Carne Asada
Skirt steak soaked in a punchy lime, garlic, cilantro and chile marinade, grilled over high heat and sliced thin. Served with avocado, salsa and crisp lettuce leaves instead of tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
about 4 oz (115 g) cooked steak with toppings- Net carbs
- 5.8g
- Calories
- 454kcal
- Protein
- 34g
- Fat
- 32g
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 5.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pollo asado (chicken): Boneless chicken thighs take the same citrus-chile marinade and stay juicy over the high heat of the grill.
- Marinate the chicken 2–8 hours. Grill over medium-high heat 5–6 minutes per side, until charred and 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, then rest 5 minutes and slice.
Steak fajitas: Serve the sliced steak sizzling on a bed of charred peppers and onions for a fajita platter.
- While the steak rests, heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Cook the peppers and onion with a pinch of salt and cumin for 6–8 minutes, tossing only occasionally, until charred at the edges but still crisp-tender. Pile the sliced steak on top and bring the pan to the table.
- Steak
- Marinade
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Steak
- Marinade
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Steak
- Marinade
- To serve
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $31.40 for 6 servings ($5.23 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Whisk the lime juice, olive oil, tamari, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a large dish or zip-top bag. Add the steak and turn to coat.
-
Marinate in the fridge for 1–4 hours, turning once. Don't go past 8 hours — the lime juice starts to turn the surface mushy.
-
Heat a grill to high, about 500°F (260°C), or heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Lift the steak from the marinade, let the excess drip off and pat the surface fairly dry so it chars instead of steaming.
-
Grill 3–4 minutes per side for skirt steak (5–6 minutes for thicker flank), until well charred and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F (63°C).
-
Rest the steak on a board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. With skirt steak, first cut it into 4–5-inch (10–12 cm) sections, then turn each section and slice across the fibers.
-
Serve the steak with the lettuce leaves for wrapping, sliced avocado, salsa, chopped onion, cilantro and lime wedges. Fresh pico de gallo or guacamole are ideal alongside.
Tips for success
-
Skirt steak is the traditional cut: thin, loose-grained and full of beefy flavor. Flank works too but is thicker and leaner, so slice it extra thin. - Many carne asada marinades lean on orange juice. Here lime and a splash of tamari provide the tang and savory depth without the sugar.
- Leftover steak makes excellent breakfast burritos or a topping for a cobb salad.
Nice to have, not needed
- A charcoal grill adds real smoky char — a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet works indoors.
- A sprinkle of crumbled cotija over the sliced steak is a nice salty finish — fine without.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Sear briefly in a very hot skillet, 30–60 seconds, or eat it cold on salads.
Prep tip: Freeze cooked, sliced steak flat in zip-top bags so you can break off just what you need for tacos or salads.
Refrigerate the sliced steak up to 4 days. Reheat briefly in a hot skillet, or enjoy it cold on salads.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPollo asado (chicken)
ProteinBoneless chicken thighs take the same citrus-chile marinade and stay juicy over the high heat of the grill.
- skirt or flank steak → boneless, skinless chicken thighs
5.8 g net · 354 kcal · 33 g protein · 21 g fat · ≈$2.56 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Steak fajitas
VeggiesServe the sliced steak sizzling on a bed of charred peppers and onions for a fajita platter.
- + 2 medium green bell peppers
- + 2 medium red bell peppers
- + 1 medium onion
- + 1 tbsp avocado oil
9.9 g net · 501 kcal · 35 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$5.70 per serving (+4.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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