Carne asada is steak, but it’s a specific way of preparing steak. The name means “grilled meat” in Spanish, and it usually refers to thin cuts of beef cooked quickly over high heat, then sliced or chopped and served with tortillas. What sets it apart from a steakhouse steak is the cut, the cooking and the way you eat it. A ribeye is thick, cooked to a chosen doneness and eaten with a knife and fork. Carne asada is thin, charred on the outside and meant to be folded into a taco, rolled into a burrito or piled onto a plate.
We have been grilling carne asada at our place in Aurora since 1991, and it’s a word a lot of people see on menus without being sure what it means. So here’s the short version of what the term means, how the style works, and how we make ours.
What does “asada” mean?
“Carne” means meat. “Asada” comes from the Spanish verb asar, which means to roast or grill. Put them together and carne asada translates to roasted or grilled meat. In practice, when you see carne asada on a menu, it almost always means grilled beef.
The word asada shows up in other dishes too. Pollo asado is grilled chicken, for example, and you’ll see “asada” used as shorthand for the steak itself, as in an asada burrito or asada fries. So if someone asks you what asada is, the simple answer is grilled steak, usually cut thin.
In much of northern Mexico and in plenty of Mexican American neighborhoods, “carne asada” also means the gathering. Inviting friends over for a carne asada is a lot like inviting them to a cookout. Someone works the grill, tortillas get warmed, salsas come out, and people eat the meat as it comes off the fire. That social side is a big part of why the dish feels the way it does. It’s food meant to be shared.
Is carne asada steak, and how is it different from other steaks?
Yes, carne asada is steak. The difference lies in which steak and how it’s handled.
Cooks who make carne asada usually reach for thin, flavorful cuts such as skirt steak or flank steak. These cuts have a lot of beefy flavor and a looser grain, and they cook fast. Many cooks season or marinate the meat before it hits the grill, often with some combination of salt, lime or other citrus, garlic and spices. Recipes vary a lot from family to family and region to region, so there isn’t one correct version.
The cooking is fast and hot. A thick steak might sit on the grill for a while and rest before you cut it. Carne asada gets a quick sear over high heat, which gives it a charred, smoky outside. Then it’s sliced across the grain or chopped into small pieces. Cutting it that way keeps it tender and makes it easy to eat in a tortilla.
That’s really the heart of the difference. A classic American steak is the whole meal on the plate. Carne asada is an ingredient as much as a dish. It goes into tacos, burritos, nachos, bowls and fries, and it’s built to carry salsa, guacamole, onions and chili along with it.
How we make carne asada at El Chubby’s
Our carne asada is thin strips of steak grilled with jalapeños, onions and tomatoes. The jalapeños bring a little heat, the onions turn sweet on the grill, and the tomatoes add some brightness and juice. Everything cooks together, so the steak picks up the flavor of the vegetables and the vegetables pick up the flavor of the steak.
Like everything on our menu, it’s made to order. When you order carne asada, it goes on the grill for you. And since almost anything can be prepared the way you like, you can ask us to go easy on the jalapeños or add more, or put green chili on the side.
If you’ve never had carne asada with green chili, we’d suggest trying it. We make our green chili fresh every day and offer three kinds: hot green, mild green and red. A spoonful of hot green over grilled steak is about as Colorado as a plate of Mexican food gets. If you want to learn more about the peppers that give Mexican cooking its range of heat, we wrote about the top chiles used in Mexican cooking.
Where to find carne asada on our menu
Most of our carne asada dishes live on the specialties menu, and there are more of them than people expect.
Carne Asada Fries are our signature dish. If you only try one thing with carne asada, make it this one. Fries topped with grilled steak is a combination that a lot of people credit to taco shops in Southern California, and it has spread just about everywhere since. Ours stacks our grilled steak, jalapeños, onions and tomatoes over the fries, and it’s the dish we’re best known for. We also make Chicken Asada Fries if you’d rather have chicken.
The Steak Order is three steak tacos with rice, beans and sliced avocado. It’s a simple plate, and it lets the grilled steak do the talking. If you like tacos with a little more going on, our taco menu has steak tacos you can order one at a time alongside other favorites.
The Carne Asada Plate puts the grilled steak front and center, and it’s a good pick if you want a sit-down meal. The Carne Asada Bowl is a nice choice when you want the steak without a tortilla. Carne Asada Nachos pile it onto chips, which makes for a great plate to share at the table. Chicken versions of the plate and bowl are on the menu too.
Carne asada also shows up in a burrito, so you can order a carne asada burrito any of our five ways: Plain, Chili, Special, Smothered or Deluxe. For something a little different, combination plate #10 is carne asada enchiladas with rice and beans. And at breakfast, the Steak Rancheros and the steak breakfast burrito bring steak to the morning.
Which carne asada dish should you order first?
If you’re new to it, start with the Carne Asada Fries. It’s the dish we’re best known for, and it gives you a good sense of how our steak, jalapeños, onions and tomatoes come together. If you’d rather taste the steak on its own terms, go with the Steak Order and eat it taco style. And if you’re bringing friends, get a round of Carne Asada Nachos for the table and let everyone grab a chip.
Whichever you pick, it’s grilled fresh when you order it. Come by 1191 S Abilene St in Aurora, use the drive-thru if you’re in a hurry, or order online for pickup or delivery. Come hungry.
