Carne Asada Marinade

We love carne asada! If you want the meat to be juicy and flavorful, then this simple Carne Asada Marinade is the perfect one to use for it!

This is the exact marinade we use to make our favorite Carne Asada recipe. Whatever leftover meat we have is then used for Carne Asada Tacos the next day. This marinade has just the right flavor for both!

mexican carne asada marinade

Carne asada is a Mexican style grilled and sliced beef, usually skirt steak, or a flank steak. It is usually marinated, then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor.

You can serve this tasty and tender meat on it’s own, or as an ingredient in other dishes like tacos or enchiladas! Our personal preference is on tacos though.

Carne Asada Marinade is perfect on any of your favorite meats, but is best known being paired with steak. Today’s marinade recipe is not only simple but adds the perfect amount of flavor to your meat to make it irresistible!

how to make carne asada marinade

MIX. Combine marinade ingredients (olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic cloves, cumin, and chili powder) in a small bowl.

MARINATE. Add steak to the bowl or to a baking dish (with marinade poured over) making sure meat is coated and marinate for 2-3 hours.

TO COOK MEAT: Heat grill to medium-high heat and cook meat for 5-7 minutes on each side. Let meat rest on cutting board for 5 minutes before cutting against the grain.

Marinating Tips

How long to marinate: A marinade works best when it has time to infiltrate throughout the nooks and crannies of the meat. I suggest marinating your meat for at least 3 hours, but overnight really gives a lot of time for the marinade to work its magic.

More Marinating Tips:

• Don’t marinate at room temp. Always place the marinating meat in the fridge.
• For every pound of meat, you should have ½  cup of marinade.
• Flip the meat every so often so that every side gets good coverage.
• Never reuse marinade. Once it has come in contact with raw meat, it needs to be discarded after being used.
• Marinating a meat does not extend the meat’s “use by ” date  and should be frozen to extend shelf life.
• Do not marinate in metal containers as the acids, especially from the citrus juices, react to it and can cause an odd flavor.
• You can mix up the marinade several days in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you add the meat. 

Tips + Storing Info

Best cut of beef to use: The best meat to use for this carne asada marinade is skirt steak or flank steak. 

• Flank steak is more lean whereas skirt steak has more fat marbling.  
• Once cooked allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting
• For the best cuts, slice the steak against the grain. This means  perpendicular/across the natural lines you see on top of the steak

Freeze Ahead of Time: You can place the meat and marinade in a Freezer Ziploc and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and cook within 24 hours.

for more of our favorite marinades:

• Best Steak Marinade
• Best Chicken Marinade
• Cilantro Lime Chicken
• Huli Huli Chicken