Try this Loaded Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos recipe.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 pounds carne asada meat or flank steak
- a good pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 large jalapeã±o seeded and diced
- 1 orange, juiced
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 cup mexican beer (i used negra modelo)
- 16 corn or flour tortillas or hard shell tacos
- 4 medium russet potatoes cut into thin 1/2-inch thick strips
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1/4-1/2 cayenne pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes drained well
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 2 green onions white + green parts sliced
- 1 jalapeã±o, minced (seeded if desired)
- 3 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 2 large avocados mashed with a little lime juice and a pin
- pickled jalapeã±os
- queso fresco or cajita cheese crumbled
- Carbohydrate 40.8056912500155 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.19082500289688 g
- Fiber 3.65933741916409 g
- Protein 5.055128750009 g
- Saturated Fat 1.01372550039976 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (473g)
- Sodium 337.046168229419 mg
- Sugar 37.1463538308514 g
- Trans Fat 0.274317625079196 g
- Calories 239 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the steak in 9x13 inch pan. Add the garlic, half of the chopped onion, the smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Use your hand to massage the seasoning into the steak for about 3-5 minutes.
- Heat a large heavy bottom skillet over high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the meat on both sides. Once the meat has been seared on both sides place it in the bowl of your crockpot. To the crockpot add the remaining, onion, diced jalapeño, orange, limes, cilantro and beer, toss well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove the meat and place it on a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes and then shred the meat with two forks. Keep warm.
- About 45 minutes before you are ready to eat make the fries. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place cut potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil, chipotle chile powder, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Gently toss with your hands or two spatulas to evenly coat. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more. You want the potatoes to be crispy, but not burnt. If you want perfectly crisp fries I recommend spreading the potatoes on a greased wire rack and baking them as directed above. But this way is a bit of a pain. Keep the potato fries warm until ready to serve.
- To make the pico de gallo. Combine the the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble, spread the carne asada along the middle of a warmed tortilla. Top with pico de gallo, mashed avocados, a good handful of fries, pickled jalapeños and a heavy dose of cajita or queso fresco. Pick up the sides and EAT.
Standard carne asada relies on dry heat over glowing charcoal, but slow-cooking flank steak transforms connective tissue through prolonged thermal breakdown. Collagen, a tough triple-helix protein, denatures into gelatin when held at sustained moist heat over a four-to-six-hour window. Massaging spices directly into the muscle fibers prior to searing encourages lipid-soluble compounds in the chili powder and smoked paprika to bind with surface fats, creating a hydrophobic flavor matrix that resists washing away during braising. Acidity from the orange and lime juice accomplishes dual tasks: citrus acid denatures surface proteins independently of heat for a tender bite, while low pH balances the rich, umami-dense profile of browned beef and Mexican beer. Fresh lime juice contains volatile terpenes that degrade rapidly under heat, whereas bottled juices rely on stable preserved citric acid without the bright aromatic top notes. Roasting potato strips at 425 degrees Fahrenheit triggers the Maillard reaction, developing complex pyrazines for a crunchy textural contrast against the yielding, shredded meat.
