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Authentic Carne Asada Marinade for Flavorful Grilling

Close-up of perfectly grilled steak slices showing a medium-rare center, seasoned with herbs from the carne asada marinade.
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This is the best carne asada marinade recipe, packed with lime, cilantro, and spices, perfect for making tender skirt or flank steak for your next taco night.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional, for spicy carne asada marinade)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup orange juice

Instructions

  1. Prepare the steak: Trim any excess fat from your skirt steak or flank steak. If using flank steak, you may want to lightly pound it to an even thickness.
  2. Combine marinade ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, minced garlic, jalapeño (if using), cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and orange juice. This creates your citrus carne asada marinade.
  3. Marinate the meat: Place the steak in a large, resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the steak, making sure the meat is fully coated.
  4. Refrigerate: Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours, for the best flavor absorption. Do not marinate for longer than 12 hours, as the acid can start to break down the meat too much.
  5. Prepare for grilling: Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Discard the excess marinade.
  6. Grill: Preheat your grill to high heat. Grill the carne asada for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on the thickness of your steak.
  7. Rest and slice: Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Notes

  • For an even more authentic Mexican carne asada marinade, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for deeper umami flavor.
  • If you prefer a less spicy marinade, omit the jalapeño entirely.
  • This marinade works perfectly for both flank steak carne asada marinade and skirt steak carne asada marinade.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://spoonfulsnap.com/carne-asada-marinade-best-recipe-grilling/