A great choice for a party or a weeknight dinner, these easy carne asada nachos can be prepped ahead, customized with your favorite toppings, and are so so delicious. Naturally gluten-free.
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What I love about this recipe:
- You can prep ahead! Get the meat marinating the night before and prepare all the toppings so that the day of all you have to do is cook up the steak, bake the nachos, and throw everything together – this should take less than 15-minutes.
- They are great for a crowd! These nachos are a great option for a party or even for dinner. They’re easy, there’s plenty to go around, and as mentioned above, they can be prepped ahead.
- They’re a great vehicle for toppings! I love love love salsa, hot sauce, and guacamole and I welcome any opportunity to incorporate them into my diet. I have several different salsa recipes on the blog that work really well with this dish as well as an amazingly smoky and spicy chile de árbol hot sauce.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Freshly squeezed orange juice: It not only flavors the meat but because of the acid content tenderizes it. One medium-sized orange should yield enough orange juice for this recipe.
- Soy sauce: For sodium and a little umami flavor.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice: It also tenderizes the steak. One lime should be enough and in a pinch, you could certainly use bottled.
- Ground cumin
- White onion: For the marinade and to top the nachos.
- Garlic cloves: Smashed, crushed, or finely minced for the marinade.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a big fan of cilantro, skip it!
- Skirt steak: While carne asada is typically made with skirt steak, which I recommend, you could use flank steak instead. Skirt steak is a tough cut of meat so don’t skip the marinating process – doing so tenderizes the meat and also infuses it with flavor. If your skirt steak, or a portion of it, is on the thick side I recommend hammering it down to flatten it out some. The more uniform the steak pieces are the more evenly they will cook.
- Tortilla chips: You absolutely can’t beat nachos with homemade tortilla chips. It’s super easy and totally worth it to make your own, especially if you own a deep-fat fryer. They not only taste better but are nice and thick making them perfect for withholding the weight of all the toppings. To make them, begin by heating a deep fat fryer or heavy-bottomed pan with at least two-inch deep oil to 350 degrees. Cut 30 soft corn tortillas (white or yellow) into quarters. In small batches, fry the tortilla quarters for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil.
- Shredded cheese: Queso quesadilla and Monterey Jack are my top choices, however, you could use cheddar, Colby Jack, or pepper jack.
- Optional toppings: You can top these nachos with whatever you wish. Some ideas include guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream.
How to make carne asada nachos (+ tips)
- Begin by combining all the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish with a lid or if you wish, in a small bowl then transferred to a large plastic baggy.
- Cut the steak against the grain into 1/4″-1/2″ strips then cut the strips into 1/4″-1/2″ pieces.
3. Transfer the steak to the container with the marinade, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least one hour, but no more than 24 hours.
4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
5. Scatter the chips in an even layer across a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle on the cheese. Set aside.
6. Remove the skirt steak from the marinade, pat dry, and set aside.
7. Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Once hot, cook the steak, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove the steak from heat, transfer to a bowl or plate, and rest loosely tented with tin foil until the nachos are done baking.
9. Bake the nachos on the middle oven rack for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the chips begin to brown.
10. Top the nachos with the steak, white onion, cilantro, and your choice of toppings, and serve warm.
Storage
Nachos are best served fresh but can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days
Recommended Products
More carne asada recipes you may enjoy:
- Carne Asada Quesadillas: Loaded with tender marinated steak, plenty of cheese, and pico de gallo; these hearty carne asada quesadillas are the perfect no-hassle weeknight dinner.
- Carne Asada Fries Mac & Cheese: Creamy mac and cheese with juicy steak, crispy potatoes, and more, this carne asada fries mac and cheese is the ultimate Mexican-inspired comfort food.
- Carne Asada Tacos: Carne asada tacos made with tender marinated skirt steak and piled with all your favorite toppings including roasted pineapple habanero salsa.
If you make these carne asada nachos I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
Carne Asada Nachos
A great choice for a party or a weeknight dinner, these easy carne asada nachos can be prepped ahead, customized with your favorite toppings, and are so so delicious. Naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, one medium sized orange
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, one lime
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 small white onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
Carne Asada Nachos
- 1 pound skirt steak or flank steak
- 16 ounces thick tortilla chips (see notes for instructions on making homemade chips)
- 2-3 cups shredded cheese, queso quesadilla, Monterey Jack, Colby, Cheddar, pepper Jack
- 1/2 small white onion, diced
- 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- Optional toppings: Guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish with a lid or if you wish, in a small bowl then transferred to a large plastic baggy.
- Cut the steak against the grain into 1/2" strips then cut the strips into 1/2" pieces.
- Transfer the steak to the container with the marinade, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least one hour, but no more than 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Scatter the chips in an even layer across a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle on the cheese. Set aside.
- Remove the skirt steak from the marinade, pat dry, and set aside.
- Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, cook the steak for 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove the steak from heat, transfer to a bowl or plate, and rest loosely tented with tin foil until the nachos are done baking.
- Bake the nachos on the middle oven rack for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and chips begin to brown.
- Top the nachos with the steak, white onion, cilantro, and your choice of guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa and serve warm.
Storage: Nachos are best served fresh but can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.
Notes
- If you're feeling up to it, I encourage you to fry up your own chips. It's super easy and will taste so much better. Heat a deep fat fryer or heavy-bottomed pan with at least two-inch deep oil to 350 degrees. Cut 30 soft corn tortillas (white or yellow) into quarters. In small batches, fry the tortilla quarters for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil.
- For my quick and easy homemade guacamole, you will need 3 sm-med ripe avocados, 1 clove garlic (minced or crushed), 1-2 tablespoons diced white or red onion, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice (fresh or bottled), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper. 1. Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop out the contents and transfer to a medium bowl. 2. Smash the avocado with a fork, then stir in the remaining ingredients. 3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 765Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 1193mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 38g
The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc
Lilly
Thursday 18th of November 2021
I made these for my husband and kids to munch on as they watched the soccer game. They were gone before halftime!! Everyone loved them! Thanks for the recipe!
Genevieve
Thursday 18th of November 2021
I love the idea of carne asada nachos. You really can't go wrong with this gem of a recipe!
Brianna
Wednesday 17th of November 2021
Made these nachos for game day and they were devoured! Definitely a keeper.
Megan Ellam
Wednesday 17th of November 2021
Absolutely my kind of food! Thanks for sharing.
Kayla DiMaggio
Tuesday 16th of November 2021
These carne asada nachos were so delicious! The perfect Sunday game day snack!