If you've eaten at a Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant, you've likely seen carne asada on the menu. At its most basic, carne asada means grilled meat. From there it can take on many different permutations as it's a dish popular not only in Mexico but in many Latin American countries. In almost all cases, the meat is beef that's been seasoned and then grilled over a hot fire. In Mexico, carne asada is a favorite filling for tacos; in Argentina slices of tender juicy steak get served with chiumichurri sauce. The notion of topping French fries with carne asada origintated with the Mexican-American community in San Diego, but now you can find carne asada fries just about anywhere. (And hooray for that!)

Read on to learn more about carne asada and how to make it on your Traeger.

What Is Carne Asada?

As mentioned, carne asada means grilled meat. Because it's generally cooked quickly, it's usually thinner cuts such as flank steak or skirt steak. And while it can be simply seasoned with salt, the version most often encountered as a filling for tacos or burritos has usually been marinated.

As you can see when you compare the various carne asada recipes on this website alone, there's no single marinade for the meat. Most include garlic and lime, many include herbs, such as Mexican oregano, as well as spices like cumin and chile powder, while others may also add actual chiles like jalapeño. The flavors should complement but not obscure the meat's flavor.

After some time in the marinade, the meat is grilled, giving its exterior a nice char but keeping the meat juicy, and then it's usually sliced for serving.

How to Prepare Meat for Carne Asada

Carne asada is a simple dish that isn't any more difficult to make than other grilled meat.

When making carne asada, figure on about 1/2 pound of raw meat person. If necessary, trim the meat of any excess fat. Then marinate it as you like. Because the meat cut is thin, it does not need a long marinating time. If you are short on time, 30 minutes at room temperature is enough to boost the meat's flavor. Better still would be to cover and refrigerate it for at least a few hours and up 24 hours. Because there's generally acid in the marinade, you don't want to marinate it for longer than that or the meat might break down and turn out mushy.

How to Cook Carne Asada

The traditional way to cook carne adasa is hot and fast. That's how we do it in this carne asada paired with onions and peppers. In these cases, you want to heat your grill to between 450°F and 500°F. Cook the meat until nicely browned one side, then flip and cook till done to your liking.

You can also smoke the meat first. At Traeger, we're all about wood-fired flavor, and so some of our carne asada recipes start by smoking the meat first and then searing it for a nice crust as is done for this carne asada burrito. To do that, you start the steak over low heat, not more than 225°F, and let the smoke permeate the meat for a half hour or so before cranking up the grill temperature and giving it a final sear. (You can read more about this technique, known as reverse searing, here.)

Which pellets to use? You can use just about any Traeger pellet you want for making carne asada. Cherry and apple will give it a subtle smoke flavor and a bit of sweetness, while hickory adds bolder, almost bacon-y flavor. Mesquite is another great option as the wood hails from some of the same regions where asada is most popular.

Use a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. Because thin cuts of meat cook fast, it's best to use a leave in thermometer like MEATER so that you can know when to take the meat off the grill. For medium rare, take it off the heat when it's between 130°F and 135°F. (For other steak temperature ranges, look here.)

Let the meat rest before slicing. After grilling, allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender and juicy.

Slice against the grain. The grain is the set of lines running in one direction on the meat. Cut perpendicular to this set of lines for tender bites.

How to Serve Carne Asada

Carne asada can be used in place of any meat you would use in a Mexican or Tex-Mex dish, including burritos, nachos, tacos, and salads. It loves accompaniments like sour cream (or Mexican crema), salsa, and guacamole. and garnishes like lime wedges and fresh cilantro. It's also delicious on it's own served with beans and rice or just about any side dish you would serve with steak.

Carne Asada FAQ

Can I use chicken or fish to make carne asada?

Carne asada is traditionally made with beef. However, you can use the same marinade and cooking techniques to cook chicken, pork, and fish. In fact, the chicken version of the dish has its own name: pollo asado.

Can I make carne asada ahead?

You can cook it comepletly ahead and then gently reheat it to use in tacos and burritos. If doing so, you may want to take it off the heat while rare so it doesn't overcook. It's also delicious cold.

What sides go well with carne asada?

In addition to rice and beans, carne asada would go well with Mexican-style corn dishes such as esquites and elote. Grilled sweet potatoes would be another great option.