Transform your tacos and steak dinners with this flavorful Carne Asada Marinade. It’s the perfect starting point for making a meal that everyone will love. The powerful combination of spices and citrus juices in this marinade will add a depth of flavor that’s unbeatable!

Carne asada is undeniably delicious, and using this carne asada marinade will give you a perfect head start! The citrus juices in this marinade flavor the meat and add tenderizing power. The jalapeno provides a hint of spiciness but does not overpower the dish. If you are sensitive to spicy foods, feel free to omit the jalapeño and substitute it with a mild pepper, such as poblano or Anaheim.

What is Carne Asada?

Carne asada translates from Spanish to English as “grilled beef.” The meat is usually marinated in a citrus-rich marinade, grilled quickly at high heat, and then chopped for tacos and other dishes.

What Type of Steak to Use in Carne Asada

The best beef cuts for making Carne Asada Marinade include flat steaks like skirt, flank, and hanger. These cuts are more forgiving with longer marinating times, hold flavor well, and cook quickly. Of course, any steak that is less than one-inch thick will work.
Thinner, chewier flat steaks benefit most from the acidity of the marinade. If you’d like to add some tequila to the marinade, include one to two tablespoons for an additional depth of flavor. This carne asada marinade can also be used on chicken breasts and pork. See below for marinating times.

Marinade ingredients

• Fresh orange juice
• Fresh lime juice (sub with lemon juice)
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce (or Tamari)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (sub with flat leaf parsley)
• Garlic
• 1 large jalapeno (sub with serrano for a spicier marinade)
• 2 medium green onions
• Cumin powder
• Salt
• Black pepper

Making carne asada marinade

• Combine citrus juices and soy sauce in a medium plastic or glass bowl.
• Slowly whisk in olive oil.
• Add remaining ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir through.
• Let the marinade stand for 5 minutes, stir through, and taste it. Adjust seasonings to suit your tastes.

Marinating times

Plan a lengthy marinating time for most beef steaks; especially flat steaks. Use 1 cup of carne asada marinade per pound of meat.

• Flank Steak: 8-24 hours
• Skirt and Hanger Steaks: 4-6 hours
• Sirloin Steaks: 4-8 hours
• Ribeye, T-Bone, NY Strip: 2-4 hours
• Thicker cuts of beef, like roasts: 12-24 hours
• Chicken breasts: 2-3 hours
• Pork tenderloin or pork steaks: 2-3 hours
• Pork roasts: 4-5 hours

More recipes!

• Easy Carne Asada
• Mexican-Style Rotisserie Chicken
• Sinaloa Chicken

Print

Carne Asada Marinade

This quick and easy marinade will add incredible flavor to all cuts of steak. Use on skirt steak to make delicious tacos! This recipe makes enough marinade for 2 1/4 pounds of meat.

Course Marinades/Brines

Cuisine American BBQ, Fusion, Mexican

Keyword carne asada, carne asada marinade, Cinco de Mayo recipes, marinade recipes, Mexican marinade, steak marinade

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2.25 Cups

Calories 228kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (sub with flat leaf parsley)
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
• 2 medium green onions finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Instructions

• Add citrus juices and soy sauce to a medium plastic or glass bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil while gently whisking. Doing so will help the oil incorporate into the liquid.
• Add remaining ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir through.

  Let mixture stand for 5 minutes, stir through, and taste it. Adjust seasonings to suit your tastes.
• To marinate:
• Place steaks into a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade on top.
• Gently move the meat around to get it well coated.
• Release air from the bag and place it into the refrigerator.
• Marinating times: (Use 1 cup of marinade per 1 pound of meat.)
• Flat steaks (skirt, hanger, flank, flat iron, sirloin flap steak): 4-8 hours, but can go as long as 12 hours for thicker cuts.
• Steaks (NY strip, ribeye, sirloin, T-Bone): 2-4 hours
• Tri-tip and chuck roasts: 12-24 hours

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1263mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 208IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

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