The Best Carne Asada Recipe for Tacos at Home

Carne asada — grilled meat — is one of those dishes where the marinade does all the heavy lifting. Get that right and the rest is just heat and timing.

At our Hau’ula restaurant, Steak (Carne Asada) is one of the protein options on the menu. It is slow-cooked, seasoned our way, and served in Surfin’ Tacos, Beach Burritos, Gnarly Nachos, or any plate you choose. The recipe below is not ours — it is a classic home grilling approach using skirt or flank steak, a citrus-forward marinade, and a hot grill. Different method, same love for the cut.

The Marinade

This is where the flavor lives. Mix everything in a bowl or blend it smooth — either works.

• Juice of 2 limes
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The key: Marinate for 4 to 12 hours in the fridge. The citrus tenderizes the meat while the cumin and chili build depth. Do not go past 12 hours — the acid starts breaking down the texture and the steak turns mushy.

Choosing Your Cut

Two options. Both are excellent.

Cut	Flavor	Cook Time (per side)	Best For
Skirt Steak	Buttery, rich	4 minutes	Quick grilling, intense flavor
Flank Steak	Lean, beefy	6–8 minutes	Longer marinades, clean slices

Skirt steak is thinner, cooks faster, and has more marbling. Flank steak is leaner and benefits from the full 12-hour marinade. Both must be sliced against the grain — this is non-negotiable for tenderness.

How to Grill It

1. Pull the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Cold meat on a hot grill cooks unevenly.
2. Heat your grill to high. You want it as hot as it gets. Oil the grates.
3. Shake off excess marinade and place the steak directly over the heat.
4. Skirt steak: 4 minutes per side. Flank steak: 6 to 8 minutes per side. Flip once.
5. Check with a meat thermometer — 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium.
6. Rest the steak on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Do not skip this. Cutting too early lets the juices run out.
7. Slice thin, against the grain.

No grill? A cast-iron skillet on the stovetop at high heat works. Get the pan smoking hot, cook the same times, and you will still get a solid char.

Assemble Your Tacos

Warm corn or flour tortillas over a flame or in a dry skillet. Layer the sliced steak and top with whatever you like:

• Fresh pico de gallo
• Diced avocado or guacamole
• A squeeze of lime
• Chopped cilantro
• A drizzle of pineapple salsa for a sweet-and-smoky contrast

One pound of steak fills about 8 to 10 tacos — enough for 4 people at 2 to 3 tacos each.

Common Mistakes

• Over-marinating. Past 12 hours the acid turns the meat soft in the wrong way.
• Skipping the rest. Five minutes off the heat redistributes the juices. Cut it early and you lose them.
• Cutting with the grain. Look at the lines running through the steak. Cut perpendicular to them. Every time.
• Crowding the grill. Give each piece space. Crowding drops the temperature and you steam the meat instead of charring it.

Storage

Sliced carne asada keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes well for 3 months. Reheat gently in a skillet — the microwave dries it out. Store the meat separate from tortillas and toppings for best results.

Order It From Us

If you would rather let us do the grilling, Steak (Carne Asada) is available as a protein in every plate on our restaurant menu — Surfin’ Tacos, Beach Burritos, Gnarly Nachos, and more.

Stop by our Hau’ula restaurant or the Sharks Cove food truck to try it the North Shore Tacos way.

Check out our full food truck menu for all protein options and pricing.