Memorial Day and Summer approaches and this is your next dinner with friends and family. Watch my new video to see how to make these Mojo Carne Asada Tacos!
A blend of chiles, garlic, oil and orange juice marinate this skirt steak only after it’s been soaked in beer first. A quick sear on a scorching hot grill and it get nestled in a grilled tortilla with all the fixings like crumbled Cotija cheese, lime and cilantro.
We had some friends over the other evening and little did I know that the marinade I’ve concocted over the years is called a mojo. A friend was helping me in the kitchen and I asked him to grab the marinated carne asada from the refrigerator. He asked what special sauce the skirt steak was marinating in and I told him a citrus, pepper, garlic and spice blend. I told him I marinated the steak first in beer then the secret sauce. He told me about mojo.
Who knew? I learn something new everyday. Keeps you sharp.
A mojo is a sauce that originated from the Canary Islands and is basically a sauce made from oil, garlic, peppers (from wherever you are) and spices like cumin, coriander and paprika. As people traversed to the Caribbean, Cuba and the South it developed various flavors and recipes where the acid changed from sour orange, to lime to lemon and vinegars.
Be careful with marinating though. If you marinate it too long the acid in the marinade will start working against you, turning the meat a bit on the mushy side, so I don’t marinate for anything longer than 12 hours tops. So you can easily blend this up and marinate the steak overnight and grill the next day. I enjoy the initial marinade in the beer for the flavor it imparts.
Skirt steak is always my first pick for carne asada, but flank steak works beautifully as well. Thinly sliced against the grain and this is just the most tender, tasty carne asada. Enjoy!
This recipe post first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking in October 2015 and has been updated with new copy, photos and a video.
Mojo Carne Asada Tacos - A blend of chiles, garlic, oil and orange juice marinate this skirt steak only after it's been soaked in beer first. Grill and eat! Total time does not include 3 hour marinade. Nutrition information for Mojo Carne Asada only.
- 1 lb skirt steak or flank
- 1 Corona beer
- 1 orange
- 1 Serrano pepper , sliced, no seeds
- 4 guajillo chiles soaked (reserve 1/2 cup liquid from peppers)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- refried beans
- Cotija cheese , crumbled
- 2 limes , quartered
- 1/2 cup cilantro , chopped, lightly packed
- Marinate the steak in Corona beer for two hours, covered, in the refrigerator. Soak the guajillo peppers in hot water, covered, for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Juice the orange. In a blender purée the orange juice, Serrano pepper, soaked guajillo chilies and 1/2 cup liquid from peppers, garlic, cumin, onion powder, salt and olive oil.
- Marinate 3 hours covered, in the refrigerator.
- Start your grill. Use the highest heat possible. I mean smoking, blistering, searingly hot. Grill 3 minutes per side for the skirt and 5 for the flank (depending on the thickness and your liking. Remove from heat, allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- While meat is resting, grill the tortillas on each side until slightly charred. Slice carne asada thin across the grain and serve with refried beans spread on grilled tortillas. Top with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro with a squeeze of lime.
Total time does not include 3 hour marinade. Nutrition information for Mojo Carne Asada only.
That marinade is the stuff dreams are made of. I LOVE using ground up chiles to marinate meat- it tames the spiciness a bit but adds SO much flavor. These look amazing, can’t wait to try!
I agree and love guajillo chilis, so good! Thanks Elizabeth. 🙂
I need to start making more tacos. Thanks for the recipe Kevin!
These should definitely hit the spot Kevin! 😉
Hello, hello, hello I am in love! Kevin, you are killing me here, now I want like a dozen of these beauties!
Oh thank you so much Gaila! 🙂
I’m drooling all over my computer Kevin! These look amazing! Can never get enuf tacos!
Appreciate the kind words Mary Ann, now go wipe down that keyboard and marinate some flank for tacos tonight! 😉
Cannot beat beer as a meat tenderizer! Good one!
Nice flavor add too, right? Thanks Milena!
I’ve been looking for a Carne asada recipe and this one with the beer marinade has an incredible, complex flavor with little effort.
We skipped the tacos and just used the carne to top homemade nachos. Amazing!
Now you have me thinking nachos and it’s only 9 AM here! Thanks for the update Eva! These are a go to fav for me too. If you like this check out my Tacos Al Pastor. 🙂
You had me at mojo … one of my favorite sauces! And marinating the steak in beer? Genius! Totally doing that this weekend!
Thanks Kimberly, appreciate your kind words. Hope you enjoy them and thanks for stopping by my little corner of the food blog universe. 🙂
These look great! Good tip on not marinating the beef too long. I made that mistake once and it wasn’t pretty. 🙂
Yeah, who needs mushy meat! Thanks Kristen. 🙂
Kevin this looks delicious! Here in Florida, we use mojo seasoning a lot, and I love it! The citrus flavor works so well with chicken and pork 🙂 Awesome recipe!
Thanks Paige, I do love this mojo on grilled chicken, too! I’m sure basting a nice pork shoulder on the BBQ would be heaven as well. Thanks for stopping by the site. 🙂
These tacos look perfect, Kevin! Good advice about not overdoing it on the marinade time – I’ve made that mistake before.
Thanks Marissa. I bet there’s no good Mexican food over in Paris, but really who cares. You’re in Paris!
This looks SO delicious…I’m definitely going to try this one out! 🙂
Thank you Wajeeha. Sometimes simple is so good, too! 😉
You made me want to run to the kitchen and try mojo, beer and orange seasonings, right now!
Haha! Thanks Claudia. With a little prep it could be yours for dinner. Go for it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
These tacos look delicious!! The mojo I made is a little big different. I really want to try your version soon.
Thanks so much for stopping by Oriana and for the kind words. What’s in your mojo recipe?
Kevin, this mojo sounds like just what I need to get my grilling “mojo” back in action… since it’s still nearly 80 degrees here in Utah mid October! But it won’t last for long so this is Sunday’s dinner menu. Love the idea of marinading in beer first. Corona seems like such a perfect flavor for the steak. You’ve done it again. Beautiful pictures too, as usual.
I think we are sharing the same heatwave, it’s foggy in the morning then 90° by 10am here! Sure wish a “season” would hit San Diego.
The beer really does add a flavor note and contains alpha acids and tannins so it’s great for tenderizing meats.
Thanks for the photo comments, been working hard at it lately. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Kevin! You’re speaking my language! I love Mexican food, especially carne asada tacos. These tacos with the mojo marinade look soooo good…I’m seriously so hungry now and have a major craving for tacos. They look so tender and juicy, and I love the simple garnishing – it lets the true flavors of the meat shine 😀
Agreed Beeta, although after we had dinner I realized I made a batch of guacamole and felt it really wasn’t missed after all. Had it with chips the next day! 🙂
Photos are amazing as always Kevin. I’ll take a serving thanks. Oh, and I need some of that mojo. :p
Thanks so much Ai, that made my day! 🙂
Aah… my stomach is now growling! This looks insanely delicious Kevin! 😀 Maybe I should make Taco Tuesdays come early so that I can make this!
Exactly! Who needs a day for serious grub, right? It could be Mojo Monday, Fajita Friday, all I know is this was quite tasty. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.
I love the idea of first marinating in the beer to give it a fuller depth of flavor. Nice. The recipe sounds great and your photos are terrific! Going to PIN this one as well.
Thanks Lindy, appreciate you stopping by and for the comments. Have a great weekend wherever you may be. 🙂
Hey Kevin! I made chicken cheese enchiladas in green sauce last night ,yes, I cooked 🙂 and I would gladly eat these tonight! Skirt steak is my favorite, but it’s hard to find here.
You’re back in the game Dorothy!
Flank steak is a great substitute, I’d score both side first though and then follow the directions. Happy Friday! 🙂
Mojo, eh? I’ve never heard of it…but I’m totally intrigued! This sounds (and looks) delicious, Kevin! And all of a sudden I have an uncontrollable urge to eat tacos tonight. I wonder why…haha! #WolfpackMarinadeFactory
These don’t take long Dave. Plus you have the chiles!