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Authentic Carne Asada Marinade for Tender Steak

Close-up of medium-rare steak slices showing char marks and juices, prepared with carne asada marinade.
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Make flavorful carne asada with this traditional Mexican marinade recipe using fresh lime juice, cilantro, and spices. This marinade tenderizes skirt or flank steak perfectly for grilling.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice (about 6–8 limes)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

  1. Place the steak in a large, non-reactive dish or a resealable plastic bag.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder to make the marinade.
  3. Pour the marinade over the steak, ensuring all surfaces are coated.
  4. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight for best flavor.
  5. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Discard the remaining marinade.
  6. Grill the steak over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness.
  7. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Notes

  • For a spicier marinade, add one minced jalapeño or serrano pepper to the mixture.
  • Use fresh lime juice; bottled juice changes the flavor profile.
  • This marinade works well for flank steak or skirt steak, which are ideal cuts for carne asada.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookincorner.com/carne-asada-marinade-recipe-easy/