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Carne Asada Street Tacos Recipe

  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Carne asada street tacos are made with grilled, marinated flank or skirt steak and topped with creamy avocado salsa, chopped white onions, and fresh cilantro.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound flank or skirt steak, roughly 1 inch thick
  • 8 small white corn tortillas (warm)
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 bunch cilantro leaves
  • lime wedges for serving

Avocado Salsa (Salsa Aguacate)

  • 1 avocado, peeled, seed removed
  • 34 jalapeno slices, seeds removed**
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, leaves removed from stem
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lime, juice squeezed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Carne Asada Marinade

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 limes, juice squeezed
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the avocado salsa

  1. combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Add additional tablespoons of water if too thick. You want the salsa to be thin enough to drizzle off a spoon.

For the steak

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Mix until combined. Add flank steak and shake. Remove as much air from the bag as possible, seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. Remove steak from the fridge 30 minutes before searing. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a cast iron skillet and turn up to medium-high heat. Allow the skillet to become hot first. Place the steak face down and sear undisturbed for 5-6 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 5-6 minutes. This is for medium, sear for 6-7 minutes per side for medium and higher. If cooking on the grill, cook for 5-6 minutes per side on a grill on medium-high heat with the cover down, roughly 450 °F.
  3. Remove steak from the pan and place on a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  4. Find the natural grain running lengthwise through the steak. Cut the steak into thin slices AGAINST/across the grain. This is to ensure the steak is tender and easy to bite. If you slice with or in the same direction of the grain, the meat will be much tougher to bite.
  5. To toast the taco shells, place on a greased skillet or pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes per side or until warm and starting to crisp. This will ensure tacos don’t crumble apart. You can optionally steam in the microwave wrapped in a moist paper towel for 20-30 seconds. Toasting is way better.
  6. Serve tacos topped with diced white onions, fresh cilantro leaves, and a drizzle of avocado salsa.

Notes

Test the jalapenos before adding. Heat index can differ from pepper to pepper.

Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.

Temperatures for steak 
Rare: 120° F to 125° F 
Medium rare: 125° F to 130° F 
Medium: 135° F to 140° F 
Medium well: 145° F to 150° F 
Well done: 160° F and above


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 tacos
  • Calories: 809
  • Sugar: 3.1g
  • Sodium: 231mg
  • Fat: 33.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 8.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 58.1g
  • Fiber: 14.3g
  • Protein: 89.9g
  • Cholesterol: 204mg

Keywords: street tacos, carne asada tacos, avocado salsa

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