This Carne Asada Marinade works perfectly on all kinds of proteins from skirt steak to chicken, fish, tofu, mushrooms, to cauliflower. The citrus flavors really shine through, making this the perfect flavorful marinade that doesn’t need a ton of ingredients!
This carne asada recipe is adapted from world-renowned chef Alton Brown. And has been supported by that great chef of Mexican Cuisine, Rick Bayless. The average home cook can easily make this delicious asada marinade at home.
And this recipe answers the question, “how to season carne asada?”
Carne Asada is all about the marinade; you want one that’s flavorful while letting the food shine through. Then you take that marinated food and pop it on the grill for a nice little caramelization and char.
All that grilled goodness goes into a tortilla for tacos or burritos. On top of nachos. Or, just eat it plain. If you want to try some of the best tacos ever, try this marinade!
We’ve turned this Marinade into a Crock Pot Carne Asada Recipe. Make sure to check out our video on how to make the crock pot version.
And, we have a version of our favorite crock pot mushroom asada.
This recipe was originally published in 2015. It has been updated with new information, new pictures, and the recipe itself has been updated. All for a better user experience. I have packed it full of info on how to use this marinade. If you prefer not to read it, simply use the “jump to recipe” button at the top to get straight to the recipe.
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How we found this recipe
We used to buy marinated steak to grill for carne asada from the butcher.
But our store doesn’t sell that beautiful marinated steak any longer. Our guess is that one of the butchers made his own family recipe, and when he left, he took that recipe with him.
So, we set out to find a replacement recipe for his marinade. We figured, ultimately, it would be better if we could make our own anyway. Then we’d be able to make it anywhere at any time.
We got a few suggestions on recipes, but nothing really struck us as traditional. One, from our friend Chad had soy sauce in it. We thought that couldn’t be, how could soy sauce make a good Carne Asada.
So, we did some research and testing. We tested lots of different recipes with different ingredients.
None quite hit the mark.
Rick Bayless to the rescue
When, one night, we were watching Rick Bayless (you know, that all knowledgeable guru of Mexican food!), and he said that many cooks in Mexico use soy sauce in their Carne Asada. What!?!
Well, we were sold. Chad told us. Rick Bayless told us.
This marinade rocks!
We tried it. And, yes, you guessed it, it’s perfect. Traditional, authentic, yummy. And we’ve learned that this marinade not only works on steak, but it’s fantastic on mushrooms, fish, tofu, and veggies of all kinds.
Steak
The aroma of grilled steak always smells great to me. Something nostalgic about it, I think. It brings back childhood memories of times when your only cares were about going out to play. No worries, no bills, no house cleaning. Just good times, and grilled food from my dad.
And this marinade is so flavorful, and it makes the juiciest, most tender steak.
One recipe of marinade is great on 1 to 2 pounds steak, and makes about 8 servings as taco meat.
After mixing the marinade together, place the raw steak and the marinade in a ziptop bag, and place it in the fridge. Occasionally, go in and rotate the bag so that all the steak gets in contact with the marinade.
When using an outdoor gas grill, heat it to medium-high, around 500 degrees, before grilling the meat.
Cooking time is an estimate and depends on the thickness of the meat as well as how hot your grill actually gets. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy, typically you’ll want an internal temperature of around 130° F for medium rare. Many instant read thermometers have scales on them.
Add the marinated steak to the grill, and cook, flipping once, until desired doneness, about 5-6 minutes per side for medium rare.
Let rest, covered, 5 minutes.
Thinly slice steak against the grain.
Carne asada is traditionally made using skirt steak or flank steak.
Though the cuts are very similar (both are tough, lean cuts of meat), there are a few differences.
Flank steak is a leaner of the two, and is a thicker, wider, and heavier meat cut than skirt steak. It also has a more tightly woven grain structure than skirt steak.
Flank steaks take a few extra minutes to cook in comparison with skirt steak.
Skirt steak has a less dense and more fibrous grain structure. It is a fattier piece of meat than flank steak, and is typically a long skinny and thin cut.
Because it’s less dense, skirt steak reacts well to marinating, and is our recommendation for carne asada if you can get it.
Regardless of which you use, be sure to cut against the grain after grilling.
Mushrooms
Earthy mushrooms marinated and cooked in a light citrus marinade. This mushroom asada is easy to make, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and so delicious.
Mushrooms soak up the flavors of this marinade really well, and they make an excellent taco filling.
If you’re looking for Mushroom Asada Tacos, then this is one. It’s a rich flavorful marinade, made with fresh ingredients that you can use to make portobello asada tacos or button mushroom asada tacos.
Or is that Hongos Asada? (Asada meaning grilled or dry cooked.)
Leftover mushrooms
We started making mushroom asada to use up some leftover mushrooms. I think my leftover mushrooms were in my husband’s way, so he suggested that I marinate them (to get them out of his way).
It’s a great way to use up both leftover mushrooms and some of the marinade.
Portobello mushrooms
To make the portobello mushroom asada, simply take the large mushroom caps, anywhere from 2 to 4 mushroom caps, and pop them in a ziptop bag with the marinade.
I like to marinate these larger tougher mushrooms for a longer time, say about 24 hours. It allows the marinade to get in the shrooms.
When you’re ready to grill, preheat to medium high and place the whole mushroom caps, grill side up, on the grill grates. Close the lid and grill for about 5 minutes, then carefully flip them over.
Grill cap side up, for another 10 minutes or so, until the mushrooms have shrunk, are tender, and have nice char marks on them.
Remove the cooked mushrooms from the grill and let rest about 5 minutes before slicing and serving in a taco.
Whole portobella mushroom caps are also great on a burger bun or in a sandwich.
Button mushroom asada
Cut button mushrooms in half and place them in the marinade. Because button mushrooms are smaller and more tender, they don’t need to marinate as long as portobellas. Marinate button mushrooms for 1 to 6 hours.
Though I have done them as long as 24 hours, they do get a little slimy when marinated that long.
Place the marinated mushroom halves in a small cast iron skillet and cook them on the grill or on the stove top over high heat.
Cook the mushrooms until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are a nice golden brown.
Mushrooms shrink quite a bit when cooked, so you may not even need to slice the button mushrooms after cooking them.
Fish
This marinade works really well on fish as well, for a great fish pescado asada. I like a nice firm fish like swordfish or tuna steak.
Use about 1 to 2 pounds fish, and marinate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the swordfish until nicely charred and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steaks.
Tofu Asada
For tofu asada, use 12-16 ounces for extra firm tofu, and slice it about 1-inch thick, lengthwise.
I usually put the tofu in a {affiliate link} glass dish to marinate. It can marinate for 24 hours, even up to 48 hours because it’s nice and firm.
Let the excess marinade drip off the tofu. Place the marinated tofu on the preheated grill gates, cover grill. Cook, turning once, until nice char marks develop, about 10-15 minutes.
Slice tofu into smaller pieces and serve in tacos.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower asada is another great vegan option that you’re sure to love.
Use one head of cauliflower and slice into 1-inch thick steaks. Place cauliflower steaks in a ziptop bag or glass dish and marinate 24 hours. Again, cauliflower is sturdy and can be marinated for up to 48 hours if you have the time.
Let the excess marinade drip off of the cauliflower steaks. Place the marinated cauliflower steaks on the preheated grill gates, cover grill. Cook, turning once until nice char marks develop, about 15-20 minutes.
Cut the florets off the steak and place them in the tortillas for great tacos.
Easy to make
The marinade itself is easy to put together. Just mix up a few ingredients.
The calorie evaluation is going to be off on the recipe card because this is a marinade, and most of the marinade is drained off after soaking the item in it.
If you use a veggie item (like mushrooms, tofu, or cauliflower), you can reuse the marinade, say for other veggies for the meal. If you marinate beef, chicken, or fish in it, the extra will need to be discarded.
FAQ and pro tips
This delicious marinade is made with olive oil, soy sauce, green onions, citrus juice (lime juice or lemon juice), garlic powder and cumin, a little red pepper flakes, and some dark brown sugar for color. It’s the easiest and most flavorful marinade we’ve tried.
We have been experimenting, with great success, leaving the oil out of the marinade.
I know that the rule for marinades is that some fat is needed because it helps transfer fat-soluble flavors into the meat and also helps retain moisture. Fat also helps round out flavor profiles and keep acidic flavors from overpowering the rest of the flavors.
However, all that being said, we have had great success with taking out all of the oil from this marinade, and replacing it with an equal amount of water.
I love that we don’t use a pricey ingredient and have to throw it away after marinating meat in it. I also love that it saves a ton of calories.
At this point, I’m not changing the recipe card from including oil, as so many people believe that oil is needed in marinades. However, just know that it’s totally possible and just as good.
It also helps to eliminate grill flare ups when you leave the oil out of the recipe.
A longer marinating time, like 24 hours, gives time for all the flavors to get to know each other, and for the marinade to penetrate the thing being marinated.
But, if you need it sooner than that, you can do as little as one hour.
I’ve tried to give recommendations for each item above, but to collect all the times in one place, here they are.
Marinate tough cuts of meat like skirt steak, flank steak, sirloin, and round for up to 24 hours.
Tougher veggies like cauliflower and portobello mushrooms can benefit from a long marinating time like 24 hours.
For tender things like fish, small mushrooms, and chicken, marinate for less time, around 1 to 6 hours.
Tofu can marinate for up to 24 to 48 hours.
Marinating in a plastic bag allows you to save space and move the item around in the marinade easily. You can also marinate in a bowl or non-reactive glass dish. Make sure to cover the dish tightly with a lid or plastic wrap.
Yes, you can marinate for too long. The acid in the marinade will start breaking down the meat, leaving you with a gritty or mushy texture.
Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend from 6 hours up to 24 hours. It’s safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days the marinade will probably start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
Always marinate things, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Never marinate at room temperature, as bacteria can quickly grow on raw meat.
A plastic bag makes things nice and easy to marinate. Or, use a glass dish with a lid or plastic wrap to cover.
I believe this is a matter of preference. Some people will tell you never to rinse or wipe the marinade off, and some will say to always remove the marinade.
Mostly, removing the marinade before grilling is to prevent flare ups on the grill.
Do your personal preference. I don’t feel the need to wipe off the marinade, and the flare ups don’t bother me a bit.
Yes, you can make any of these asadas indoors. Just use a stove top and a heavy skillet, a cast iron is great, and a cast iron with grill grates is even better.
Heat the skillet over high heat, and cook for about the same amount of time, maybe just a little bit more, than you would on an outdoor grill.
What goes with carne asada?
There’s so much you can do with a simple taco!
And don’t forget you can make this into carne asada fries too!
Serve any of these great grilled foods stuffed in a tortilla with a variety of sauces from Avocado Sauce to Enchilada Sauce.
Don’t forget the salsa. Roasted tomato salsa, Traditional salsa, and Tomatillo salsa.
Sides are also great taco stuffers; try some Mexican Street Corn, Chipotle rice, or Seasoned Black Beans.
Drizzle some cheese sauce over the top. Try Nacho cheese sauce or candied jalapeno cheese sauce.
And don’t forget the Homemade Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.
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Recipe
Carne Asada Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil or water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 4 scallions finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients with a whisk or with a hand mixer with the whisk attachment until thoroughly combined.
- Place steak, fish, or tofu in a ziplock bag or a glass dish. Pour marinade over and mix so that marinade touches all areas of item to be marinated. Remove as much air as possible from the ziplock bag, and place in fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Remove steak, swordfish, or tofu from bag and grill, and discard extra sauce. When finished cooking, place steak or swordfish on plate and cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes (tofu will not need to rest). When ready to serve, thinly slice steak across the grain of the meat.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
I really LOVE this recipe, it’s really good! From what I have learned oil is important in a good marinade as well as the acid, but a well oiled grill should be fairly non stick. So I tried it without the oil and it worked great on the steak. The steak was juicy and delicious!
We have Churrasco all the time!! This was a great New Twist for us! Thanks for posting!! We will be making this all the time along with our Churrasco!
I grew up eating carne asada. I have this recipe now that makes me so happy. It’s easy and so good. I never would have thought to add soy sauce, but you’re right! I’ll try your version over carne asada fries next!
This is awesome. My family loved it! I just got a new Kamato grill this was fun to make. I want to grill everything right now! Girl you come up with the best recipes for seasonings!!! This one is a keeper!
I love Rick Bayless and now I love Chad. 😉 Your marinade is fantastic- so glad you shared the secret! Well, the secret is out, because I have shared it with several friends. 🙂 Thank you for bringing this to us! (P.S. I loved your memories of being a kid playing while your dad grilled!)
I love Carne Asada but it never occurred to me that I could make my own (less salty version) at home until I saw this recipe…it just seemed too daunting. Not any more – I love this marinade. It’s easy to make and the citrus flavor is just perfectly balanced!
This is so delicious! And you’re right – if Rick Bayless says it’s so, then really it MUST be so! (And Chad, too, I guess! :D) Those wonderful pics of the grill make me yearn for summer … I think we’ve got more cold weather returning here in Ohio, but I had to fire up the grill anyway, just to give us an early taste of summer! This marinade is the perfect reason to do it! Everyone loved this steak!
I love this recipe, Debi! 🙂 Carne Asada is a favorite of mine but I’ve never tried making my own marinade until now! & the use of Meyer lemon? Superb! 🙂 Everything was delicious!
Oh my gosh, I had steak in the fridge and was wondering what to do with it. Then I saw this marinade. It was delicious. Easy to make and I had everything in the kitchen. Perfectly easy and great flavors.
Thank you so much for this great marinade, it is a winner.
This marinade is amazing! Used it for thin cut Rib eye steaks that I grilled. Marinated for 18 hours. I cut the steaks into bite size pieces and used them for carne asada tostadas! Yum!
I did some tweaks to mine and it turned out pretty great.
Here is what I did:
I lacked some lime so I replaced the lime with vinegar( apple cider)
added some ground ginger to add a zesty side.
Added some dry chives and some chilli oil to the remaining sauce for a spicy dip
I also added some oyster sauce, about 75% the volume of soy sauce, since I used unsalted soy sauce.
This marinade looks delicious, and might I add, it tastes even better. Is that even possible? My husband and I are plant based eaters, and I am always on the look out for vegan/vegetarian sandwiches. After seeing this recipe I made the marinade and added the button mushrooms in one container and thinly sliced green crooked neck squash in another. I used whole multigrain bread, a vegan cheese and mayonnaise, sliced up some tomatoes, added some spinach, and pan grilled the mushrooms and squash. I made a little potato salad for myself and fries for my husband, and WOW! What a wonderful and tasty meal. Two thumbs up to you.
This marinade is amazing! I use it a lot with skirt steak and chicken.
This marinade is sooo flavorful! We are going to be making this recipe very often, I think!