How do you organize an authentic Carne Asada and what food should you serve? Here are 15 essential Mexican foods for the ultimate authentic Carne Asada experience — from the meat and the tortillas to the beer and the tequila.
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Mexicans are famous for their grill skills and their delicious meat. There’s no other place in the world that can offer both fresh produce and meat at a reasonable price. Learn what a carne asada is, the popular food served, and how to organize an authentic experience.
“Carne Asada” essentially is a Mexican BBQ party. Obviously, there’s meat involved, but there’s so much more! Normally there’s also tortilla, grilled green onion, cactus paddle, guacamole, Coca-Cola, and beer! Those are the essential items, but there’s so much more we have not mentioned!
Typically Sunday in Mexico is a day to grill meat and drink a bottle of beer with friends and family. Families gather to eat, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. There are adults chatting and cooking, children running around like feral animals, and dogs begging for a piece of meat from their owners.
Let me tell you something — Mexicans know a lot about delicious food and where to get it. But most importantly they know more about the importance of family time. Carne Asada is not about eating and dashing. It’s about spending half the day reconnecting with family and friends while sharing amazing BBQ food. There’s no better way to start a conversation over a cold beer and hot sizzling meat.
Before we take a look at the 15 essential Mexican foods for an authentic carne asada, let’s discuss how to organize a GREAT Carne Asada party.
How to Organize an Authentic Carne Asada
Location
It doesn’t matter if it’s at a park or at the back of your house. There’s no discrimination when it comes to where you’re going to do the Carne Asada. There are times people would throw some wood in a metal can, start the fire, and BBQ meat right there.
Mexicans are great like that. As long as there’s a fire, people will start to bring the things you need to make a Carne Asada successful!
Company
Carne asada is nothing if you’re not with great company! So invite your close friends and families with whom you want to hang out. These are the people you want to share a beer with on a Sunday afternoon.
A Big Gathering Table
We like to eat together and share everything together as well. It is not important to have one perfect big table. If we find extra tables laying around, we move them all together and join them into an uneven-shaped round table.
Food Cover
There’s nothing more annoying than eating when flies are landing on the food. Having plastic covers or even a clean cloth to cover the food helps avoid these pesky flies.
If you’re using coal to cook, another way to eliminate bugs once you finish cooking is to lay some fresh citronella and rosemary leaves on the coal. The scent will help deter them away.
Label Cups
Let’s save plastic usage! Usually, we have more than one variety of drinks at a carne asada, which means more than one cup per person. Labelling guests’ cups can significantly save on plastic usage and unnecessary dishwashing at the end of the day.
Additional Children-Friendly Food
Sometimes carne asada may not be a good fit for children. We sometimes prepare something extra for kids like macaroni ham pasta, pesto pasta, or club sandwiches.
Coal — Our Favourite Way of BBQing
Most of the time in Mexico we use coal for all our carne asada. Be aware coal requires some time to heat up. Give it a minimum of 30 minutes before it heats to the ideal temperature.
I love this charcoal chimney starter. It can get your coal ready in 10-15 minutes (depending on the weather). To cook the meat properly, a quality cast iron comal or griddle is one of the best tools for achieving those beautiful grill marks on the meat.
Is Carne Asada Seasonal?
Absolutely not! Carne asada is very common in Mexico, most notoriously in the north of Mexico. Rumour has it that they have carne asada almost every Sunday.
Now that we’ve covered some helpful organizational pointers on how to make a successful and authentic Carne Asada, let’s take a look at the 15 essential foods for an authentic Mexican Carne Asada.
1. Meat
Mexican Carne Asada needs to be beef. There’s no chicken or pork. Rarely do we see seafood on the grill. Having good quality meat is essential for a Carne Asada!
What kind of beef?
For Mexican Carne Asada, all meat slices are cut thinly. Most butchers cut all the meat thinly for carne asada purposes. The types of cut we use are usually top sirloin, arrachera (skirt steak), ribeye, and ribs.
Marinate
We do a simple marinade for the beef. Because the meat here is very fresh, we don’t want to overpower it with a strong marinade that takes away the fresh flavour.
In my family, we toss all of the meat in a large container. We drown the meat in a bottle of beer (whatever beer we are drinking that day), Tajin, and salt. Give it a good rub and mix. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and BBQ. Normally we prepare the meat while we heat the coal up. By the time the BBQ is ready, the meat has finished marinating.
2. Bean Soup “Frijoles Charros”
A popular Mexican bean soup we serve during the colder days while having a Carne Asada is called Frijoles Charros.
A delicious hearty, warm soup made with bacon, beans, sausages, the stomach of the cow, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno. It’s a soothing bean soup packed with flavour and ingredients. Once this Frijoles Charros soup starts to cook on the stove, people will start gathering and lining up for it. Trust me, on a cold evening, this soup will bring you back with warmth and soul.
3. Tortilla
Tortilla is an essential food for any Mexican BBQ. We have both flour and corn (masa) tortillas. We sometimes eat them as is, or wrap them with some cheese and make quesadillas. At a Carne Asada, we always use tortillas to dip into the guacamole or to insert meat, grilled onions, and salsa on top to make a taco. Check out our recipe for Green Nopales Corn Tortillas — a wonderful homemade option!
4. Green Onion Bulbs (Cebollin)
We find the typical green onion very different from the Mexican green onion. The Mexican green onion is stronger in taste and larger and rounder at the root.
We tend to roast the white parts of the green onion on the BBQ. We keep the green part so it is easier to grab and toss around on the grill. After grilling, we cut it up into smaller pieces (usually one bulb into four pieces) and toss it with some lime and salt.
On Sundays, you see many produce vendors selling fresh cebollin because this green onion is essential for a carne asada!
5. Nopales
One of my favourite things to look forward to at a Carne Asada. Grilled nopales have a very green and acidic taste. Once cooked over charcoal they take on a bright, smoky taste that I simply adore! We tend to cut the wings of the nopales with 3-5 slices just so they don’t curl up when cooking.
6. Potatoes in Tin Foil
Once we get the fire settled and going, we wrap our potatoes in tin foil and toss them into the outer rim of the fire. After 25 minutes or so (depending on the size of the potato and the strength of the fire) we take them out and add butter. Simple and so tasty!
7. Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Cheese
A favourite if you have a vegetarian in the family. Just two or three of them and they are quite filling!
We cut the peppers’ tops, clean the inside and stuff them with manchego cheese. We also tin foil the bottom so they don’t burn as much. Cutting into these cheesy peppers is so good with a side of green onion bulbs.
8. Corn
Grilled corn with its leaves on is so delicious. We keep the leaves on so they help steam the kernels inside with their own flavour. This is how we get some perfectly cooked corn! Typically we put butter and some salt around the corn, or cut the kernels out and mix them with some lime and mayonnaise, garnished with Tajin.
9. Guacamole
Another great side dish that goes well with all the meat at a carne asada! I like to add lime, cilantro, red onion, tomato, and some sea salt in a large bowl with smashed avocados. Dip it with a tortilla or just have it on the side with meats. Want to take your guacamole to the next level? Try our fun guacamole recipe as inspiration.
10. Sausages: Salchicha / Longaniza / Chorizo
In Mexico, we have so many different kinds of sausages for different occasions. Some are used only for Carne Asada, like the longaniza sausage — a thin long sausage that is acidic to the taste and packed with flavours and fatty particles.
Other sausages we use are chorizo and “salchicha para asar”. Salchicha is essential for both adults and kids when it comes to BBQing in Mexico.
11. Coke
America is the land of the free, and Mexico is the land of Coke. Coca-Cola is THE DRINK for all Carne Asada and THE ESSENTIAL thirst quencher. You can’t have a Mexican BBQ without it!
If you’re invited to a real Carne Asada, bring a bottle of Coke. Pepsi is not welcome at an authentic Carne Asada unless you want to stand out like a real foreigner.
12. Limonada and Chia Seed
Mexico is known for its delicious green lime and they love it in water. A refreshing drink to have during a Carne Asada is Limonada with chia seeds.
Take out your 2L jug. First mix 2 tbsp of chia seed and half a cup of sugar with some hot water to dissolve the sugar and let the chia seeds swell. Then add regular room temperature water. Serve over ice.
13. Banana with Chocolate Chips
Yes, you can make dessert on the grill! The type of banana we use is called “Macho Platino” — a bigger and thicker banana variety. Take the banana (with its peel) and split it in half without breaking through to the other side. Stuff chocolate chips inside and wrap it all up with tin foil. Grill over the fire for about 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
14. Beer
There’s no such thing as a fiesta without a beer in your hand. We love beer here and it’s the ultimate essential drink to cool down and chill on a nice Sunday afternoon. The beers we usually like to have at a Carne Asada are Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, and so much more!
15. Tequila
As the days draw to an end with a belly full of delicious food, nothing closes a day more pleasantly than a shot of tequila. We sometimes trade in tequila for mezcal liquor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between carne asada and a regular BBQ?
Carne asada is much more than just grilling meat — it’s a Mexican social tradition. A regular BBQ might focus on burgers or hot dogs, but carne asada is built around thinly sliced beef, tortillas, nopales, salsas, and specific side dishes. It’s a full cultural experience centred around family and community time.
What is the best cut of meat for carne asada?
The most popular cuts are arrachera (skirt steak), top sirloin, ribeye, and short ribs. Arrachera is the most traditional choice — it is thinly cut, flavourful, and cooks quickly over high heat. The key is thin slices so the meat cooks fast and stays juicy.
How long do you marinate carne asada meat?
A minimum of 30 minutes is enough for a simple marinade of beer, Tajin, and salt. For a deeper flavour, marinate for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Do not marinate for longer than 24 hours as the acid in the beer will start to break down the meat too much.
Can you make carne asada without a grill?
Yes! A cast iron skillet or a cast iron comal over high heat on the stovetop gives you a great char on the meat. The goal is high heat and quick cooking, which a good cast iron can deliver. A Lodge cast iron skillet is perfect for this.
What Mexican salsa goes best with carne asada?
Salsa verde and salsa roja are both excellent with carne asada. A smoky salsa macha from Veracruz adds a great depth. Try our easy Mexican salsa verde or our tasty hot salsa macha recipes for authentic options.
What is the difference between longaniza and chorizo in Mexico?
Longaniza is a thin, long sausage used almost exclusively for Carne Asada. It has an acidic, spiced profile from vinegar and dried chiles. Chorizo is a fattier, more richly spiced sausage typically used for breakfast or in bean dishes. Both are absolutely delicious on the grill.
