Freshly baked French fries, with tender pieces of carne asada, topped with mounds of shredded cheese, and baked till the cheese melts. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and spicy pico de gallo. Talk about the perfect football food.

Carne Asada fries recipe in a cast iron skillet

Have you ever heard of carne asada fries? The first time I ever tried them was in San Diego while visiting my best friend. It was seriously love at first bite.

Just imagine carne asada nachos, but instead of tortilla chips you use French fries. Its one of those dishes you crave, especially on late nights after a few drinks.

I was recently in San Diego for a book signing and all I could think about on my late flight was carne asada fries. My best friend picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to a local joint and placed an order-to-go. There we were at midnight scarfing down these babies in complete happiness.

Using frozen fries

To keep these carne asada fries easy and simple, I use frozen oven fries instead of cutting up potatoes for a quick-fix craving.

ingredients to make Carne Asada marinade

What cut of meat is carne asada?

Carne asada is usually made from skirt steak or arrachera. Alternatives include flank steak or sirloin flap meat.

Tequila Carne Asada Marinade

This marinade is so flavorful. The acid from the fresh lime and orange juice tenderizes the steak and the tequila gives it a unique flavor. This tender, grilled meat is full of authentic Mexican flavor.

grilling Carne Asada in a cast iron skillet

No grill? No problem. 

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over a high setting. When hot add the steak and cook for about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Be careful not to cut into the beef while turning so that you don’t lose any of the juices. 

Let rest 10 minutes, and then slice the steak against the grain into 1/2-inch pieces.

Carne Asada sliced against the grain

Shredded Cheese

Feel free to top carne asada fries with your favorite cheese, I recommend a mix of pepper jack cheese and Colby.

Carne Asada fries loaded with cheese

Carne Asada Toppings

The classic toppings are sour cream, guacamole, and spicy pico de gallo, but feel free to serve with additional salsas like guacamole salsa and chile de arbol salsa.

Carne Asada fries in a skillet topped with sour cream guacamole and pico de gallo

Watch this video to see how quickly these carne asada fries comes together.

More carne asada recipes you’ll love:

Carne Asada Fries (Loaded Fries)

4.50 (2 ratings)
Freshly baked French fries, with tender pieces of carne asada, topped with mounds of shredded cheese, and baked till the cheese melts. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and spicy pico de gallo. Talk about the perfect football food.

Ingredients

Carne Asada:

  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 2 ounces tequila
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup sliced red onion
  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds flat iron steak, flap steak, flank steak, or skirt steak
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Bake French fries according to package directions.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place your baked French fries across the bottom of your cast iron skillet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the grilled carne asada and shredded cheese across the fries evenly.
  • Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and meat is warm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

Carne Asada:

  • In a bowl, combine the butter, lime juice, orange juice, tequila, garlic, cilantro, and onion and mix well.
  • Place steak in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over steak. Zip up the bag and massage marinade around so that the steak is well covered. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
  • Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Remove the steak from the plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes, and then slice the steak against the grain into 1/2-inch pieces.

Notes

  • To keep these carne asada fries easy and simple, I use frozen oven fries but you can make your own. This would also taste great with sweet potato fries. 
Calories: 1510kcal, Carbohydrates: 101g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 98g, Saturated Fat: 39g, Cholesterol: 211mg, Sodium: 2268mg, Potassium: 2138mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1513IU, Vitamin C: 50mg, Calcium: 403mg, Iron: 8mg

Originally published: November 2015