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All of the carne asada flavor, none of the fuss. Slow-cooked shredded crispy beef stuffed into warmed tortillas to make the best Mexican street tacos. All made in the slow cooker (along with instant pot and grilling variations). Serve each crockpot steak taco with a creamy cilantro lime garlic sauce, and baked Mexican fries.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Delicious carne asada flavor with the ease of a crockpot: set-and-forget
- Loaded with fresh, crunchy, and creamy toppings
The story
Monday felt like it needed a fun dinner, so taco night it is. But guys, these are not your average tacos. I call these “loaded” carne asada street tacos. It’s my fun twist on the traditional version.
With Cinco de Mayo just a week away I wanted to be sure to share a few new Mexican recipes for you all to easily recreate at home. Something about Mexican food is not only beyond delicious, but always feels fun and anything but fancy, which I kind of love. Tacos are laid back, low key, make yourself a margarita, sip, and eat, kind of food.
And well, right now they’re transporting me to the Mexican sunshine and have me dreaming of a vacation. It’s wonderful…and somewhat torturous at the same time. Soon enough that vacation will happen, but until then, let’s just build up the excitement with Monday night street tacos, Mexican-fiesta style.
Sound good? Perfect.
In full disclosure, traditional Carne Asada is always, always a grilled steak taco. But hear me out. For one, it’s not grilling weather up here in the mountains just yet (but I did provide grilling directions). And two? The slow cooker is easy, hands-off, and always leaves me with perfectly tender beef, that shreds nicely.
Just trying to do what’s easiest and what tastes best.
These fun street tacos were inspired by the ever so famous Carne Asada Burrito that’s commonly served up in the San Diego area. My cousin, Abby, who has lived in San Diego for years, loves these burritos. The best part about them? They come “loaded” with grilled carne asada, crema, salsa, cheese, and french fries. Yes, french fries in the burrito.
It’s weird but it’s also genius. So I took that concept, only I created a taco with shredded carne asada, lots of avocado, so much cilantro lime sauce, and fries on top…or on the side, whichever you prefer.
Ingredient Notes
- Marinade: keep the balance of acid (citrus) + salt + aromatics (garlic, cilantro, onion) + warm spices. Taste before pouring—add a pinch of salt if flat or a splash of citrus if dull.
- Beef cut: choose a cut that stays juicy low-and-slow; trim excess surface fat but leave some for flavor.
- Sweet/heat: a touch of honey or agave can round bitter notes; chilies/jalapeño for heat—scale to your crowd.
- Tortillas: corn for classic chew, flour for soft fold—warm either just before serving.
- Toppings (define “loaded”): creamy (avocado/crema), crunchy (shredded cabbage, radish), bright (lime, cilantro), salty (crumbly cheese), and a quick salsa.
Making these Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos is easy, here are the details.
First, pick your cooking method. I used the crockpot, but honestly cooking in the instant pot, or of course grilling, are equally easy and delicious. It all comes down to how much time you have. So take your pick.
Next, simply combine all of the ingredients. Flank steak, garlic, lots of seasonings, plenty of lime, and a splash of beer. Toss everything together in the bowl of the crockpot and cook until the steak is easily able to shred.
This next step is key. Remove the steak from the sauce, let it rest a bit, then lightly shred it and place it under the broiler. Cooking the steak under the broiler allows the steak to have a chance to caramelize and even become a bit crispy on the edges.
Yes…it’s an extra step, but I do think it’s worth it.
While the steak is cooking, get together the toppings.
The fries are simple. Just oven-baked fries seasoned up with chili powder, smoky paprika, and salt. Very simple to make and they come together quickly while the steak is cooking.
For the cilantro lime garlic sauce. It’s a simple mix of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), garlic, lots of lime, lots of cilantro, and some green onions too. Not too fancy, but it’s my favorite cooling tangy sauce to serve with a spicy street-style taco.
The rest of the toppings are all up to you. I like to serve with chipotle salsa (my homemade recipe is in the HBH Super Simple Cookbook), lots of lettuce, cilantro, lime, jalapeños, and crumbled salty feta cheese.
And with that, who else is getting excited for Cinco de Mayo next week? Just add your favorite margarita to round out the meal. Plus extra chips, guacamole, and salsa too. Yummmm. Mexican nights are the best. Enjoy.
Bonus, the shredded beef is great as a leftover. Pile it high onto your favorite tortilla chips for some delicious nachos or serve it up atop greens for a Mexican inspired salad.
Make sure you have an airtight container for leftovers the next day!
How do I get grilled/ charred flavor without a grill?
Sear the beef before the slow cooker or broil/sauté the cooked meat briefly to caramelize the edges. A pinch of smoked salt can add subtle smoke.
Slice or shred? What’s right for crockpot carne asada?
If the roast holds together, slice thinly against the grain; if it’s super tender, shred and toss with reduced juices.
My sauce tastes too tangy or too salty—how do I fix it?
For too tangy, whisk in a small splash of reduced cooking juices or a hint of sweetness. For too salty, add fresh citrus and a little water, then reduce again to balance.
Best way to warm tortillas for a crowd?
Wrap stacks in foil and warm in a low oven; or heat individually on a dry skillet and keep in a towel-lined basket so they stay soft and steamy.
I’ve made a number of taco recipes over the past few months. If you’re looking for a few other options, give these a try!
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Mushroom Al Pastor Tacos with Garlic Lime Special Sauce
Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos
Lastly, if you make these crockpot carne asada tacos with cilantro lime garlic sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Garlic Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 606 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo (or water)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- warmed corn or flour tortillas,
- avocado, feta cheese, jalapeños, pickled onion, and shredded lettuce, for serving
Mexican Fries
- 4 potatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick matchsticks
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
Cilantro Garlic Lime Crema
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the steak, garlic, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, pinch of salt, olive oil, lime juice and zest. Rub the seasonings into the steak. Add the beer. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the steak from the sauce to a baking sheet. Let rest 10 minutes. Lightly shred. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drizzle on the honey. Transfer to the broiler. Broil for 2-5 minutes, until the streak caramelizes. Watch closely! Toss with additional cooking liquid, if desired.3. Meanwhile, make the fries. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.4. Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and a large pinch of salt. Spread the fries in an even layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, if needed, divide the fries between 2 baking sheets. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 minutes more.5. To make the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Season with salt.6. Stuff the carne asada into the warmed tortillas. Top as desired with cilantro, lettuce, avocado, fries, cheese, and additional sauce. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. Cut the steak into 4 pieces. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the steak, garlic, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, pinch of salt, olive oil, lime juice and zest. Rub the seasonings into the steak. Add the beer. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function and release the steam.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the steak from the sauce to a baking sheet. Let rest 10 minutes. Lightly shred. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drizzle on the honey. Transfer to the broiler. Broil for 2-5 minutes, until the streak caramelizes. Watch closely! Toss with additional cooking liquid, if desired. 3. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 3-6.
Grill
- 1. Place the steak in a 9×13 inch pan. Add the garlic, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, pinch of salt, olive oil, lime juice and zest. Rub the seasonings into the steak. Add the beer. Marinate 30 minutes or in the fridge as long as overnight. 2. Preheat your grill or grill pan to high. 3. Remove the steak from its marinade and sear the steak for 5-8 minutes, flip and sear another 5 minutes or until your desired doneness is reached. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes. Slice steak thinly against the grain.4. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 3-6.
This post was originally published on April 27, 2020
Do you pour the beer over the meat or just put beer in crock pot? Don’t want all spices to come off meat
Hey Brian,
Either one is fine, the meat will still be flavorful from everything in the crockpot. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My roommate and I made these carne asada tacos. Simply amazing. Eating them right now. SO flavorful, perfect amount of spices and seasoning. We can’t stop raving about these tacos!! Everything from the pickled onions, lime crema, to the drizzled honey makes these tacos melt in your mouth! I want to make these every night!
Hey Madi,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
I need to double this recipe. So for 4 pounds of meat how long should I cook it in the slow cooker?
Hey Allison,
I would cook on low for at least 8 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Tieghan: We have been great Canadian fans of your recipes for the last 6 months now. We’ve enjoyed many new takes on familiar recipes and some new ones we have loved. You have a very creative take on many dishes.
We had great hopes for your crockpot Carne Asada because we are very familiar with marinated flank steak (skirt US?) grilled on the BBQ and thinly sliced. After following the crockpot recipe for 6 hours on low, we were left with a steak that was hard to pull apart, tough and very dry, even with extra sauce, and broiling for a couple of minutes dried it out further. Slow cooking with this lean cut did not tenderize it. The rest of this recipe with Mexican fries and sauce were wonderful. Next time, we will marinate the steak overnight, then grill and slice thinly across the grain. Other Carne Asada recipes we looked at, all marinated and grilled this cut of meat as suggested at the end of your recipe.
Just wanted to give you some feedback.
Thank you for all your recipes and look forward to what you are cooking each day!
Hey John,
So sorry you had issues with this recipe. I am wondering if your meat was a super large piece? Next time I would try cooking on low for 8 hours, it should be super tender at this point. I hope this helps! xTieghan
The grocery store was out of flank steak, so I got the sirloin tip. Can I still use it for this recipe and get similar texture?
Thank you!
Hey Vas,
Yes, I think that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious!! The beef was so tender and packed with flavor. I used a 1.5lb flank steak and it took about 8 hours in the crock pot for it to be super tender. I also added honey before and after broiling, AMAZING.
The cilantro garlic lime crema is genius, this will now be my go-to sauce for tacos. To our tacos I added the crema, guacamole, pickled red onions (way easier to make than I thought) and feta, like you recommended. 10/10!
Big fan! Keep up the great work :).
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
Hi, I’m a big fan of your blog and recipes. I really want this recipe to work out but I’ve made it twice now and both times the meat was very tough and hard to shred after 6 hours in the slow cooker on low. In addition, the first time I tried it, it turned out very bitter. It thought it was the lime so I omitted the lime juice the second time and added it once the meat was ready to be taken out of the slow cooker. Not bitter the second time but still very tough and chewy. I followed the recipe to a T. Any suggestions? Do I need to cook it longer?
Hey Shristi,
So sorry you are having issues with this recipe. What kind of meat are you using? I would recommend cooking on low for 8 hours. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
So delicious!! This was my 1st time trying one of your recipes and we loved it!! The leftover meat was amazing for some fun lunch meals!!
Hey Kristyn,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Would you slow roast the meat in the oven? What temp and how long? Our crockpot is so iffy (sometimes low is high and sometimes high is low ugh!). I’d much rather crockpot or oven roast than grill. We have the meat in the crockpot now, and it smells so good already!! We can’t wait for them to be done 🙂
Hey Carter,
Yes you can use a dutch oven and place in the oven at 350 for 3-4 hour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they were loved by everyone! I did all the fixings and loved the addition of the fries! Yumm! The sauce is way good and I made sure to spread it evenly on my taco so I had a bit in every bite! ❤️
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Second time making these, they are the bomb. My teenagers and 9 year old thanked me multiple times for the yummy tacos. Will probably double next time so that we have leftovers! Thanks again for an easy, delish recipe.
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
This recipe was great! One adjustment I would recommend to anyone that doesn’t love spicy is to use 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder instead of a tablespoon and the other two teaspoons of plain chili powder.
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
I cooked 1.5 lb of skirt steak in my Instant Pot for the recommended time (mind you I had 1/2 lb less meat) and it was a littttle tough prior to shredding and broiling. I’m not going to lie I was a little sad, but know that HBH recipes ALWAYS and undeniably come through for me. So I kept going, shred the meat and braised a little in the juices, laid on the pan, drizzled with honey – oh my GOODNESS. That totally changed the meat and made it to die for, that little caramelization, brilliant! I also added some shredded sharp white cheddar (Vermont girl in me) to the tortillas and broiled ‘till bubbly and slightly crunchy. Add the sauce (HBH sauces are always worth the extra step), truly DIVINE. One of my favorite recipes for sure.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
The fries and the crema were excellent. We used the instant pot, and found the flank steak tougher than I would’ve imagined and difficult to shred, any suggestions on ways to improve that?
Thanks again 🙂
Hey Brette,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry your flank steak was on the tougher side. Next time, you could add time to the cooking time, or cut the steak into smaller pieces. I hope this helps! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Just made this last night it was absolutely delicious we did it the crockpot method and made the sour cream sauce everything turned out perfectly. Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Tasha,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan