asada marinade. For additional recipe and cooking tips, see the carne asada steak post.

Note 2 - For a quicker version, replace the wet marinade with carne asada dry seasoning.

Note 3 - To keep the authenticity, heat up a cast iron skillet and brown the chunks of carne asada 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.

COOKING TEMP:

We recommend cooking the meat to medium to medium-well as this makes for the best texture and firmness. You'll see medium-rare quoted elsewhere, but check out the next carne asada tacos you grub down on. I guarantee you won't see tons of pink.

Note 4 - Keep an eye on the tortillas as they cook. They cook quickly and timing may vary depending on the skillet and stove used. They will be super soft and pliable when done.

Nutrition