Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat grill for direct heat (425–450°F) and indirect heat area.
- Brush skirt steak on both sides with olive oil. Season generously with Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning. Let steak sit at room temperature 15 minutes.
- Place steak over direct heat. Grill 3–4 minutes until browned with good char. Flip and grill 3–4 minutes on the other side.
- Move steak to indirect heat area. Close grill lid and cook until internal temperature reaches 125°F (medium-rare).
- Remove steak from grill. Rest 15 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
- Warm tortillas on the grill or in a skillet until soft and lightly charred.
- Serve sliced steak in warm tortillas topped with finely chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and a squeeze of lime.
Nutrition
Notes
- Season generously and use the full amount — The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning. This seasoning works by penetrating the meat, not sitting on the surface. Under-season here and you get under-flavored throughout, not just a thin crust.
- Pat the steak dry before it hits the seasoning — Surface moisture creates steam on the grill. Steam means no crust, no char. Paper towels, 30 seconds, done.
- Get the grill to temperature before the steak goes on — 425–450°F before the food hits the grates. A grill that's not fully preheated means the first side steams instead of sears. You lose the color and the crust that holds the flavor in.
- Pull at 125°F and rest the full 15 minutes — Skirt steak moves fast over high heat. Check the internal temp early — it can jump from 115 to 135°F in under a minute. Pull at 125°F and let carry-over do the rest. Cut into it too soon and the juices run off the board.
- Slice against the grain, thin — Skirt steak's grain runs across the narrow width of the cut. Slicing with it gives you long, chewy fibers. Against the grain, sliced thin, you get tender bites that work in a taco without fighting back.
- Warm tortillas directly on the grill — 30–60 seconds per side over direct heat until soft with light char marks. Cold tortillas break. Warm ones complete the bite.
- Serve the sliced carne asada in warm corn tortillas — the char on the tortilla matters as much as the char on the steak. Pile on white onion, cilantro, cotija, and a squeeze of lime. Let people build their own; the interaction between the seasoned beef, the sharp onion, and the salty cotija is the point.
- For a full plate, Mexican rice and black beans add texture and volume without more than 10 extra minutes of prep. Grilled jalapeños or a quick pico de gallo work as a side or an added topping.
- For a group, set it out family-style — tortillas in a cloth-wrapped stack, toppings in small bowls, steak sliced on a board. Everything holds, people serve themselves, and the steak isn't sitting in a pan getting cold.
- Store sliced steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the toppings — onion, cilantro, cotija, lime — stored separately. They don't hold up next to the meat.
- To reheat: a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth, covered, 2–3 minutes. Keeps the steak from drying out without fading the seasoning the way high microwave power does. If you're using a microwave, medium power, covered, 60–90 seconds max.
- Tortillas are best made fresh. Reheat pre-cooked ones in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame for 20–30 seconds per side.
- The sliced steak also works cold — thin over rice or in a quick bowl. Worth considering before you reach for the microwave.