Traeger carne asada brings together double the flavor from a deep and complex marinade and quickly grilling on a high heat. Charred and caramelized sugars from the marinade compliment a medium-rare steak for the perfect weeknight meal.
This is the perfect make ahead marinade for busy moms who need to get dinner on the table fast and want to eat a main dish packed with flavor.
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Traeger Grills Carne Asada
The best part of my traeger carne asada recipe is the easy preparation and quick cook time. The marinade includes easy ingredients that you probably have already. The flavors are bright and deep, but I think the secret ingredient that makes this carne asada so good is the honey!
What Does Carne Asada Mean?
Carne Asada simply means grilled meat. In this post, you will find the ingredients and recipe for a great marinade, what types of steak are good for carne asada, and serving suggestions. Let's get to it!
Traeger carne asada marinade ingredients
I love the savory flavor of soy sauce with the garlic and spices in this recipe. You'll get tons of flavor in a short amount of time.
- soy sauce
- orange juice
- honey or brown sugar
- olive oil or avocado oil
- minced garlic
- cumin
- chili powder
- lime juice
- lime zest
- cilantro
A great marinade needs just a few things: salt, acid, and fat. This marinade gets the salt from the soy sauce, acid from the apple cider vinegar and lime, and fat from the olive oil.
After deciding on those, we can add our spices and other flavors. The combination of cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and brown sugar create the Mexican profile I want for my carne asada. Using honey in the marinade creates a caramelized char when we cook it at a high temperature on the grill.
All of that said, this steak is going to be so good it can be eaten all by itself. However, we know I wouldn't do that. Keep reading for sides and serving suggestions 🙂
What kind of meat should I use for Carne Asada?
Carne asada meat is a quick cooking grilled steak that is marinated. Pictured here in this recipe, I'm using flank steak. It is an inexpensive cut of steak that needs a marinade to flavor and tenderize it. For the best results, marinade for 4 hours or more.
Other options are skirt steak, hanger steak, or sirloin. The benefit of the marinade having salt and quite a bit of acid is that you can use an inexpensive cut of beef. We really don't want to anything better than sirloin here.
A Friendly Friendly Marinade
This is a really easy grilled carne asada recipe to make during the week. I like to have packaged prepared ahead of time in the freezer for my busiest weeknights.
Make a double to triple batch of the marinade and buy one or two packs of flap meat from Costco. After you mix up a big batch of marinade, transfer the flap steak to vacuum seal bags. Pour the marinade over the meat and use the pulse option to remove the air before sealing.
You can safely store this package in your freezer for up to a year, but I don't think it will last that long.
Traeger supplies and tools
- Traeger Grill
- Wood Pellets
- Large Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- small bowl or measuring cup to make the marinade in
- large zip top bag or vacuum seal bag to marinate the meat in
How to Grill Carne Asada
We want to grill this steak on high heat and fast. Since the steak is thinner than other cuts, we don't want to over cook it but we still want that flavorful char on the outside. It's best to grill this cut of meat hot and fast to get a good sear on the outside.
- Preheat you Traeger Grill to 425 and let it heat with the lid closed for 15 minutes,
- Once the grill is ready, lay the marinated steak directly on the grill grates and cook for 7-8 minutes, up to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your steak.
- Flip the steak and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125-130. The best carne asada will have a little pink running through the center of the meat.
- Remove the grilled carne asada to a large cutting board. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- After the steak has rested, cut 4 inch sections with the grain, and then cut those against the grain into thinner slices.
- Transfer the sliced steak to a serving plate and eat with your favorite sides for an epic meal that is sure to please.
Side dishes and ways to serve
I like to serve this carne asada a few different ways. Sometimes I just want it with rice, elote style corn, pico de gallo and some avocado spritzed with lime.
The other popular and more common way is to serve as tacos. Warm tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream and a bright restaurant style salsa is my jam! Throw down a pile a charro beans I'm happy.
Lastly, dice up leftover carne asada into small pieces and fold them into a quesadilla or to make burrito bowls which is a favorite workday lunch.
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Carne Asada Recipe Card
Traeger carne asada
Equipment
- 1 glass baking dish or gallon sized zip top bag
- knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds flap steak
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or honey
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Prepare all of the marinade ingredients and combine to make marinade.
- Cut flap meat into 2 or 3 sections and lay in a shallow baking dish
- Pour entire marinade over the flap steak, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Cooking the carne asada
- Preheat traeger grill to 425*F
- When the traeger has reached 425*, lady each piece of the flap steak on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the steak one time halfway through.
- Remove the steak and allow to rest on a large cutting board for 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice the carne asada on a bias, against the grain.
- Serve with your choice of tortillas and taco fixings, Mexican rice, blacks beans, avocado salsa, or elote corn.
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @fancy_apron 🙂 or leave a comment below.
More Traeger Recipes
Upgrade your grilling game with more of my easy recipes for busy weeknights
- Easy Smoked Pork Tenderloin
- Tri-Tip on a Traeger
- Bourbon and Brown Sugar Pork Chops
How'd we do?
Leave a comment if you loved the recipe! Also, share questions and modifications. I love hearing from readers and fellow cooks.
Korina says
If I don’t have a Traeger grill, how can I cook it stove top and still make it yummy?
Alexis says
You can use nonstick grill pan and cook on medium high for 7-8 minutes per side. You may want to flip it twice to prevent burning. Please let me know how it goes!