This Homemade Carne Asada Seasoning blend delivers bold, authentic Mexican-style flavors! It’s the perfect balance of smoky, savory and mildly spicy. Use it to enhance steak, chicken, tacos, fajitas, vegetables, literally anything! It only takes minutes to make and you’ll have it on hand anytime you need an easy start to a crowd-pleasing meal.
The great thing about homemade seasoning is that it only takes a few minutes to make, but it will stay good for up to a year! Just store it in an airtight container in your cabinet and you’ll have delicious seasoning on hand anytime you need it! This carne asada seasoning recipe can be used for ANY Mexican-inspired dinner ideas; tacos, fajitas, bowls, veggies, beef, chicken, shrimp. Truly, the options are endless!
How to Use Asada Seasoning
- Marinate meat – Add about 1 tablespoon of carne asada spice mix per pound of meat. Add fresh lime juice from 2-3 limes, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
- Season meat– You can use this seasoning as a dry rub. Just rub all sides of the meat with the seasoning mix, then cook as desired.
- Season vegetables and potatoes – This carne asada blend will add bold and smoky flavors to any seasonal vegetables or potatoes!
- Season ANY meat! – Although carne asada is beef, you can absolutely use this seasoning blend on any cut of meat! Try it on chicken, pork or shrimp!
Main Dish Ideas
- Carne Asada Bowls – Fill a bowl with cilantro lime rice, black beans, lettuce, carne asada and top with guacamole and salsa! You can’t go wrong! Take a look at this Carne Asada Bowl recipe for more inspiration.
- Carne Asada Tacos – Add your carne asada meat onto flour tortillas. Top with your favorite toppings; pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, really anything! You can’t go wrong!
Side Dish Ideas
- Roasted Carne Asada Veggies – Add an assortment of your favorite vegetables to a sheet pan. Zucchini, broccoli, red bell peppers, squash and red onions are some good options. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle your cane asada seasoning blend and roast in the oven. Or on a flat top grill!
- Carne Asada Smashed Potatoes – Tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. Use this Garlic Smashed Potatoes recipe as inspiration! Sprinkle the carne asada blend on top of each potato. Yum!
Recipe Notes
This Carne Asada Seasoning blend recipe is as simple as promised! Just mix together these common spices and you have the perfect, flavor-packed seasoning ready to go!
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Carne Asada Seasoning.
Add chili powder to a small bowl.
Add garlic powder, cumin and salt.
Add oregano, black pepper and paprika.
Stir to mix all seasonings together.
Recipe Tips
- Use dried spices – All spices in this blend are dried. Fresh spices won’t work well.
- Mix to combine – It’s so easy! Just add all ingredients together and mix to combine. To make it even easier, add them all to a mason jar, seal the lid and shake! Now you don’t even have to worry about dirtying a bowl!
- Double or triple! – This recipe can easily be scaled up to make a big batch! This will allow you to keep it on hand for longer periods of time so you have it available for marinades and seasoning whenever you need!
Recipe FAQ’s
What is carne asada?
Carne asada directly translates to “grilled meat,” but traditional carne asada is made specifically with steak.
What cut of meat is carne asada?
Carne asada is most commonly made with flank steak or skirt steak, both of which are flavorful cuts that cook quickly and slice well.
What is the secret ingredient in a carne asada marinade?
The secret often comes down to fresh citrus juices, like lime, which helps tenderize the meat while also adding bright flavor.
More EASY Seasoning Mix Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy homemade seasoning recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- Greek Seasoning Blend
- Tuscan Seasoning
- Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning
Carne Asada Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano
Instructions
- Mix all seasonings together.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place until ready to use.
Recipe Notes
- Marinate and season meat– add about 1 tablespoon carne asada seasoning per pound of meat. Add cooking oil and lime juice and marinate.
You can also use this seasoning in ground meat to make burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, and more. I like to also use about 1 tablespoon per pound of ground meat.
- Carne Asada Vegetables– Use this seasoning and olive oil to toss with vegetables and roast or grill them for a complimentary side dish.
- Potatoes– This Carne Asada seasoning is great on potatoes. You can do roasted potatoes, smashed potatoes, or even just toss french fries with the seasoning for an amazingly delicious upgrade to boring fries!
- Vegetables– Whether you want to roast vegetables, steam them, or sauté them in a pan, a sprinkle of Tuscan seasoning will add so much flavor to the final dish.
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