Slow Cooker Carne Asada

This Slow Cooker Carne Asada is the perfect set it and forget it meal. It’s made with juicy steak, cooked low and slow in a flavorful marinade. Serve in tacos or burritos, on nachos, over salad, you name it!

Easy Crockpot Carne Asada

The slow cooker is my favorite kitchen tool. I mean, there really is no better way to cook than just tossing a bunch of ingredients in a slow cooker, then forgetting about it.

This Slow Cooker Carne Asada is one I will be making forever and ever. It’s perfect for weekly meal prep or for easy dinners or lunches when you don’t want to mess around with hands-on cooking.

Not to mention the fact that it’s deliciously juicy, loaded with tons of flavor, and can be served in a million different ways.

What is Carne Asada?

Carne asada aka “grilled beef” is a traditional Mexican dish that’s made with marinated steak that’s cooked at high heat on a grill. It’s typically sliced into thin pieces, then served as part of a main dish!

Since this carne asada is made in the slow cooker, it’s not technically prepared in the traditional way. But it does have the same delicious flavor and it sure is delicious!

Ingredients Needed

• Sauce: Our flavorful marinade/sauce is made with a combination of olive oil, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, orange and lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, and salt.
• Steak: I use flank steak, but you could also use chuck or skirt steak if that’s what you have available to you.

How to Make Carne Asada

This crockpot carne asada recipe really is so simple! Just a couple steps of prep, then it all goes in the slow cooker!

1. Make the marinade: Place all of the ingredients except the steak into your blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Sear the meat: In a skillet over medium heat, sear the meat on both sides.
3. Combine and cook: Place to seared meat into the slow cooker, pour the sauce on top, then cook on low for 8 hours. Once cooked, shred and serve as desired.

What Meat is Carne Asada?

Carne asada is beef—most commonly, steak.

For this slow cooker recipe, I like to use flank steak. It’s a tougher cut of beef, which responds really well to the low and slow cooking process of the crockpot!

Can You Put Marinated Meat in a Slow Cooker?

You can, but it isn’t necessary. The meat and marinade in this recipe are added to the slow cooker at the same time.

The long, slow cooking time gives the meat plenty of time to marinate while it cooks. It gets deliciously juicy, tender, and flavorful—no pre-marinating needed!

How to Make Meat Tender in the Slow Cooker?

The key to making the meat extra tender in the slow cooker is to cook it on low. While cooking it on high is also sufficient, the longer, slower cooking time with lower heat creates the most tender texture!

Serving Suggestions

There are tons of delicious and creative ways you can enjoy this carne asada. Here are a few ideas:

• Over a salad. Try it instead of the ground beef in my homemade taco salad.
• On nachos. Layer it over a big platter of loaded nachos.
• In tacos, burritos, or taquitos. Keep it light with lettuce leaf tacos, use it in baked beef taquitos, or scoop it into corn tortillas loaded up with rice, cotija cheese, Pickled Onions, and Coleslaw, with a scoop of fresh avocado and corn salsa, Homemade Guacamole, or Quick Restaurant-Style Salsa.
• And, of course, you can’t go wrong with a side of Mexican rice and homemade refried beans.

How to Store

Leftover carne asada can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To enjoy again, thaw the meat in the fridge if frozen, then warm in the oven, in a pan with a splash of broth, or in the microwave.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Classic Chicken Soup
• Beef Barbacoa Recipe
• Pork Carnitas
• Slow Cooker Short Ribs
• Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Watch the Video: