New! Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Cream

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This Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos recipe is the most simplified, straight-forward way I know to get from an empty table, to one filled with tasty carne asada-inspired tacos. Honestly, this recipe does a good job of exemplifying just what MKL is all about. I’m not going to ask you to dirty dishes and use extra ingredients that aren’t necessary. I’ve read tons of recipes for slow cooker carne asada that involve many more steps and ingredients than this one, and while that’s not always a bad thing – I’m here to tell you that it’s simply unnecessary.

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Is this slow cooker tacos recipe technically carne asada? No, because we’re not grilling anything. But we’re going to approximate the flavors and textures of a classic carne asada here. This easy-breezy spice mix + beer combination delivers the flavor and texture we’re looking for in the end, and it’s also the most low-key way of preparing the dish as well. And so, I’m excited to offer this recipe up into the blogosphere ether today. It’s really delicious and to be honest, when you drip the ** insanely tasty ** cilantro lime cream down over top of your tacos, you’ll be instantly transported to your favorite taqueria. Trust me on this.

Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream

What is Carne Asada?

Translating to “grilled meat,” carne asada is a Mexican dish of grilled and sliced beef. You’ll see it made with tenderloin, skirt steak, ribeye, and flank steak, and for today’s purposes, I reached for the flank steak. I also make this with sirloin, as it’s far cheaper than some of the other cuts and does really well in the tenderizing cauldron that is the slow cooker. If I had a pricy cut, I’d probably opt to just go straight to the grill.

Carne asada is typically marinated in a combination of spices and citrus juices, and often times you’ll see beer incorporated into the mix. So, we’re going to stir together a flavorful combination of common spice drawer spices and rub them all over our two pounds of meat.

For this Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos recipe, we’ll then nestle the meat down into the sleeve of our slow cooker and then douse it all in beer. Just use a light-colored beer – whatever you’ve got. In a pinch, and if you don’t like beer, you can sub beef stock. I think you guys are going to really love having this Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos recipe around when the taco craving hits. And we all know that can hit HARD … be it Tuesday or otherwise.

What You’ll Need to Make These Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos

These Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos (carne asada inspired, I should say) only call for the ingredients that truly need to be here. Nothing superfluous or extra. The spices bring the beef to life as it slow cooks, and the beer brings its own unmistakeable flavor to the mix. Plus? The cilantro lime cream is to-die-for delicious and basically good on every single thing.

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos INGREDIENTS

2 pounds flank steak (can also use sirloin, hanger, or tri-tip)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
12-ounces beer (preferably not a dark one; beef stock can be subbed)
Tortillas (corn or flour – whichever you like)
Finely shredded red or green cabbage
Fresh diced or pickled onions, for serving
Crumbled Cotija or feta cheese
Fresh limes, for serving

For the cilantro-lime cream:

8 ounces sour cream
Juice of ½ lime
Salt, to taste
1 cup cilantro
½ large garlic clove

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos FAQ’s

What is carne asada?

Carne asada is a Mexican/Latin American dish of marinated beef that has been grilled and sliced. It can be served on its own or as part of another dish, such as these carne asada tacos or tucked inside a burrito, for example

What is the difference between steak and carne asada?

Carne asada is defined by the fact that it is marinated in a classic combination of spices and often beer, before being grilled and sliced. Various cuts of beef can be used to prepare carne asada, so while carne asada can be made from steaks – not all steaks are carne asada.

Is carne asada the same as ground beef?

Carne asada is prepared from larger cuts of beef, often skirt or flank steak, that has been marinated, grilled, and then sliced. So no, ground beef and carne asada are quite different from one another.

What type of meat do you use for carne asada?

I personally love to use skirt steak or flank steak when I prepare carne asada – whether on the grill or in the slow cooker, like we’re doing in this recipe. But you can also use tri-tip or flap steaks, if you can find them.

How to Make These Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos

When I say that I’m simplifying things here, I’m mostly referring to the fact that I’m removing the stovetop searing step that you’ll often see with slow cooked meat recipes. I tested this with that step and without, and I’m pleased to tell you that the final taco tastes literally no different if you sear the meat in a pan on the stove before placing it into the slow cooker.

So, we’re going to skip that step. In the name of saving time and saving a big, greasy dish from having to be washed – we’re going straight into the slow cooker with our flank steak today, guys. Searing meat before cooking it does a nice job of sealing in juices and it creates a sort of crust that is also a nice way to boost texture/flavor. But since this meat is going to be served in tortillas with onion, cabbage, cheese, and a cream sauce – we’re not going to even notice that.

DIRECTIONS

Combine the garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder in a bowl.
Rub this mix all over the steak and place in the slow cooker. Add the beer (or stock) and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until nice and tender. Or, 4 hours on high should do the trick. Remove to a cutting board and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
To serve your tacos, pile some of the spiced, sliced steak onto your tortillas and top with some fresh or pickled onions, cabbage, some Cotija or feta, and some of the cilantro-lime cream.
To make the cilantro-lime cream: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and combined. Taste and season with a pinch of salt, if you like. If you need to add a tablespoon of water to thin it out a bit, that’s just fine, too.