Instant Pot Steak Tacos (Carne Asada) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you cut meat before or after cooking carne asada tacos? ›

To Cook and Assemble the Carne Asada Tacos:

And then place the carne asada on the grill. Close the grill's lid and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, for medium-rare. If you want medium, I would go for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and rest the meat for 10 minutes before slicing into it.

How Much Carne Asada per Person? You'll need approximately ½ pound of meat per person served, although your guests can easily eat more if the carne asada is the star of the show and not a topping or addition to a more filling meal.

Grill! Usually about five-eight minutes per side, but keep an eye on it. Skirt steak will be at a perfect medium-rare when it reaches 135°F on an instant-read thermometer and that's your most reliable way of testing done-ness. Let it rest!

The carne asada meanwhile, isn't marinated but simply seasoned with an undisclosed unique blend of spices. Unlike the steak, the carne asada also gets garnished with cilantro and lime juice.

Best cut of beef for Carne Asada

The BEST cuts for the Mexican version of the dish we all know and love are either skirt steak or flank steak. Personally, I prefer skirt steak (pictured). It's more tender and flavourful than flank and can be cooked well done (for those who prefer well) without getting tough and chewy.

Grill streaks 8 to10 minutes on one side or until moisture starts to pool on the top and beef releases easily from grates with tongs. Flip once, grilling on the other side for 8 to 10 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 145°F with meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak.

The BEST cuts for the Mexican version of the dish we all know and love are either skirt steak or flank steak. Personally, I prefer skirt steak (pictured). It's more tender and flavourful than flank and can be cooked well done (for those who prefer well) without getting tough and chewy.

Each taco shell or small soft taco-size tortilla fits about 2 ounces or 1/4 cup of meat. If you add diced onions, you could stretch a pound of ground beef to make about a dozen tacos. With just the meat and spices, you can make about 8 tacos from a pound of meat.

Sear for 3 to 5 minutes per side (charred on the outside but still pink on the inside, especially with flank steak). If you want to use a meat thermometer: Pull the meat off the grill at 115-120°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare and 140°F for medium.

Your steak is chewy and tough most likely because the cut of steak was not tender to begin with. Another reason your steak is chewy and tough could be that you overcooked or undercooked the steak. Your steak could also be chewy and tough because you didn't let it rest long enough after cooking it.

Do you cook carne asada on high or low heat? ›

Carne asada translates literally as “grilled meat.” Its preparation varies, but generally, it's thin cuts of beef sometimes marinated, sometimes prepared with a rub, and grilled or cooked over high heat.

What Is Carne Asada? Let's start with the basics—carne asada is a traditional Mexican dish composed of marinated skirt steak or flank steak that has been grilled and thinly sliced. The term carne asada in Spanish translates to roasted or grilled meat in English.

It's important to cut carne asada AFTER cooking. You should be cooking the meat as a whole steak, then cut the cooked steak (after resting) into strips.

As meat cooks, the juices and moisture inside begin to rise to the surface. If you cut the meat as soon as it's done cooking, the juices will immediately leak out and pool onto the cutting board. By letting the meat rest, you give the muscle fibers time to relax and allow the juices to redistribute throughout the cut.

You can cut slice the meat into strips before or after cooking it. The grain is harder to see once it's cooked, but it's still there! You can cut slice the meat into strips before or after cooking it. The grain is harder to see once it's cooked, but it's still there!

For tacos, it is recommended to slice the steak into thin strips, approximately ¼ to ½ inch thick. Thin slices will cook quickly and make it easier to bite into the taco without the steak falling out.