Sous Vide Carne Asada

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Tender, rich and juicy, this Sous Vide Carne Asada is slow cooked in a sous vide water bath and grilled to perfection before being sliced and served in tortillas! 

This recipe is a twist on authentic carne asada (like this Instant Pot carne asada) but I promise the sous vide method is a game changer!

You still marinate your steak in amazing Mexican flavors and brown it on a grill before serving. The twist, however, involves cooking the beef in a water bath for 4 hours before searing it on a hot grill. 

The controlled temperature of the water bath ensures your beef is cooked to a perfect medium-rare with a tender and juicy texture that’s ideal for carne asada!

You can serve this carne asada on its own with some Instant Pot Spanish rice or stuff it in burritos and tacos! And don't forget dessert - this instant pot flan is to die for!

Why this recipe works

1. Marinating is the key to amazing carne asada and this recipe includes an easy homemade marinade with intense Mexican flavor.
2. Carne asada is best cooked to medium-rare and cooking your beef in a sous vide water bath helps you easily achieve this without overcooking.
3. If the charred and smoky flavor is your favorite part of carne asada, no worries! The steak gets a quick sear on a hot grill before being sliced and served.
4. Skirt steak is usually the meat of choice for carne asada and it’s typically inexpensive so this is a budget friendly meal.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

What is carne asada?

Carne asada is a Mexican dish that involves marinated beef that is grilled and then thinly sliced into strips and served on its own or as a filling for burritos or tacos. The beef that is used is usually skirt steak or flank steak.

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll need 1 pound of skirt steak for this carne asada recipe. Skirt steak is a long and flat cut of beef from the plate area of the cow. It has a coarse grain and marbling. You can also use flank steak if you prefer.  

Some of the ingredients for the marinade include orange and lime juice, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, toasted cumin seeds and brown sugar.

The orange and lime juice add some acid to the marinade which helps to tenderize the tough connective tissue of the beef. You'll want to use freshly squeezed juices instead of bottled juices.

To add a spicy kick to the marinade, you’ll need one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. You can usually buy them in cans at your local grocery store.

For the best flavor, you’ll want to toast your cumin seeds. To do this, heat a skillet on medium heat and add the cumin seeds, tossing every few minutes until fragrant. 

One tablespoon of brown sugar in the marinade adds a hint of sweetness and balances out the spicy and tangy flavors of the other ingredients.

Step by step instructions

Combine all the ingredients together and pour over the beef. Let marinate in the fridge overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 131F degrees.

Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the beef in a vacuum seal bag and cook for 4 hours in the sous vide water bath.

When done cooking, remove from the bag and pat dry.

Heat a grill or a skillet over high heat.

Sear the beef for 30-45 seconds a side, until browned, then remove and set aside.

Slice and serve on tortillas with Mexican crema, cilantro, limes, avocado, salsa, etc. This green salsa or tomato salsa would work perfect! Serve with a side of Instant Pot Spanish rice, Instant Pot cilantro rice or this Instant Pot black beans and rice.

You can also serve it in burritos or burrito bowls, by itself with a side of rice or on top of a salad.

Expert tips

1. Removing air from the bag is an important step as it helps keep bacteria out of the bag and safely cooks your food in the water bath.
2. If air gets in the bag and the bag starts to float, just open the bag, let the air out and reseal it. 
3. You can also use something heavy like a sous vide sinker weight to weigh down the bag and prevent it from floating.
4. I recommend marinating the beef overnight for the best flavor.
5. For the best sear, use a paper towel to dry the surface of the beef before browning it.
6. The grill or skillet should be hot before adding the beef so it browns quickly without overcooking.
7. Don’t brown the beef for more than 30-45 seconds per side as it will overcook.
8. Make sure you cut the steak against the grain as thinly as possible. 

Common questions

More sous vide beef recipes

• Sous Vide Skirt Steak
• Sous Vide Chuck Roast
• Sous Vide Brisket
• Sous Vide Picanha
• Sous Vide Filet Mignon
• Sous Vide London Broil

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!