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These loaded carne asada fries are absolutely packed with incredible flavor! Juicy flank steak marinated in a blend of spices and citrus juices, then pan-seared and served over homemade seasoned fries. Finish it off with your favorite toppings and you’ve got the ultimate party or tailgate dish!
🍟 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Lolita’s Mexican Food in San Diego gets the credit for bringing this incredible concept to life. Carne asada fries are super popular in the American Southwest and Mexico, but if you’re not local to those areas, you might have a hard time finding them. This homemade recipe will help you get your fix until the next time you can get an authentic plate.
- Fries-as-nachos might be one of my favorite things, and this recipe couldn’t be more satisfying. Juicy flank steak marinated in a simple blend of spices… served on top of crispy, homemade fries… finished off with cheese and your favorite toppings. What could be better?!
- While it’s 10,000% worth the wait, this isn’t really a quick recipe – but the actual cooking part doesn’t take very long at all. Carne asada fries start with marinating flank steak in an incredible marinade for 4 to 12 hours. Be sure to factor that in when you’re planning your dinner!
- Carne asada fries can be an appetizer or a meal all on their own! If you’re feeding a large group, you can absolutely double the size of this recipe without any trouble.
If you want to take a shortcut on the flank steak, check out this recipe for Instant Pot Carne Asada from our sister site, Easy Healthy Recipes!
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Don’t cook the flank steak to well done! It’ll be chewy and just all around miserable. Medium is best, and medium-well is fine, but well-done is too far.
- Rule #1 for cutting beef applies here – always cut across the grain. That’s how you end up with tender strips of steak instead of tough, chewy strips, which I guarantee you don’t want on your carne asada fries. To cut across the grain, lay it on a cutting board and look for the parallel muscle fibers running down the meat. Lay your knife perpendicular across the fibers and cut at a slight diagonal.
- When you’re baking the fries, I recommend not using parchment paper on your baking sheet. The fries will crisp up better if they’re directly on the pan.
- Since the marinade is really acidic, don’t marinate your steak too long! 12 hours is the max we recommend. Any longer than that and the muscle fibers can start to break down – when that happens, you end up with mushy meat on your carne asada fries.
🥘 Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Sheet Pan Fajitas with Steak (Low Carb, Whole30, Paleo)
- Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pork Carnitas with Pork Loin or Tenderloin)
- Sous Vide Flank Steak
- Mexican Chicken Salad (Ensalada de Pollo)
- Chicken Ranchero
- Irresistible Jalapeño Corn Dip (Slow Cooker Recipe)
- Bell Pepper Nachos (Whole30)
- Whole30 Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
- Jerk Chicken Tacos
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Whole30, Paleo, Instant Pot)
- Guacamole Salad (Chunky Avocado And Tomato Salad)
- Epic Paleo Nachos with Carnitas (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Option)
- Instant Pot Burrito Bowls with Chicken
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
Carne Asada Fries
A bed of homemade seasoned fries topped with juicy marinated flank steak, melted cheese, and your favorite toppings. Make a small batch for yourself or double the recipe to feed a group!
servings
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- Shallow baking dish glass or ceramic, with lid or plastic wrap to cover
- Tongs
- vegetable scrub brush
- potato peeler optional
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife
- Large bowl
- large baking sheet
- Spatula
- internal meat thermometer
- Large plate
Ingredients
For the Carne Asada Marinade
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic approximately 3 large cloves
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice juice from approximately 2 large limes
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper more or less to taste
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
For the Carne Asada
- 1 1-pound flank steak
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil plus more as needed
For the Fries
- 3 large russet potatoes approximately 12-16 ounces each
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- sour cream
- guacamole store-bought or make your own
- chopped cilantro
- diced fresh tomato
- jalapeños diced or sliced
- diced red onion
Instructions
For the Carne Asada Marinade
- Add 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic, 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, ½ cup orange juice, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, ¼ cup avocado oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin to large mixing bowl.
- Whisk marinade ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.
- Place 1 1-pound flank steak in shallow baking dish. Pour prepared marinade over flank steak, covering flank steak completely. Flip steak as needed to coat both sides in marinade, then cover baking dish with lid or plastic wrap. Alternately, place flank steak in large food-safe sealable bag, then pour marinade into bag. Seal bag, removing any excess air.
- Place flank steak in refrigerator and marinate steak at least 4 hours but no more than 12 hours.
For the Homemade Fries
- Toward end of marinating time, preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Scrub 3 large russet potatoes under running water, removing all surface impurities.
- Peel russet potatoes if desired, then cut each potato into equally-sized matchsticks.
- Place cut potatoes in large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons avocado oil over cut potatoes, then toss potatoes until completely coated in oil.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon paprika over potatoes, then toss potatoes until well seasoned. Increase amounts of salt, garlic powder, and/or paprika if desired.
- Transfer seasoned potatoes to large baking sheet. Arrange fries on baking sheet in single, even layer, without overlapping if possible. Use 2 baking sheets if needed depending on number of fries.
- Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake fries 15 minutes, then remove baking sheet from oven.
- Carefully flip fries over, then return baking sheet to oven. Bake fries 10 to 15 minutes more or until as crispy as preferred.
For the Carne Asada
- While fries are baking, carefully remove flank steak from marinade. Discard remaining marinade.
- Place marinated steak on cutting board. Slicing against grain of meat, cut steak into thin strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Place large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil. Swirl or tilt pan to distribute oil across entire surface of pan.
- When oil is hot and shimmery, add steak to skillet, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding pan. Cook steak 4 to 5 minutes, then flip steak over. Cook on other side until preferred doneness is achieved, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. For medium doneness, cook steak until meat reaches internal temperature of 140° Fahrenheit. Note: thinner, smaller pieces will need less time to cook.
- Transfer cooked steak to large plate and set aside. Repeat with any remaining steak until all flank steak has been cooked.
To Serve
- Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Sprinkle ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend evenly over top of fries.
- If desired, return baking sheet to oven and bake fries 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Top fries with cooked steak and finish with sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, diced fresh tomato, jalapeños, and diced red onion if desired. Serve immediately.
- Make it Vegetarian: Use a plant-based meat instead of flank steak.
- Make it Vegan: Use a plant-based meat, vegan cheese, and vegan sour cream (optional).
Simple Homemade Guacamole
- Mash flesh of 1 to 2 avocados with lime juice and salt to taste. Add chopped cilantro, diced onions, and/or diced jalapeños for more flavor.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1 servingCalories: 451calProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 723mgPotassium: 1069mgTotal Carbs: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 32gVitamin A: 457IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 143mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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