Mexican Carne Asada Street Tacos
These carne asada tacos are made of thinly sliced marinated beef, topped with a homemade pico de gallo salsa, fresh cilantro, and squeezed lime juice. (Jump to Recipe)
Nothing in this world can beat the smell of perfectly marinated steak being cooked over high heat with tangibly thick aromas seeping though the oven door or over the skillet or outdoor grill. It’s an even bigger treat when it’s tucked into a warm tortilla then loaded with fresh pico de gallo and extra, extra squeezes of lime juice. This is called a taco or in my opinion the taco.
Marinade
Start off with selecting a nice cut of beef weighing about a pound and a half. My local Raley’s carries a thinly sliced packaged kind of meat that is labeled ‘carne asada.’ That has always been my choice for these tacos. It saves me a few minutes in prep work before marinating. Sirloin is also a great pick along with flank.
When prepping the steak before marinating, use a sharp knife to make your cuts. Cut the steak into 1/4-inch thin slices (not cubes/squares), this will help the marinade coat maximum surfaces of the steak in a relatively short amount of time. Mix the marinade ingredients in a separate bowl, add the steak into the bowl, toss it to combine, and refrigerate for an hour up to 6 hours.
Once the steak is done marinating, you have a few options to cook it. Here in this recipe, I lay it out on a large sheet pan and broil it for about 5 minutes. It get’s cooked super quick because of how thinly sliced it is. You can grill it on high heat for 2-3 minutes per side or in a pan over the stove top, also, on medium/high heat 2-3 minutes per side. It cooks quick so you need to keep an eye on it or it will burn!
Pico De Gallo
While the steak is marinating, create your own homemade pico de gallo salsa to top your tacos. The ingredients for pic de gallo are simple enough that anyone can make this salsa. You will need tomatoes (any kind), red onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Everything is chopped and diced and thrown in a bowl. Your pico de gallo is ready for tacos!
Extras
Tortillas: Corn or flour will both work for this recipe. I’m used to getting corn tortillas from taco trucks so I went with corn on this one. Corn tortillas are also a gluten-free option if that is a concern.
Toppings: The more simple, the better for me. A few extra toppings that you can consider are – sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, Mexican blend shredded cheese, crumbled cotija, or sliced jalapeño.
With these steak tacos, I served Grilled Mexican Corn (Elote) alongside.
If you make these Mexican Carne Asada Street Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear what you think about it, or better yet, see what you’re cooking! Tag me on Insta, @fettysfoodblog with your creation.
Mexican Carne Asada Street Tacos
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
Pico De Gallo
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lime, squeezed
- handful fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
Tacos
- 1 1/2 pounds sirloin or flank steak, thinly cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 14-16 street corn tortillas or small flour tortillas, warmed
- 2 limes, cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add sliced steak and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour up to 6 hours.
- Combine pico de gallo ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside for serving.
- Preheat oven to broil (500 degrees F). Spray large sheet pan with cooking spray. Lay out marinated steak on sheet pan, not overlapping each other. Discard marinade. Broil for 4-6 minutes until cooked through to desired preference, cut into bite size pieces.
- Serve steak in warmed tortillas with pico de gallo, fresh chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
