Tacos al Carbón Recipe

Name: Tacos al Carbón Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided); 1 ½ tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce + 1 teaspoon adobo sauce; kosher salt; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic; 1 lime, (zested and juiced + lime wedges for serving); 1 (1½–1¾-pound) flank steak; 20 scallions; 2 jalapeños; 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas or flour tortillas; Fresh cilantro; Mexican crema, (full-fat Greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche)

These Tacos al Carbón feature grilled flank steak coated in a chipotle rub and a charred scallion salsa tucked into tortillas with tangy Mexican crema and fresh cilantro. Simple to make and so flavorful, they’ve become a staple recipe in Tex Mex cuisine. Perfect for warm grilling weather, it’s a dinner recipe that’s prepared in under an hour.

What are Tacos al Carbón?

Tacos al Carbón means grilling over a charcoal grill. These popular Mexican tacos consist of grilled meat (usually beef, chicken, or pork) that is sliced and served on a warm tortilla (corn of flour tortillas depending on the region) with onions, cilantro, and salsa.

The meat (which in the US is most often beef) is typically cooked over an open flame, giving it a smoky and charred flavor. These tacos have become a staple in Tex-Mex cooking in the US.

We’re giving you the instructions and tips for using either a charcoal or gas grill in this recipe. It’s a great quick cooking or prep ahead meal for a weeknight or entertaining.

Tacos al Carbón vs. Carne Asada

You’ve likely had tacos al carbón, carne asada and even tacos al pastor, in one form or another. But what are tacos al carbón? And how are they different from carne asada and tacos al pastor?

Tacos al Carbón feature charred grilled meat, most commonly some cut of steak, cooked over a charcoal grill. The meat is served in corn or flour tortillas (depending on the region) and topped with cooked peppers, onion and fresh cilantro. They are also known as street tacos in parts of Mexico.

Carne Asada means “grilled meat” in Spanish, though it most often refers to grilled marinated steak served as a taco filling. Like tacos al carbón, carne asada also commonly uses flank or skirt steak.
But instead of using a spice rub, carne asada calls for marinating the steak for a few hours in a mixture of citrus juice, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño. It’s then grilled over high heat until charred and juicy.

steak tacos in small sheet pans lined with parchment paper.

What Cut of Steak to Use for Tacos al Carbón

We opted for flank steak here, but you can also use skirt steak. Both are thin, quick-cooking, and deliciously beefy.

You want to look for a quick cooking steak with nice marbling so that’s it’s tender to bite into after being sliced thin.

raw steak, scallions, oil, chipotle, lime and tortillas set on a table

Ingredients

Pantry: you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil and kosher salt.
Canned chipotles in adobo: store any leftovers in the freezer so you can use them in recipes like my Shredded Beef Enchiladas and Pozole.
Ground cumin: you’ll need two teaspoons for this recipe—I recommend keeping cumin on hand for all kinds of recipes including Guacamole, Beef Kofta, and Sumac Chicken.
Garlic: fresh is always best! You’ll need two teaspoons minced fresh garlic, so about 3 small cloves or two large cloves.
Lime: just as I say with garlic, fresh is best. Grab two limes—one for the recipe and one for cutting into wedges and serving with the tacos.
Flank steak: skirt steak will also work, but I like the beefiness of flank steak here. If you use skirt steak, the cooking time will be shorter.
Jalapeños: you’ll need two jalapeños for the charred scallion salsa.
Scallions: one bunch of scallions, also labeled as green onions, is needed for this recipe.
Corn tortillas or flour tortillas: use whichever you prefer and opt for 6-inch tortillas.
Fresh cilantro: if you don’t like cilantro, you can use parsely.
Mexican crema: this is for serving. If you can’t find Mexican Crema (most likely Cacique brand), you can use full-fat Greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche as substitutes.

How to Make Tacos al Carbón

Make the rub mixture by combining olive oil, minced chipotles in adobo, kosher salt, cumin, garlic and lime zest. This can be done up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the marinade in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.
Prep the flank steak by trimming some of the fat (not all of it! Keeping thin fat pockets = flavor and juiciness). Cut the flank steak lengthwise into three long strips. This is important for slicing the steak after cooking. Rub the chipotle marinade all over the steak.

flank steak strips covered in a rub on a baking sheet

Preheat the grill. Gas and charcoal both work, but charcoal is more traditional. Whichever method you use, be sure to preheat the grill for at least 5 minutes over high heat.
Grill scallions and jalapeños until charred. In general, it will take about 10 minutes, but remove the scallions as they are done. Transfer the scallions and jalapeños to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, this will steam and soften the vegetables.

charred jalapeno and scallions in a blue bowl

Grill the flank steak, turning every 3 minutes, until charred and cooked to medium-rare (135ºF), this will take 7-10 minutes. Use our favorite Instant-Read Thermometer to closely monitor the internal temperature.
Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest. While the steak rests, char the tortillas on the grill then wrap in a kitchen towel or foil to keep them warm.

Make the charred salsa by chopping the charred scallions and jalapenos and combining with the remaining olive oil, adobo sauce, and lime juice. Season the salsa with salt and pepper to taste.
Thinly slice the grilled steak against the grain and serve the steak in the charred tortillas with the charred scallion salsa, fresh cilantro and mexican crema (sour cream or Greek yogurt can also be used).

Expert Tips

Since this recipe is quick-cooking, we recommend prepping all of the ingredients before you start grilling. This will ensure the process is seamless and stress-free.
When prepping the steak, it’s imperative that you slice the entire flank steak lengthwise, with the grain, into three long strips. This will ensure you cut against the grain into shorter strips once cooked.
Create a two zone grill. Whether you are using a gas grill or a charcoal grill, allow the grill to preheat over high for at least 5 minutes. Then set up a two-zone grill which means one side of the grill is hot while the other side is cool. To do this on a gas grill, turn off one burner. For a charcoal grill, pour the hot ashes over half of the grill.
For mild salsa, remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeños after they have been grilled and cooled.

Best Temperatures to Cook Steak

The best steak is one cooked to your liking. Here are the internal temperatures to note for desired doneness:

Rare: 115–120ºF (46–49ºC)
Medium-rare: 120–125ºF (49–52ºC)
Medium: 130–135ºF (54–57ºC)
Medium-well: 140–145ºF (60–63ºC) (recommended USDA temperature)
Well-done: 150–155ºF (65–68ºC)

What to Serve with Tacos al Carbón

Play around with different salsas and dips like our Tomatillo Salsa Verde, Fresh Tomato Chipotle Salsa and Easy Guacamole.
Serve a salad or slaw with theses tacos al carbón. We like our Mexican Slaw with Charred Sweet Corn or the simple herby slaw from these Salmon Tacos. Our side salad of choice would be this Butter Lettuce Salad.
Our Healthy Skillet Cornbread or Gluten-Free Cornbread is always a hit with tacos. Add fresh minced jalapeño for a hit of spice.
Round out this taco menu with one of our many margaritas! One of our favorites is the simple Tommy’s Margarita but we also love the Lemon Margarita and Mezcal Margarita. Checkout this list of Cinco de Mayo cocktails for more tequila cocktail ideas.

Sauces & Dressings

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Appetizers

Easy Guacamole Recipe

Sauces & Dressings

Fresh Tomato & Chipotle Salsa

Salads

Easy Mexican Coleslaw with Charred Sweet Corn

FAQs

How much taco seasoning is there per pound of meat?

For this recipe it’s about 3 tablespoons per pound of meat (in this case beef).

What does al carbon mean?

The meaning al carbon in spanish translates to “something cooked over coal.” It’s usually used to describe food (generally meat and vegetables) that is cooked over an open flame or hot coals.

What’s the difference between fajitas and tacos al carbon?

Fajitas are made with all different proteins and quickly cooked over a grill or flat top griddle with spices. Serve with cooked peppers and several other toppings usually in a flour tortilla. Tacos al carbon are typically made with steak over a charcoal grill with a rub.

Why do you add water to taco seasoning?

Adding a bit of water to cooked and seasoned ground beef helps to create a sauce that will keep the taco meat juicy.

How should I marinate the steak before grilling it?

Our recipe doesn’t require much marinating time, but if you want to do it ahead, here’s how to do it. Spread the chipotle marinade over the long strips of steak and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.