# Carne Asada

Citrus-marinated skirt steak grilled hard and fast, then sliced thin against the grain. Bold, charred, and ready for tacos or a plate.

_Dinner · Mexican_

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 30 min · Yields: 4 servings

## Ingredients

- 2 lb skirt steak (or flank steak, trimmed of excess fat)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about 1 large orange)
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small jalapeño (finely chopped, seeds removed for less heat)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to finish)

## Instructions

1. In a bowl or zip-top bag, whisk together the 0.25 cup orange juice, 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp soy sauce, and 3 tbsp olive oil.
2. Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 small jalapeño, 0.25 cup cilantro, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 0.5 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp kosher salt until combined.
3. Add the 2 lb skirt steak to the marinade, turning to coat every surface. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. Do not marinate longer — the citrus will begin to break down the texture.
4. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. Pat the surface dry with paper towels; a dry surface chars, a wet one steams.
5. Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over high heat until smoking. You want maximum heat here — that char is the whole point.
6. Lay the steak flat on the grill. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep, dark crust forms on the first side.
7. Flip the steak once and cook for another 2–3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temp 130–135°F). Skirt steak toughens quickly past medium, so pull it early.
8. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
9. Slice the steak thinly against the grain at a slight diagonal. Finish with a pinch of kosher salt and serve immediately.

## Tip

> Skirt steak has a very pronounced grain — look at it before you cut and make sure your knife is going across those fibers, not parallel to them. Even a 30-second overcook becomes forgivable when you slice correctly.

Tags: weeknight, grilling, gluten-free, 30-minute, one-pan

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/carne-asada