Quick-Seared Carne Asada | Family Cuisine

Quick-Seared Carne Asada Recipe – An easy, authentic carne asada marinade and quick-searing skillet recipe. This flavorful, juicy steak is perfect for making carne asada tacos or enjoying with fresh veggies as a low carb dish!

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I’ve been cooking up muchas recetas mexicanas en la cucina. (Many Mexican recipes in my kitchen.)

I know, I know… Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States than it is in Mexico. And I realize it’s just an excuse for us to party with margaritas and queso dip. Yet as far as I’m concerned, any holiday worth celebrating should involve lively music and good food, so Cinco de Mayo has got my vote.

All week I’ve got Mexican-inspired recipes for you, to help with the festivities. Today we’re starting with an all-time favorite, Carne Asada Steak.

An authentic Carne Asada recipe usually consists of a heavily seasoned marinade and a slab of skirt steak or flank steak.

The steak soaks in the marinade for hours to absorb the flavors. Then it is grilled and sliced to serve as steak tacos, on salads, and on traditional Mexican platters with rice and beans.

However, there are times I want to make Carne Asada, but don’t have time to wait around on the marination process.

I mean, I can’t be expected to plan a day ahead every single time I’m craving good Carne Asada tacos, right?

This Quick-Seared Carne Asada Recipe is my solution to eliminate the long wait-time for Carne Asada seasoning.

How To Make Our Easy Carne Asada Recipe

There are two major tweaks to this recipe that allow you to marinate the steaks rather quickly in just a matter of minutes and still end up with tender, perfectly-seasoned Carne Asada.

First, concentrate the marinade to intensify the flavors.

I used a blend of the following ingredients for our Carne Asada marinade:

• Fresh lime juice – the acid needed to tenderize the steak
• Fish sauce – for perfectly salty, savory flavor
• Ancho chili powder – not too spicy, adding just a bit of smokiness
• Garlic – because every good marinade needs garlic, amirite?
• Cilantro – adds a burst of freshness
• Habanero chiles – provides the vivid flavor palate

Pro Tip: I recommend using skirt steak to make authentic Carne Asada that is cooked medium-rare in temperature.

However, you can use another thin cut of lean beef, such as flank steak, if you prefer to cook your meat more in the medium to well-done temperature range.

My second secret for a quick and easy Carne Asada is to use a fork to poke holes over the entire surface of the steak, allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat in a shorter amount of time.

That’s it… Pores in the meat and a powerful marinade equal authentic Carne Asada flavor in a hurry!

Just pour the marinade over the pitted skirt steak and let in sit for a few minutes. In the time it takes you to heat your skillet and wash out your food processor, the marinading process in done.

How to Cook Carne Asada in a Skillet

1. After marinating your skirt steak for at least a few minutes, heat a large cast-iron skillet to high heat. Make sure the skillet is long enough to allow the skirt steak to lay flat. If you don’t have a skillet that large you can use a griddle or grill pan.

2. Next, add a little oil to the skillet. Once the oil is piping-hot, lay the steak in the skillet and sear for 3 minutes per side, for a medium-rare interior.

3. Be sure to allow the steak to rest at least five minutes after cooking, so the juices can redistribute. Otherwise, all the juices will run out when you cut into the steak.

Get the Complete Quick-Searing Carne Asada (Printable) Recipe Below. Enjoy!

4. Lastly, cut the skirt steak against the grain, into thin strips.

This Quick-Seared Carne Asada Recipe creates perfect pink meaty goodness with a spicy crust around the edges.

I’d call that Carne Asada at its finest!

Serve while warm, or allow the steak to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container as a make-ahead meal prep. Carne Asada will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Use this easy recipe to make zesty, juicy Carne Asada tacos or a healthy low carb steak salad, loaded with fresh goodies like avocado, pico de gallo, and a squeeze of lime.

Looking for More Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo?

• Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Red Pepper Puree
• Pollo Rojo
• The Best Huevos Rancheros
• Drowned Carnitas Party Sandwiches
• Perfect Guacamole
• Fresh Strawberry Margaritas
• Corn Crusted Fish Tacos

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