This is my favorite easy recipe for carne asada fries. It’s simple and uses tons of fresh ingredients for the toppings.
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What toppings can you add?
This recipe — as almost any tex-
Jalapeños, melted cheese, grated cheese, guacamole, pico e gallo, mango pico e’ gallo, caramelized onions, black beans, cilantro garlic sauce, etc. The sky’s the limit.
I tried to keep my carne asada fries a bit decluttered, and I opted for just two toppings— my absolute favs —: homemade guacamole and pico e’
It may look minimalistic, but remember that under those two toppings there is a thick layer of Mexican spiced beef and tons of fries. Believe me, this is a HEAVY Mexican dinner.
How to season the carne asada?
This is the most important part of the recipe. You can’t just add salt and black pepper and call it a day. The secret for juicy and tender Mexican flavored beef is the marinade.
My all-time carne asada marinade has easy to find ingredients that give you the best carne asada every single time.
When making marinades for beef meat, you have to remember to add some type of acid. Like in a Cuban-style
Carne Asada Marinade:
- 1 onion
- 1 handful of cilantro
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 lime juice
- 2 tbsp apple vinegar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
I like to let my meat marinate for at least 1 hour. This will allow absorbing a good amount of flavor.
You can cook the meat preferably using a grill. Because I live in a city apartment I don’t own a big grill. To sear my meats, I usually rely on my cast iron pan. It gives a good sear while keeping the juices of the meat.
One thing you’ll notice for sure is that in my marinate I add onion — sliced— for extra flavor. I don’t waste that onion. After cooking the meat, I cook the remainings of the marinade with the onion in the same pan. The onion will “caramelize” with the same flavor of the meat and it’s one of my favorite things in this recipe.
Finally, I cut the steaks to get bite-sized pieces. I add the onion and it’s ready to serve with fries.
What types of fries can you use?
You can use almost any type of frozen french fry that you prefer. The only consideration that I take is that the fries are not super thin. The pico’e gallo and the guacamole have a bit of liquid and if the fries are too thin they can break easily and get soggy.
You can either fry them or bake them. My personal preference is to bake them just to save a few calories from the oil. But again, personal preference. It does not alter the result of the recipe.
How to assemble carne asada fries?
Now, we have all the elements of the recipe. just rest to serve. This is a layered recipe.
First, it’s the base of french fries. They will support the rest of the elements. Then it’s the steak cut into bite-sized pieces. Remember to add the onions too.
Finally, add all the toppings that you want. Easy-peasy
Loaded Carne Asada Fries
Ingredients
- 300 gr french fries
Carne asada
- 250 gr flank steak
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 handful of cilantro
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 lime juice
- 2 tbsp apple vinegar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
Guacamole
- 1 big ripe avocado
- ½ small onion
- 1 handful cilantro
- Pinch of salt
- ½ lime juice
Pico e’gallo
- ½ small onion
- 1 small tomato
- 1 handful cilantro
- ½ lime juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, place the beef steaks and add all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix with your hands to make sure the steaks are evenly coated. Take it to the fridge for at least 1 hour or even overnight.
- Cook the steaks on a grill or a cast iron pan. Sear both sides and cook until medium-rare. Let the steak rest for a couple of minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the sliced onion and the remaining marinade in the same pan for a couple of minutes.
- Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and add the onion.
Pico e’gallo:
- Cut the onion. tomato and cilantro into teeny tiny pieces. Toss it into a bowl and season with lime juice and a pinch of salt.
Guacamole:
- Smash the big avocado until it’s creamy (for this reason the avocado must be ripe and soft).
- Cut the onion into small pieces. Chop the cilantro. Toss them to the avocado cream and mix. Season with lime juice and a pinch of salt.
Carne asada fries
- Prepare the french fries according to their package. You can either fry them or bake them.
- Toss the carne asada. Top with guacamole and pico e’gallo. Serve
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.