This delicious and simple Crockpot slow cooker carne asada recipe is perfect for lunches or dinner and can be enjoyed on tacos or nachos, in pastas, on salads, and more! It’s gluten free and dairy free too!
This post has been made in partnership with Crock-Pot Canada
Easy & Delicious Crockpot Slow Cooker Carne Asada
Interestingly as much as I hate to say goodbye to summer (my absolute favourite season), I do love the crisp air that fall brings, along with the beautiful colours, cozier outfits, and of course… comfort food! There’s nothing that says comfort food better than a delicious, warm Crockpot meal including this super easy Crockpot Carne Asada that can be enjoyed in so many ways.
I recently created a delicious Crockpot soup recipe to kick off Crocktober that I shared over on instagram, and I’ve been loving the MyTime™ technology—a feature from Crockpot that allows you to create scheduled meals that are ready right when you are.
If you are busy or going to be away from home for longer than 8 hours you can set the time around your day, rather than having the slow cooker automatically shift to the “keep warm” setting which can end up in mushy or overcooked meals! I used the settings to make this Crockpot carne asada and it was ready right for supper-time!
I love that this Crockpot also has the manual time and temperature option built-in, and it’s nice and sleek with dishwashable removable stoneware for easy clean-up!
What is Carne Asada?
If you’ve ever been to Mexico you’ve likely enjoyed the traditional version of this delicious dish. Carne asada is a beef dish that is made from marinated steak (typically flank, skirt, or sirloin), that is seared and/or grilled, then sliced and served as a main dish or part of another dish such as tacos.
When it comes to the marinade, the meat can be seasoned and marinated in several ways, including dry season rubs or liquid marinades made with lime juice and other ingredients.
For my version I used a mix of avocado oil, lime, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, coconut sugar, spices, and garlic for the “marinade” but actually skipped the marinating time altogether and put everything right in the crockpot, as it marinates while it cooks!
Making Carne Asada in the Slow Cooker
Because carne asada is traditionally grilled, cooking this dish in the slow cooker changes the texture quite a bit but still gives the meat an amazing flavour and tender texture that is definitely still enjoyable.
In the crockpot you’ll slow cook the meat on low for 7 hours or you can cook using the MyTime™ technology on the “meat” setting which takes a minimum of 6 hours. In order for the slow cooked carne asada to still have a “charred” component to it you can sear the meat in a pan before adding it to the slow cooker along with the marinade liquid, or you can carefully transfer the cooked meat from the slow cooker when it’s done to a pan and broil it in the oven before slicing it.
Both of these methods are totally optional as the meat will still taste wonderful without searing or broiling, but won’t have the charred aspect to it.
Ingredients in Crockpot Slow Cooker Carne Asada
To make my version of carne asada in the slow cooker you only need a handful of ingredients, most of which you might even already have in your kitchen! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flank steak
- Limes
- Avocado oil (or olive oil)
- Coconut palm sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Gluten free soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
- Garlic
- Spices – coriander, cumin, and chili powder
- Cilantro
If you are making tacos with the carne asada you’ll need corn tortilla shells and all of your favorite taco fillings. For mine I used avocado, cilantro, radish, and white onion to keep it simple and really let the carne asada meat shine!
This delicious and easy crockpot meal is sure to please and creates a variety of meal options. When I’m not enjoying tacos, I will definitely be adding this carne asada to a yummy Mexican-inpisred bowl that has rice, beans, veggies, guacamole, and salsa, or to top my homemade dairy free nachos!
How would you enjoy Crockpot carne asada? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this one for later!
Amazing Crockpot Carne Asada
This delicious and simple gluten free Crockpot carne asada recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner and can be enjoyed on tacos or nachos, in pastas, on salads, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs flank steak
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Carne Asada Marinade
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- In bowl whisk together marinade ingredients.
- Add flank stead and marinade to the Crockpot or slow cooker and set to low for 7 hours (or use MyTime and set on "meat" and "0-2lbs", then set preferred finish time).
- Once cooked, sprinkle the fresh cilantro over the meat and either shred the meat with a fork and use as desired, or broil for the "charred" effect.
- If broiling, line a baking pan with parchment paper and carefully transfer the meat onto the pan, trying to avoid breaking it into pieces.
- Add the pan to a preheated oven set to broil and broil the meat for 2-3 minutes (keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn!).
- Remove from the oven then gently pull the meat apart with a fork.
- Add the cilantro to the slow cooked with the remaining liquid and stir, then pour the sauce from the crockpot onto the meat and enjoy!
Notes
Marinating: For an even more intense flavour you can marinate the flank steak in the marinade for 2-24 hours ahead of time if you prefer, but this is definitely not necessary as the meat marinates and cooks at the same time in the crockpot and still has amazing flavour!
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More Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love:
Easy Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples & Cranberry
Easy Healthy Crockpot Cashew Chicken
Healthy Cranberry Lemon Loaf Pound Cake
