How to Grill the Best Carne Asada: Secrets from a Mexican

Are you wondering how long to cook carne asada on the grill? Well, you’re in luck! Get ready for the most accurate answers on how to grill carne asada! Sí señor! you’ve got me, an authentic Mexican from Chihuahua, México—born and raised on carne asada—here to teach you all the secrets to mastering an authentic parrillada! 

So here’s the deal: Mexico is a big country, and the north of Mexico, where I’m from, is known for some of the best carne asada you’ll ever taste! In my home state of Chihuahua, carne asada is a weekend tradition. We take pride in grilling with mesquite charcoal or lump charcoal, and trust me, there’s a big difference in flavor compared to using a gas grill. When you light up that charcoal grill, you can already smell the delicious carne asada coming to life!

What Makes a Carne Asada?

For us Mexicans, carne asada is more than just grilled steak—it’s a whole experience! It means warm corn tortillas or soft flour tortillas (tortillas de harina), freshly made guacamole, spicy salsa, frijoles charros, grilled corn, and flavorful Mexican rice. We also love to add grilled poblano peppers stuffed with creamy Chihuahua cheese. These are the most traditional and popular sides that complete a carne asada feast!

Is Carne Asada only Arrachera?

While arrachera is popular cut of meat for carne asada in the U.S., in northern Mexico, we love using cuts of beef like ribeye, Sirloin, New York strip, and especially Flanken Style Short Ribs, which we call costillitas. Cecina, which comes from a round cut, is very popular in the south of Mexico. Fun fact: arrachera’s (skirt steak) origins come from the U.S.!

You won’t believe it, but the US is why we love Arrachera!

My dad, who knows everything about carne asada, told me that arrachera used to be overlooked in the U.S. because it was considered a tough cut of meat. Flank steak and skirt steak were so cheap that they used to sell them in Monterrey, Mexico, as animal feed. Arrachera was imported from the USA, where it was pretty much thrown out. But of course, Mexicans figured out how to tenderize it (want to learn our secret tenderizer? ) and turned it into one of the best options for carne asada. Now, it’s so popular that you’ll find it priced as high as ribeye at places like Costco! And while I do love arrachera, let me give you a tip: if ribeye and arrachera are the same price, go for the ribeye—nothing beats the marble of a good ribeye on a hot grill… and si señor a grilled rib eye is also carne asada.

So, what makes a good carne asada?

It all starts with the marinade ingredients and the carne asada meat cut you use. For arrachera or top sirloin steak, I recommend a flavorful marinade with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic and cooking oil (full recipe in the recipe card) to tenderize the muscle fibers and bring out juicy carne asada. But if you’re working with ribeye, a little olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper is all you need. Ribeye is my favorite because it’s so flavorful on its own, you don’t need much else!

I’m not a big fan of steak cuts as New York strip, though. It tends to dry out easily, so I always use a marinade and cook it a little longer to keep it juicy.

Gas grill versus charcoal grill

Now, I know gas grills are popular here in the U.S., and sure, they’re easier to use, but trust me when I say nothing beats the smoky flavor you get from grilling on a charcoal grill. We just got a gas grill last year, and during our block party (which always ends up in our yard), we grilled on both gas and charcoal grills. The taste difference was huge! The hot coals from the charcoal brought out that extra smoky flavor that makes you feel like a real cowboy grilling in the open air. For a flavorful carne asada go for a charcoal grill! definitly doing it in gas grill? no problem with my Mexican marinade recipes for carne asada you are up for a win! 

The secret to tender, juicy carne asada?

1. First of all a delicious carne asada marinade! some people likes to use orange juice, others lime juice or even beer! I have a list of carne asada marinades at the end so you can choose but my favorite is in the recipe card.

2. Patience! When using hot charcoal, you have to wait until the coals are halfway white before putting the meat on the outdoor grill. If you don’t, you’ll burn the carne asada before it even has a chance to cook properly. Once the fat starts dripping and flames shoot up, it’s too late! Waiting for the charcoal to be just right will give you the best results.

How Long to Cook Carne Asada on a Grill?

When it comes to cooking carne asada, my dad taught me a foolproof trick: once you see liquid on the top of the steak, it’s time to flip it. After flipping, cook for about five more minutes, but keep in mind that the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak. For perfectly cooked carne asada, using an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer is a reliable way to check the internal temperature for your preferred doneness.

Here’s a quick guide to cooking times and internal temperatures based on how you like your steak:

Cooking Times (per side):

Steak Doneness	Gas Grill (1 inch/1.5 inch)	Charcoal Grill (1 inch/1.5 inch)
Rare	5-10 mins / 7-13 mins	5-10 mins / 7-13 mins
Medium-Rare	7-12 mins / 9-15 mins	7-12 mins / 9-15 mins
Medium	8-13 mins / 10-16 mins	8-13 mins / 10-16 mins
Medium-Well	10-15 mins / 12-18 mins	10-15 mins / 12-18 mins

Use these times as a guide, but always rely on your meat thermometer to achieve the perfect juicy carne asada.

Now that you’ve learned from a real Mexican how to make authentic carne asada, here are some of my favorite marinades:

• My Mexican dad secret marinade: Perfect for skirt steak, arrachera or flanken. ender, juicy carne asada tacos
• Top Sirloin Marinade: Convert sirloin into a prime steak with this marinade 
• Short Ribs Marinade: goes great with any cut as well
• 3 Natural tenderizers: Find out the secrets of tender and juicy carne asada using this homemade meat tenderizer. 

And if you want to learn how to light up a charcoal grill, I’ve got a special post I made with my dad that walks you through the steps to get it just right.

Whether you’re grilling carne asada for carne asada tacos, carne asada fries, or carne asada burritos, the key is in the marinade, the cut of meat, and of course, the grill. So, grab some fresh limes, corn tortillas, and homemade salsa with fresh cilantro leaves, and enjoy a true taste of Mexico at your next carne asada!

What to do with leftover carne asada?

• Beef Quesadillas: Mija! of course beef quesadillas! Carne asada quesadillas are one of my favorite meals. Just chop the grilled beef into small pieces, place a tortilla on a griddle, and add cheese on top, then the carne asada and more cheese on top, then the other tortilla. Let the cheese melt, flip over, and let it cook for another couple of minutes, and just drop some of this salsa molcajeteada on top! 
• Taco Salad: Place your favorite greens on a bowl, add fresh pico de gallo and this salsa de aguacate as a dressing!