Carne Asada Bowl with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
by This post may contain affiliate links.
Make your own burrito bowl at home with this Carne Asada Bowl recipe. It’s even better than Chipotle and is filled with the most flavorful grilled skirt steak and topped off with a creamy chipotle sauce!
It’s easy to make low carb by swapping out the rice with cilantro lime cauliflower rice. This bowl is loaded with flavor, perfect for meal-prep and guaranteed to become one of your new favorite recipes!
Thank you to my friends at California Beef Council for sponsoring this post!
There is no denying my love of a good bowl. These Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Bowls continue to be one of the most popular recipes on the blog. In 2020, I even took my love of bowls as far as starting a second blog called Bowls Are The New Plates, dedicated entirely to my love of bowl recipes!
This year, when it came time to celebrate all things carne asada tacos with my friends at California Beef Council, I proposed that we ditch the tortilla and instead make Carne Asada bowls!
When it comes to making carne asada, it doesn’t really matter how you serve it, as long as you have a delicious marinade and perfectly grilled steak. Luckily for you, I have the tips and tricks for creating both!
Just follow me and I’ll take you straight to flavor-town with these incredibly delicious carne asada burrito bowls!
Table of contents
What you’ll need
- For the carne asada:
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
- Lime juice
- Ground cumin
- Ground chipotle powder – if you can’t find chipotle powder, chili powder can be used in it’s place.
- Cilantro
- Garlic cloves
- Skirt steak – see below for more information on cuts of beef to use for carne asada .
- Sea salt
- For the bowls:
- Cilantro lime rice – made up of cooked white rice, cilantro and lime juice. Cilantro lime cauliflower rice can also be used in it’s place for a low carb bowl.
- Chipotle crema – made up of chipotle peppers, crema (or sour cream), garlic, lime juice and salt.
- Pico de gallo – you can purchase pre-made pico in the produce section of most major grocery stores, or click the link to the left to make my easy homemade recipe in just 10 minutes!
- Avocado or guacamole
- Jalapeno
- Radish
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro
What cut of meat to use for carne asada
Carne Asada can actually be made with 6 different cuts of beef, all pictured above. These cuts include:
- Skirt Steak
- Flank Steak
- Top Sirloin Steak
- Bottom Round Steak
- Sirloin Flap
- Pre-marinated Skirt Steak for Taco Meat
While skirt steak and flank steak are the most common cuts of beef for carne asada, sirloin flap meat, top sirloin steaks and bottom round steaks are also great cuts for making carne asada.
You can also find pre-marinated skirt steak at most grocery stores to make carne asada. But of course I recommend picking up a skirt steak and trying out the delicious marinade used in this recipe!
Step by step instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Add olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, ground chipotle pepper, cilantro and garlic to a large resealable plastic bag.
- Marinate the steak. Add a skirt steak to the bag of marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Grill the steak. Preheat a grill over high heat. Use tongs to remove the steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the steak on the grill, salt the steak on both sides, then grill for 5-7 minutes per side.
- Slice the steak. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5-10 minutes. Uncover and slice the steak against the grain, then dice into large pieces for the bowl.
- Serve the bowls. Add cilantro lime rice to 4 separate bowls. Top with the carne asada, pico de gallo, avocado, jalapeno and radish. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and cilantro. Drizzle with chipotle creama sauce.
Can I make carne asada without a grill?
Yes, if you don’t have a grill, you can use your stovetop or oven to cook the meat instead.
- On the stovetop – use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if available. If not, use the heaviest bottom largest skillet you have. Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carne asada and cook for 5-7 minutes per side.
- In the oven – turn the broiler on to high, place the steak on a large baking sheet under the broiler for 4-6 minutes per side. If using this method, be sure to keep an eye on the steak while it’s cooking as oven broilers can vary in temperature and you don’t want the steak to burn.
Whit’s tips and tricks
- Always use tongs to remove the carne asada from the bag of marinade and transfer it to the grill. This is the cleanest and safest way to move the meat from the marinade to the grill.
- To make the bowls gluten free, simply replace the soy sauce in the carne asada marinade with tamari, or gluten free soy sauce.
- To make the bowls low carb, replace the cilantro lime rice with cilantro lime cauliflower rice and omit the pico de gallo. Making these two changes will reduce the total carbs per bowl from 76, down to 23 grams. It will also take the net carbs down to 15 grams per bowl.
- To make the bowls dairy-free, omit the cotija cheese and replace the chipotle crema with this vegan creamy chipotle sauce.
- These bowls are perfect for meal-prep and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend not adding the avocado or chipotle crema to the bowls until you’re ready to serve them.
Frequently asked questions
- Should the meat be marinated whole or sliced? The beef should be marinated and cooked whole, then sliced or diced after it’s removed from the grill, stovetop or oven.
- Can you make this recipe in a slow cooker? I do not recommend making this recipe in a slow cooker. One of the beautiful parts of this recipe is the wonderful flavor you get from searing the meat over high heat on the grill, in a skillet or under the broiler. If you’re looking for a delicious slow cooker beef recipe to toss on these bowls, check out my beef barbacoa recipe.
More beef recipes to try
If you’re on the hunt for tasty beef recipes, I’ve got plenty! But be sure to also visit CalBeef.org for even more beefy goodness!
- Easy Bolognese Meat Sauce
- Grilled Ribeye Steak Kabobs
- Beef Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
- Grilled Tri Tip Marinade
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Steak Salad
Carne Asada Bowl
Ingredients
Carne Asada
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground chipotle pepper powder, or chili powder
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice
Chipotle Crema
- 1 cup crema, or sour cream
- 2 small chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 2 cups pico de gallo
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- ½ cup radishes, sliced
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Carne Asada
- Add the skirt steak to a large ziplock bag.
- Add the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, ground chipotle pepper, cilantro and garlic.
- Toss to coat the skirt steak, place in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Heat a grill to high heat.
- Use tongs to remove the steak from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade.
- Salt the steak on both sides, then place it on the grill.
- Grill for 5 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the grill and rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil, for 5-10 minutes.
- Uncover and slice the steak against the grain, then dice into pieces for the bowl.
Cilantro Lime Rice
- Combine the cooked white rice, lime juice and cilantro together.
Chipotle Crema
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
Bowls
- Divide the cilantro lime rice between four bowls.
- Divide the diced carne asada between the four bowls.
- Add the toppings to each bowl.
- Drizzle the chipotle crema over the bowls.
Video
Notes
- Flank steak can also be used in place of the skirt steak.
- To cook the carne asada on the stovetop – use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if available. If not, use the heaviest bottom largest skillet you have. Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carne asada and cook for 5-7 minutes per side.
- To cook the carne asada in the oven – turn the broiler on to high, place the steak on a large baking sheet under the broiler for 4-6 minutes per side. If using this method, be sure to keep an eye on the steak while it’s cooking as oven broilers can vary in temperature and you don’t want the steak to burn.
- To make the bowls gluten free, replace the soy sauce in the carne asada marinade with tamari, or gluten free soy sauce.
- To make the bowls low carb, replace the cilantro lime rice with cilantro lime cauliflower rice and omit the pico de gallo. Making these two changes will reduce the total carbs per bowl from 76, down to 23 grams. It will also take the net carbs down to 15 grams per bowl.
- To make the bowls dairy-free, omit the cotija cheese and replace the chipotle crema with this vegan creamy chipotle sauce.
- These bowls are perfect for meal-prep and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend not adding the avocado or chipotle crema to the bowls until you’re ready to serve them.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
One Comment on “Carne Asada Bowl with Creamy Chipotle Sauce”
Hi Witney,
Great bold flavours as usual for you. However, you should consider substituting sea salt for some variety of rock salt or koshering salt as there seems to be a lot of varieties of sea salt that are contaminated with micro plastics.