Easy Carne Asada Tacos Recipe (Street Style)
While an authentic Mexican recipe for carne asada is traditionally cooked over an open flame using a cut of beef like flank steak or skirt steak, creating your own at home with a cast iron skillet and pre-chopped carne picada is a delicious twist on this beloved classic. Carne Picada is finely chopped beef, not to be confused with ground beef. This is one of my favorites for a quick, easy recipe on a weeknight, perfect for Taco Tuesday family dinner!
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Tortilla Warmer
- Food Processor Optional (You can chop the pico de gallo)
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Carne Picada You can find it at Aldi or Walmart
- 2 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 10 Corn Tortillas
- ¼ Cup Finely Chopped White Onion
- ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro
- 1 Cup Pico de Gallo Recipe Here: https://blessedotb.com/pico-de-gallo/
Carne Asada Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Tajin
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- To prepare the carne picada, in a large bowl mix it with carne asada seasoning, lime, orange juice, and olive oil. Stir the mixture thoroughly, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours. Ideally, the mixture should marinate for 2-4 hours for the best flavors.
- Prepare the pico de gallo by finely chopping the ingredients or using a food processor on the chop setting. https://blessedotb.com/pico-de-gallo/
- Warm the corn tortillas in a separate cast iron skillet and store in a tortilla warmer until ready to serve.
- Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the carne picada to the pan in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Sear it, allowing the meat to cook without stirring for a few minutes and a nice crust to form. Once it's all cooked, return it to the pan to warm it up.
- Once your carne asada is cooked to your preferred level of doneness, load each tortilla with a generous portion of meat. Top it with pico de gallo (I like to chop it in a food processor; it's easier to keep in the taco that way and a time saver on a weeknight) – and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and chopped white onion along with a little hot sauce like Cholula.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!