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A platter of carne asada fries packed with toppings.
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Carne Asada Fries Recipe

Carne asada fries are the ultimate comfort food, featuring grilled steak, golden fries, and all your favorite toppings in one easy, crowd-pleasing meal.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time15 minutes
Assemble10 minutes
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 8
Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

Carne Asada

  • 1½ pounds flank steak, (or flat iron steak)
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Fries

  • 1 (26-ounce) package frozen French fries
  • sour cream
  • guacamole
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Instructions

  • Make marinade by combining olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder in a small bowl.
  • Add steak to the bowl or to a baking dish (with marinade poured over) making sure meat is coated and marinated for 2-3 hours.
  • Before grilling up meat, bake or fry French fries according to package instructions depending on preference.
  • 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. **The most widely used method is to grill the meat using a propane or charcoal grill. You can also fry it in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop or place it on a grill pan and broil it in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it's cooked to your preference: Rare (about 125°F), medium-rare (about 135°F), and medium (about 145°F).
  • Slice meat at an angle against the grain with a sharp knife and serve warm.
  • Place cooked french fries on a large platter, top with shredded cheese, carne asada, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes and cilantro.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.
  • Marinate the steak for at least two hours so the flavors fully absorb.
  • Let the meat rest before slicing so the juices stay locked in.
  • Cooking the meat. The most widely used method is to grill the meat using a propane or charcoal grill. You can also fry it in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop or place it on a grill pan and broil it in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it's cooked to your preference: Rare (about 125°F), medium-rare (about 135°F), and medium (about 145°F).
  • Slice against the grain and then cut those slices into bite-sized pieces. (Against the grain means cutting it perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers.) This helps to shorten the muscle fibers, resulting in more tender and easier-to-chew meat. 
  • Use a large platter so the fries stay crisp and toppings are evenly spread.
  • This is best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored separately and reheated.
Make ahead of time. I don't recommend fully making this dish ahead of time; however, you can prepare the different elements. Cook and slice the meat, cook the fries, and prepare any toppings. Keep them stored separately until you are ready to assemble them. Heat before serving.
Store. Remove any toppings with a higher water content, like tomatoes, pico, or salsa, because they can make the dish soggy faster. Place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Reheating carne asada fries in the oven can help the fries crisp up a little, but the microwave can be used as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg