Cinco de Mayo Carne Asada Tacos

Prep 20 mins   Cook 6 mins   Eat 26 mins + 1 day if marinating meat

Carne Asada Tacos are a quintessential Mexican favorite and come Cinco de Mayo, they are on everyone’s menu. Have these Carne Asada Tacos ready for your Cinco de Mayo party in only 26 minutes with a little pre-planning. Have your “mise en place” ready to go and if you have extra hands, all the better. So fire up the BBQ and get ready for a really great meal.

Plan a Cinco De Mayo party

Essential ingredients at a Cinco de Mayo party.

A Cinco de Mayo party is a great reason for a casual party with friends.  Bring out the Corona and Tecate beers with a lime wedge, crank up the blender for margaritas with salt on the rim and fire up the BBQ.  Essential ingredients are fresh tortillas, carne asada for the BBQ, chips and guacamole, queso fresca.  Where to find all these ingredients?

Shop at a Mexican ethnic market

Shop at a Mexican ethnic market and discover new ingredients.

I attended a pre-Cinco de Mayo event at Melissa’s Produce this week and came home with produce to play with.  I was inspired to make these Carne Asada Tacos for dinner while I was driving past Northgate Market. Northgate and Superior are large Mexican ethnic markets in Southern California. I love this market for its super fresh and abundant produce, its fresh cheese and meat counters. And to top it off a tortelleria.  We’re talking fresh made warm tortillas. Yummy! Search out a Mexican market in your area. It may become your favorite market. We have many ethnic markets, large and small in Southern California and I am always happy to shop at these authentic food stores and discover new ingredients.

Marinated Flap Meat = Ranchera Marinada.

We make these Carne Asada Tacos all summer long by purchasing the pre-marinated Ranchera Marinada Flap steak.  It is pricey, and the same price as the unmarinated Ranchera Bisteca, but it is so tender and flavorful.  You can also choose a flank steak, which is not as tender.  When choosing other cuts of beef, marinating 24 hours is key and slicing across the grain in small pieces makes the meat more tender.

Marinate the meat yourself.

Marinade ingredients include beer, lime juice, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cilantro.

If you are marinating the meat yourself, plan a day in advance. Traditional marinating ingredients are beer, lime juice or other citrus (the acid that tenderizes), onion garlic, seeded jalapeno, cumin, coriander, paprika and black pepper. Cilantro is also added (some people cannot tolerate cilantro, so beware).

Mexican Street Corn

Mexican Street Corn can be made in 10 minutes.

Mexican Street Corn has to be on the menu for your Cinco de Mayo party and you can make it while preparing the Carne Asada Tacos. Corn on the cob starts showing up in the market about this time.

The sauce for the corn is simply mayo, spices and lime juice.

Have the mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne and black pepper, salt and lime juice ready to slather on your corn and dust it with cotija cheese (I sub out parmesan, since I always have it on hand).  See a full post here on making Mexican Street Corn. These small key limes from Melissas Produce are best cut on each side around the core which removes the center seed pod area.

Make fresh Guacamole

Melissa’s Guacamole Kit contains 2 avocados, a plum tomato, a lime, a shallot, 2 garlic cloves and a jalapeno

Melissa’s Produce is selling a Guacamole Kit and a Salsa Kit with the recipe right on the plastic container.  You may have the ingredients on hand, but it’s a nice reminder of what to have and easy to pick up everything you need at once.

A few easy steps for prepping the Guacamole and the Mexican Street Corn Sauce.

Sometimes I provide individual ingredients to add to tacos, but mixing the avocado with garlic, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro, tomato and lime juice makes it super easy for serving and eating.    I also like to slice some lettuce to top the tacos. Got to get your greens!

The other important ingredient I purchased at Northgate is Queso Fresca. The cheese in the case looks like it was just made yesterday.  A few slices of queso fresca added to a bowl with a fork to cut into chunks is perfect.

Cook the Ranchera Marinada on the BBQ in 6 minutes.

Grill the Rachera Marinata (Flap Meat) 3 minutes per side to keep the center rare.

When everything is ready. Throw the Ranchera Marinada on the BBQ.  Grill about 3 minutes per side on a hot BBQ, because it is super thin.  A flank steak or another cut of meat will take longer.

I use poultry shears to cut across the grain of the meat in small pieces.

Then slice across the grain or as I do, cut with a pair of poultry shears into pieces.

The tortillas are made right in front of your eyes at Northgate market.

While the Bisteca is cooking, place your tortillas in a covered casserole and warm them up in the microwave oven or warm them individually in a dry frying pan or griddle like the Mexicans do.

Serve yourself Carne Asada Tacos for Cinco de Mayo.

The fun part now begins.  Have your guests serve themselves to a Cinco de Mayo Feast with your Carne Asada Tacos.  Get the blender going for some margaritas. Enjoy!

Let the Cinco de Mayo party begin!  Enjoy!

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Print Recipe for Mexican Street Corn

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Tacos are super easy to make, particularly if you purchase the Ranchera Marinada at a Mexican market. However, you can  make the optional marinade and allow 24 hours for the marinade to tenderize the beef. The Ranchera Marinada is called Flap Meat.  Another option is to use skirt steak or flank steak. Thicker cuts of meat will take more cooking time on the BBQ. I recommend serving with Mexican Street Corn, which takes10 minutes to make. Just cook the corn in boiling water. Slather on a mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne, pepper and lime and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese. Recipe at FreshFoodinaFlash.com

• 1 pound beef flap meat, marinated (or skirt/flank steak)4  ounces queso fresca

  2  cups lettuce leaves shredded

  20 corn tortillas

  Guacamole

  2 avocados

  1 large plum tomato, diced

  1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and deveined (amount to taste)

  2 cloves garlic

  1  shallot

  1/2 lime, juiced

  1 salt & pepper to taste

  1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

  Marinade (for unmarinated meat)

  1/4 cup beer

  1/8 cup fresh lime juice

  1/8 cup fresh lemon or orange juice

  1/4  cup onion, minced

  2 cloves garlic clove, minced

  1/2 seeded jalapeno, sliced thin

  1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground

  1/4 teaspoon coriander, ground

  1/2 teaspoon paprika

  1/2  teaspoon kosher salt

  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

1. Mix together marinade ingredients if meat is unmarinated. Pour over meat in a container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. Occasionally rotate meat through the marinade.
2. Make Guacamole. Peel shallot and garlic cloves, remove seeds, stem and ribs from the jalapeno and process in a food process until minced. Add cilantro and process until mixture is minced.
3. While things are moving along, cook corn on the cob in boiling water for 5 minutes for Mexican Street Corn. Just before serving, sllather on the sauce and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese.
4. In a small bowl, remove avocado from shell and dice with a knife. Add diced tomato and cilantro mixture. Stir until combined. Place on the table with bowls of shredded lettuce and queso fresca chunks.
5. Prepare BBQ and oil grill. Drain the meat from the marinade and place it on the grill. Grill 3 minutes per side or until you have a semi-rare center.  Place in a bowl or platter and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Cut the meat across the grain into strips and pieces and keep in a covered bowl.
6. While the meat is cooking, warm the tortillas in the microwave and keep in a covered bowl.
7. Serve with the Mexican Street Corn and let your guests assemble their Carne Asada Tacos and enjoy this Fresh Food in a Flash.
8. Servings: 4  – 880 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Tacos are super easy to make, particularly if you purchase the Ranchera Marinada at a Mexican market. However, you can  make the optional marinade and allow 24 hours for the marinade to tenderize the beef.The Ranchera Marinada is called Flap Meat.  Another option is to use skirt steak or flank steak. Thicker cuts of meat will take more cooking time on the BBQ. I recommend serving with Mexican Street Corn, which takes 10 minutes to make. Just cook the corn in boiling water. Slather on a mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne, pepper and lime and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese. Recipe at FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Marinating meat1 day d

Total Time26 minutes mins

Course: Entree, Main Course, meat

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef flap meat marinated (or skirt steak/flank steak)
• 4 ounces queso fresca
• 2 cups lettuce leaves shredded
• 20 corn tortillas

Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1 large plum tomato diced
• 1 small jalapeno chile seeded and deveined (amount to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped optional

Marinade (for unmarinated meat)

• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon or orange juice
• 1/4 cup onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic clove minced
• 1/2 seeded jalapeno sliced thin
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander ground
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional

Instructions

• Mix together marinade ingredients if meat is unmarinated. Pour over meat in a container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. Occasionally rotate meat through the marinade.
• Make Guacamole. Peel shallot and garlic cloves, remove seeds, stem and ribs from the jalapeno and process in a food process until minced. Add cilantro and process until mixture is minced.
• While things are moving along, cook corn on the cob in boiling water for 5 minutes for Mexican Street Corn. Just before serving, sllather on the sauce and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese.
• In a small bowl, remove avocado from shell and dice with a knife. Add diced tomato and cilantro mixture. Stir until combined. Place on the table with bowls of shredded lettuce and queso fresca chunks.
• Prepare BBQ and oil grill. Drain the meat from the marinade and place it on the grill. Grill 3 minutes per side or until you have a semi-rare center. Place in a bowl or platter and let rest 5-10 minutes. Cut the meat across the grain into strips and pieces and keep in a covered bowl.
• While the meat is cooking, warm the tortillas in the microwave and keep in a covered bowl.
• Serve with the Mexican Street Corn and let your guests assemble their Carne Asada Tacos and enjoy this Fresh Food in a Flash.
• Servings: 4    -  880 calories
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM