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RecipesWhipped Up

Mexican

Carne Asada Tacos

Skirt steak is grilled to medium-rare, rested, and sliced against the grain for corn tortillas. The tacos taste charred, citrusy, and beefy, with onion and cilantro on top.

Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Total
32 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
Jump to recipe
Sliced grilled skirt steak in corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and lime

Why you’ll love it

  • Skirt steak has a loose grain that takes a citrus marinade quickly.
  • A hot grill sears the outside before the center overshoots medium-rare.
  • Resting to 135°F finishes the doneness without more grill time.
  • Slicing against the grain is what makes skirt steak easy to chew.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Trim excess silver skin from the skirt steak. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper, and coat the steak. Let it sit 15 minutes.

  2. 2

    Heat a grill to high, about 450°F. If oil on the grates smokes, turn the heat off and let them cool before you continue.

  3. 3

    Grill the steak about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Pull it at 130°F for medium-rare.

  4. 4

    Rest the steak until it rises to about 135°F, about 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    Slice the steak thinly against the grain. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill.

  6. 6

    Fill the tortillas with steak, onion, and cilantro, and serve with the lime wedges.

Pro tips

  • A thin skirt steak goes from 130°F to overcooked quickly, so stay at the grill.
  • If the steak is very long, cut it into pieces that fit the grill.
  • Cut across the grain; the grain on skirt runs across the short side.

Easy substitutions

skirt steak
flank steak, still pulled at 130°F for medium-rare
orange juice
more lime juice
corn tortillas
warm rice for a steak plate

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate sliced steak in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm the slices gently in a covered skillet just until hot so they do not cook past medium.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
418
Protein
36 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
3 g

Moderate · Grill · Gluten-Free, High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients