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Tacos de carne asada

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Carne asada, Asada, Tacos de asada

Tacos de carne asada are tacos of beef grilled over wood or charcoal, then sliced or chopped and served on corn or flour tortillas. The dish is the signature taste of Sonora and northern Mexico, where carne asada also names a backyard grilling gathering, and Tijuana developed an influential street version topped with guacamole.

Contents
  1. History
  2. Preparation
  3. Spread
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

History

Spanish colonists introduced cattle to northern New Spain, and ranching shaped the diet of Sonora and the surrounding states, where grilled beef became an everyday food. In the north the words carne asada describe both the grilled meat and the occasion: to hacer una carne asada means hosting friends and family around a grill, much like an American barbecue. Writer John Birdsall, drawing on Tucson's Sonoran heritage, describes the meal as relaxed and communal, with guests arriving as the coals are ready, building their own tacos and helping with guacamole and limes.

Tijuana developed a street-stand version. OC Weekly traces the classic Tijuana carne asada taco to Don Guadalupe Zárate, who began selling beef tacos on corn tortillas in the late 1950s with taqueros from Puebla, chopping thin local cuts and grilling them over mesquite. His stand later settled among the taco stalls of Las Ahumaderas, and the restaurant El Poblano, opened in 1974, honored the Poblano cooks who carried the style through Baja California and into Southern California.

Preparation

The beef is cut thin so that it cooks quickly over high heat. In Sonora, diezmillo (chuck blade steak) seasoned with little more than coarse salt is a common choice, while flank, skirt and arrachera are widespread elsewhere. Mesquite charcoal is the traditional fuel and gives the meat a pronounced smoky flavor. After grilling, the meat is chopped on a board and laid on tortillas, often with whole grilled chiles güeros and charred spring onions served alongside.

In Tijuana style the chopped beef goes on a small corn tortilla and is topped with a dollop of guacamole, onion, cilantro and salsa, then wrapped in paper. In Sonora and Chihuahua large thin flour tortillas are common. Many northern cooks marinate the meat lightly with lime, garlic or beer, though purists insist on salt alone.

Spread

Carne asada tacos are among the most common taco fillings in the United States, especially in California, Arizona and Texas. In Southern California, Tijuana-style stands typically offer carne asada alongside adobada pork.

Recipe

Makes About 16 tacos · Time: 30 minutes, plus heating the grill

Ingredients

  • 1 kg thin-cut beef steak (chuck blade, flank or skirt), about 1 cm thick
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • Juice of 2 limes (optional)
  • 8 spring onions and 4 chiles güeros or jalapeños
  • 16 corn or flour tortillas
  • Guacamole made from 2 avocados, lime and salt
  • Chopped white onion and cilantro
  • Salsa roja and limes

Steps

  1. Light a mesquite charcoal or wood fire and let it burn down to very hot coals.
  2. Pat the beef dry and season generously with coarse salt; brush with lime juice if you like.
  3. Grill the spring onions and chiles until blistered; set aside.
  4. Grill the beef 2 to 3 minutes per side until charred at the edges.
  5. Rest the meat 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces.
  6. Warm the tortillas on the grill and fill with beef. Top with guacamole, onion, cilantro and salsa, and serve with the grilled vegetables.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Think of any dish you love as a verb". John Birdsall (Substack). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Tacos El Poblano: How A Band of Taqueros From Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla Changed Baja California". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "The Undeniably Tasty History of Carne Asada". Backyard Taco. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Beef tacos Grilled dishes Northern Mexican cuisine Sonoran cuisine Taco types Tijuana cuisine