This Carne Asada Taco Bar post is sponsored by the Certified Angus Beef ® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own
A steak taco bar is a great way to entertain during the summer. Grill up some flank steak and enjoy!
What is Carne Asada?
Carne Asada is a Mexican seasoned beef which has been marinated and grilled. It is sliced thin so in my opinion, it is perfect for tacos. I used this lean cut of flank steak and the marinade of chili powder, seasoned salt and lime juice made the meat so tender. It's perfect to roll in small tortillas and add your favorite toppings. What is more fun than having a Carne Asada Taco Bar at your next barbecue?
Certified Angus Beef ® brand is my favorite beef brand. My local ShopRite has a great butcher section of the grocery store and I couldn't pass up buying a beautiful flank steak. This cut of beef is very lean but full of flavor so it is marinated for a few hours to tenderize it. It can also be marinated the night before and kept in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. Just remember to plan ahead.
How is this steak cooked?
The steak is grilled quickly on high heat so it cooks in no time. It is important to slice the steak thin and against the grain when carving. My family likes it medium rare so this usually doesn't take more than 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cooking time could vary depending on how you like it done and the thickness of the steak.
Flank steak is an inexpensive cut of beef and takes on the delicious flavor of whatever it's marinated in. It can also be tenderized by using a mallet and pounding it a little on each side.
What kind of toppings go on a Carne Asada Taco Bar?
Now let's talk about taco bar toppings. The tortillas are your canvas and the steak is the star but all the extra toppings are what makes these tacos interesting. Here are some ingredients that my family loves:
- shredded lettuce
- red or green salsa
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped avocados or guacamole
- grilled peppers or onions
- corn
- sour cream
- slices of lime
- hot sauce
I love making different kinds of salsas. I make a quick and easy blender salsa that I keep in my refrigerator to eat with tortilla chips. If you like a more chunky sauce, then black bean and corn salsa is a good choice too.
I left the steak in long, thin slices but it can also be cut into smaller pieces. This is always a great idea when feeding a crowd or when steak is not the only protein that you will be serving.
Chose any type of toppings that you like. I go with the idea of the more the merrier. This Carne Asada Taco Bar will be showing up at my house all summer!
RECIPE
Carne Asada Taco Bar
Ingredients
- 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 12 taco sized tortillas (corn or flour)
- 1 to 2 cups salsa
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- assorted toppings such as chopped tomatoes, corn, jalapenos, sour cream or anything you like on tacos
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, the juice of the lime, salt and olive oil. Rub the flank steak with the marinade and store in a plastic bag. Make sure the steak is fully covered. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight if desired.
- Take the steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to medium high heat and cook the flank steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness (see notes).
- Remove the steak from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn off heat on the grill. Place the tortillas on the warm grill for about 20 seconds on each side. Watch to make sure they don't burn.
- Set up your tortillas and desired toppings on a platter. Slice the flank steak thin and against the grain.
- Serve your taco bar and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Kileen
This sounds and looks so yummy!! Love carne asada and love tacos!! My family would love these.
Kileen
cute & little
Rosemary
What a great alternative on the BBQ different from hamburgers and hotdogs. I've always been a fan of flank steak and this is the perfect way to enjoy it on the grill. Thanks for sharing your marinade recipe, I will certainly be making these very soon!
shan
Oh wow!! This looks so fresh and tasty. Very filling too with that meat!! Can't wait to try!
Karin
I love this idea! What a fun way to serve company!
Jade
I’ll take carne asada any time! If there are leftovers (doesn’t happen very often) I’ll use everything to make a breakfast burrito the next morning. So good!
Susanne
I was bored with chicken and ground beef tacos so when I saw this recipe on Pinterest I had to try it. I'm so glad I did! The steak was so good! I'm so glad I found a new way to make tacos for my family.
Natalie
So yummy and reminds me of a meal I had in Austin last year! Excited that I can now share it with my family! Great recipe!
Christina
There is so much flavor in this recipe! My family loved it!