When you make this Street Tacos recipe your taste buds will thank you! These are the best carne asada street tacos, made with homemade marinade ingredients, simple toppings, and plenty of flavors served on soft corn tortillas.
These are not your regular tacos made for Taco Tuesday. They are the best tacos you can make and enjoy with friends and family and serve them as an appetizer or the main meal.
You won’t need any crazy ingredients to make this carne asada recipe for a flavorful dinner. These authentic street tacos will only need a few minutes of prep before marinating!
Make this dinner recipe with things you can find at your local grocery store, give it time to build flavor into the muscle fibers, and then cook the marinated meat in the grill pan.
What are Street Tacos?
Street tacos are smaller tacos made with warm corn tortillas, topped with carne asada steak (or other meat), and simple toppings. They are the perfect size for only a few bites while walking around town.
Recipe Ingredients:
For the marinade:
- Sauce: soy sauce will provide the perfect natural flavor for these beef tacos
- Oil: using vegetable oil to help create tender juicy tacos
- Juice: you will need both freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly squeezed lime juice
- Seasonings: use minced cloves of garlic, chili powder, cumin powder, dried oregano, and kosher salt
For the tacos:
- Meat: pick your favorite skirt steak or top-round steak for making steak street tacos
- Oil: use the vegetable oil you already have on hand
- Tortillas: you will need to use your favorite brand of mini tortillas
- Toppings: serve the authentic Mexican tacos with diced purple onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and lime wedge for garnish
How To Make Carne Asada Tacos:
Marinate the meat:
- Make the marinade: in a large bowl, combine soy sauce, vegetable orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin powder, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside.
- Cut the meat: cut the skirt steak into ½-inch pieces.
- Marinate the meat: Add the meat to the marinade, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Cook the meat:
- Heat the oil: heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Cook the meat: Place steak meat and marinade in the skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the marinade reduces to a thick sauce. There will be just a bit of it left.
Assemble the tacos:
Warm tortillas
- Heat tortillas: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla to the skillet (no oil is needed) and warm it for 20-30 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Assemble the tacos: serve the cooked steak on warm tortillas, topped with diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
Optional Toppings & Substitutions:
- Fresh cilantro
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Grilled corn
Expert Tips:
- Ensure all meat pieces are similar in size for even cooking.
- The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender and flavorful it will become.
- Avoid overusing salt, as the soy sauce is salty enough. Just a nice pinch of salt will be enough.
- For some extra freshness, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice to your marinade
- If you are thinking of adding some cheese to your tacos, then cotija cheese is best. Queso fresco and plain crumbled Feta are also popular choices.
Frequently Asked Questions for Making this Delicious Street Tacos:
Mexican street tacos are one of the simple Mexican recipes and have become very popular because they are delicious tacos with tons of flavor and fresh toppings.
Carne asada is typically made with flank steak, but top round or skirt steak are also great options.
Steak can get chewy if you overcook the meat on the stove top. It is best to use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the steak rather than just adding a few minutes to the cooking time.
Storage & Reheating Instructions:
Fridge: In an airtight container store the leftover beef with the juices in the fridge for up to 5 days for the best results.
Reheat: Reheat the beef with the juice in the microwave for 1-2 minutes depending on how much is left until it is warm enough to add to the tortilla shells.
Sides to serve with this recipe:
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
- Easy Mexican Salsa Rice (Quick Spanish Rice) Recipe
- Spanish Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- (The BEST) Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
- Chipotle Corn Salsa
Street Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste (just a good pinch)
For the tacos:
- 1 lb. skirt steak or top-round steak
- ½ Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 mini tortillas
- ½ cup diced purple onion
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the meat:
- Make the marinade: in a bowl, combine soy sauce, vegetable orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin powder, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside.
- Cut the meat: cut the skirt steak into ½-inch pieces.
- Marinate the meat: Add the meat to the marinade, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Cook the meat:
- Heat the oil: heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.
- Cook the meat: Add the marinated meat and marinade to the skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the marinade reduces to a thick sauce. There will be just a bit of it left.
Assemble the tacos:
- Warm tortillas
- Heat tortillas: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla to the skillet (no oil is needed) and warm it for 20-30 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Assemble the tacos: serve the cooked steak on warm tortillas, topped with diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Carne asada is typically made with flank steak, but top round or skirt steak are also great options.
- Ensure all meat pieces are similar in size for even cooking.
- The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender and flavorful it will become.
Nutrition
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