Carne Asada Fries
On January 13, 2025
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Crispy, golden fries topped with bold, spicy seasoned steak and melted cheese, my Carne Asada Fries make an awesome, shareable dish for game day.
Carne Asada Seasoned Fries
These Carne Asada Fries combine tender skirt steak with crispy fries and gooey quesadilla cheese. A homemade seasoning blend brings all the savory, spicy flavors you crave from carne asada without the wait that comes with marinating. When loaded with fresh toppings like pico de gallo, cilantro, and lime, there’s no beating this zesty dish. Whether you want something exciting for your next tailgate, or you just want an easy dinner you can share with your family, these carne asada fries make a wonderful option.
What is carne asada?
Carne asada turns ordinary skirt steak into tender, meaty heaven with bold seasonings and high-heat grilling. It’s typically tender and sliced thin, so it’s great for tacos. When cubed and piled onto crispy fries with melted cheese, this seasoned steak turns a simple side into a crave-worthy main dish. While traditional carne asada often uses a marinade (like in my Simple Citrus Carne Asada recipe), this version uses a robust dry rub that delivers deep flavor without the extra prep time.
Seasoning for Carne Asada
This recipe used my Carne Asada Seasoning, which balances savory and spicy herbs and spices that enhance the natural richness of beef. The seasoning uses common pantry ingredients, so you likely have everything on hand already. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
My Fiesta Rub is also great for carne asada, and both blends work great in a marinade. Of course, you can also use any seasoning you love on steak.
How Long to Grill Carne Asada
The key to unforgettable carne asada comes down to tender, juicy steak. I made my carne asada on my Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill, but any grill you have will work great. You want your grill set up for high heat, with a temperature around 400 degrees F. When cooked with the lid closed, the steak needs just 3-5 minutes per side. Your steak will finish cooking when added to the fries, so you want to pull it about 10 degrees below your desired doneness.
- Rare: 125 degrees F (pull at 115 degrees F)
- Medium rare: 135 degrees F (pull at 125 degrees F)
- Medium: 145 degrees F (pull at 135 degrees F)
- Medium well: 155 degrees F (pull at145 degrees F)
- Well done: 160 degrees F (pull at 150 degrees F)
Remember, times are just an estimate. With meat, you should always cook to internal temperature with a reliable meat thermometer (like my Thermapen ONE).
How to Make Carne Asada Fries
These carne asada fries are loaded with layer upon layer of flavor and texture. Each ingredient brings something special, from the seasoned steak to the melted cheese and fresh toppings. Here’s how to make this dish so you can wow the guests at your next gathering:
- Season the steak. The asada seasoning creates a savory exterior that seals in the steak’s natural juices. Cover both sides of the skirt steak generously with the seasoning blend, pressing it gently into the surface so you lock in the beefy goodness.
- Make the fries. For this recipe, I used a package of frozen fries. I think crinkle cut go best with toppings, but you can use any type you like. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my posts for Steak Frites or Fish and Chips for some from-scratch options.
- Make the steak. Grill the seasoned steak until it reaches 10 degrees below your target temperature. The high heat develops a crusty exterior while keeping the interior tender and juicy. Allow your steak to rest a few minutes before cubing.
- Assemble the fries. Layer the hot fries with cubed steak and Mexican quesadilla cheese. Place back in the oven for 1-2 more minutes so your cheese melts for that perfect pull and your steak finishes cooking through.
- Add toppings, serve, and enjoy. Serve immediately with your favorite fixings on top or on the side, share with your loved ones, and enjoy.
Toppings and Serving Suggestions
These loaded fries make the perfect shareable dish for game days, casual gatherings, or a fun family dinner. I love serving them similar to how I serve nachos, This allows everyone to gather around and customize their portion with their favorite toppings. Here’s what I use to top my carne asada fries:
- Mexican quesadilla (melting) cheese
- Pico de gallo
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
While you can customize the toppings to your preferences, I strongly recommend using Mexican quesadilla cheese as your base. Its superior melt creates that perfect cheese pull and helps bind all those yummy ingredients together. Serve these fries right away, when the cheese is hot and stretchy. This way the fries maintain their crunch, and the steak is at its juiciest.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
Whether you’re looking for Mexican-inspired dishes to serve alongside your loaded fries or a whole new experience, I’ve got you covered. You can find hundreds of BBQ recipes in your Recipe Library, as well as the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, here are some crowd-pleasing favorites to try next:
Carne Asada Fries Recipe
Share these Carne Asada Fries with the people you love, then give this recipe a 5-star review. I’d love to hear how your dish turned out, and I know we’d all love to see it. Tell me what you topped your fries with in the comments, and share some mouthwatering photos by tagging @heygrillhey on Instagram and Facebook.
For a firsthand look at how I create recipes like this, plus some behind-the-scenes-fun, make sure to check out my YouTube channel. You can browse hundreds of my most popular recipes, then watch as I walk you step-by-step through the process. Let me help you make something delicious for your family so you can be a Backyard BBQ Hero.
Carne Asada Fries
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- 1 28-ounce bag frozen French fries
- 2 cups Mexican quesadilla (melting) cheese
Asada Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Toppings
- pico de gallo
- limes cut into wedges
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the grill and oven. Set your grill for high heat, around 450 degrees F. Preheat your oven according to the package instructions for your fries, or heat some oil in a skillet if you’re making homemade fries.
- Make the seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for your seasoning in a small bowl, then mix until you have an even mixture. I recommend using a fork so you can break up any clumps.2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Season steak and prepare fries. Give your beef a generous sprinkling of the carne asada seasoning on both sides. Arrange your fries on a baking sheet.2 pounds skirt steak, 1 28-ounce bag frozen French fries
- Cook fries and steak. Place the baking sheet of fries in the oven according to package instructions. Place the steak on the grill grates, close the lid, and cook 3-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature 10 degrees below your target (around 125 degrees F for medium rare). Allow steak to rest for 3-5 minutes, then cut into cubes.
- Assemble and finish cooking. Top with the asada and cheese, then return to oven until cheese is melted. If your oven has a broil setting, I recommend using that. 1-2 minutes should be plenty of time.2 cups Mexican quesadilla (melting) cheese
- Serve and enjoy. Remove your fries from the oven, add your desired toppings, serve, and enjoy.pico de gallo, limes, fresh cilantro, sour cream
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
