These Carne Asada inspired Street Tacos are the perfect stovetop alternative to the traditional grilled variety! Tender cubes of steak are marinated then sautéed to create tender and delicious carne asada bites. On top, a simple avocado salsa adds the perfect pop of freshness!
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I love carne asada but to be honest, I never make it because our grill is rusted out!
I know, i know, I should get a new grill but since we live so close to the beach, they get destroyed so quickly!
Plus, I know I'm not the only one without a grill! Back when I lived in NYC there were plenty of recipes that I felt like I couldn't make because I didn't have one.
So that's how this stovetop Carne Asada Street Taco recipe was born!
Instead of cooking a giant piece of meat, we'll be cooking up tender little steak nuggets that have been marinating in the most delicious marinade made of limes, oranges, cilantro and garlic.
After a quick sauté in a super hot pan, the steaks cubes develop the perfect bite to them.
They then get served up in a warm corn tortilla and topped with a delicious chunky avocado salsa.
It's an easy recipe that's packed full of flavor. It's perfect served for a quick lunch of dinner.
Oh, and you've got to make some fancy cocktails to go with it. I have a bunch of them right here!
What you'll need
(scroll all the way down for the exact measurements and full recipe!)
For the Carne Asada
- Sirloin Tip Steak or Flank Steak
- Cilantro
- Olive Oil
- Orange
- Lime
- Garlic
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Cumin
- Salt and Pepper
- Corn Tortillas
For the Avocado Salsa
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Red Onion
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Salt
How to make them on the stovetop
Before you begin making these Carne Asada Street Tacos, you'll want to start by marinating the meat.
To do so, start by chopping up a bunch of cilantro - stems and all!
Add the cilantro to a large bowl then add olive oil and the juice from an orange and two limes. Then, add some minced garlic, pickled jalapeños, cumin, salt and pepper. You could also use fresh jalapeños but it will be much spicier!
Now it's time to add the meat. I like to cut the steak into super small chunks so they cook quickly and evenly. Once they're chopped, add them to the marinade and give it a good stir.
Cover and refrigerate up to four hours.
When you're ready to cook it, remove the meat from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to get room temp.
Once the chill is taken off the meat, heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
When the pan is super hot, add half of the steak and cook until one side develops a crust. Stir and repeat until the steak is cooked to your liking. Pour the steak into a bowl and repeat with the second batch.
Meanwhile, prepare the avocado salsa.
Simply combine chopped avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and set aside.
Once the steak is done cooking, warm up your tortillas.
Then add a few scoops of steak to each taco and top with a spoonful of avocado salsa.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to make them on the grill
If you were to make this recipe on a grill rather than a stovetop, the directions would be super similar.
Instead of chopping the meat into small chunks, you would leave it whole and you'd marinate the entire piece.
Then simply grill the steak on both sides until it's medium rare or cooked to your liking.
Once it's cooked, cut the meat against the grain and prepare your tacos.
What to pair them with
If I were making these stovetop carne asada street tacos for dinner, I'd start with this easy chicken bacon ranch quesadillas. And for dessert, be sure to try my shortcut Strawberry Tres Leches Cake!
For more yummy Mexican inspired dishes, try this chicken tinga that's perfect for the stovetop or instant pot!
If you've got vegetarians you're cooking for as well, try these buffalo cauliflower tacos or some of this sweet potato black bean chili!
Save the recipe for later
If you'd like to save the recipe for these Carne Asada Street Tacos for a later date, please do so! To use one of these pretty pinterest images, simply hover over the shot and click the pin button! Then save it to whatever board you'd like!
And if you enjoy this, I bet you would enjoy following me over there, too!
Recipe
Recipe
Stovetop Carne Asada Street Tacos
Ingredients
For the tacos
- 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 orangne juiced
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lb sirloin tip steak or flank steak chopped into cubes
- corn tortillas
for the avocado salsa
- 1 avocado diced into small cubes
- ½ cup tomato diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ lime juiced
- salt
Instructions
- Combine cilantro, olive oil, orange, limes, garlic, jalapenos, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Add the cubed steak and stir. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- After the steak has been marinating, remove it from the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Meanwhile make the avocado salsa. Combine avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir and set aside.
- When it’s time to cook the steak, heat a large pan over medium high heat and add half of the steak — spaced evenly apart.
- Let it cook on one side until browned then flip and repeat. When they’re cooked to your liking, place in a bowl and repeat for the second batch of raw steak.
- To assemble the taco, either toast or warm your tortilla then add a few scoops of the carne asada mixture and top with the avocado salsa. Serve immediately.
Saraya
This recipe is super easy and tasty! I did let the meat sit over night in the fridge.
Super delicious. I'm making this one of my top ten dishes for dinner. ?