Home Recipes Crockpot Slow Cooker Carne Asada Recipe

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Recipe

Name: Slow Cooker Carne Asada Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 370 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds flank steak; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to less to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon)); 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 orange); 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime); 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon); 1/4 cup soy sauce (or gluten free alternative); 2 tablespoons white vinegar; pico de gallo; corn tortillas; avocado; Cotija (or crumbled feta)

by Jennifer Debth January 10, 2018

443 Comments

4.98 from 211 votes

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Everything you love about carne asada made easier with a crockpot! This Slow Cooker Carne Asada is so tender, juicy, full of flavor, and topped with the best, homemade pico de gallo.

This Slow Cooker Carne Asada Recipe is one of our most popular recipes (originally posted March 18, 2016), so I’ve updated it to include a how-to video! Enjoy!

General
What cut of beef to use
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Step-by-step video
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If you love slow cooker carne asada, you’ll also love: slow cooker enchilada soup, slow cooker enchilada quinoa, crockpot mexican chicken, and slow cooker carnitas.

I’ve made this recipe TWICE in the last two weeks. That’s how much I love this Slow Cooker Carne Asada Recipe. ♡

You guys have heard of Taco Tuesday, right?

Well, Trevor and I never actually remember to partake in Taco Tuesday ON Tuesday, so now we just call it Taco Night any time we have something that resembles a taco for dinner.

We started doing this a few weeks ago and what started out as ONE Taco Night. . . turned into two Taco Nights. . . then three. . . then. . .

You get the idea. We’ve been having lots of Taco Nights, but you guys, the thing is, how can you NOT have Taco Night when things like this Slow Cooker Carne Asada exist?!

While it might not be 100% authentic (um I’m pretty sure carne asada isn’t typically cooked in a crockpot 😉 ), the flavors are totally spot on, it’s crazy quick and easy to throw together, the steak gets ridiculously juicy and wonderful in the crockpot, and helloooo it’s a pretty darn healthy, well rounded meal!

Add that with corn tortillas + cotija (or lets be real, I just used crumble feta) + the BEST fresh pico de gallo and you’ll be having Taco Night e.v.e.r.y. night.

You guys know that I’m typically not a steak eater. If I had to chose between a chicken breast and a burger, I’d pick the chicken breast 9 times outta 10.

Especially when I go out for Mexican food, hold the steak, and give me all those chicken nachos, chicken enchiladas, and chicken fajitas.

That being said, I can’t get enough of this juicy, steak-y Slow Cooker Carne Asada.

It all starts with beef and a flavor bomb spice rub.

What cut of beef is used for carne asada?

Today, we’re using flank steak. It’s affordable, it’s delicious, and it gets super tender in the crockpot.

Win. Win. Win!

What spices are in carne asada?

Smoked paprika
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Dried Oregano

The spices gets whisked together with olive oil and then gets rubbed on the flank steak.

THEN, the spice rubbed steak cooks low and slow in the crockpot with freshly squeezed orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, soy sauce (trust me), and vinegar.

How long does it take to cook carne asada?

6 hours! And you’ll come home to the most fabulous smelling kitchen and the most tender carne asada.

Plus, bonus, you making the spice rub, and juicing a few citrus fruits literally takes less than 10 minutes, so BOOM! You had dinner ready in less than 15 minutes!

Now, there are definitely two stars in this recipe: the steak (obvi) and the pico de gallo.

Whatever you do, do NOT skip making your own pico de gallo. It’s SO easy and ohmygosh it adds so much texture and brightness to the steak.That’s. It.

Ridiculously juicy, perfectly spiced, amazing Slow Cooker Carne Asada ✔️

Fresh, bright Pico de Gallo ✔️

Now all that’s left is the assembly!

I love this with corn tortillas and a little sprinkle of cotija (or crumbled feta if you’re keepin it real 😉 ), but the carne asada also makes for some fantastic hard shell tacos and quesadillas (with pepperjack cheese, of course). It’s up to you!

However you decide to serve this, this Slow Cooker Carne Asada is so quick and easy to make, full of flavor, and is topped with the best, freshest pico de gallo!

Oh. And be warned, these are j.u.i.c.y. so this isn’t a great “first date” meal, unless you don’t mind juice running down your chin. 😉

Happy Taco Night!

– Jennifer

What’s your favorite dish that you’d like me to turn into a crockpot dish? Show me the yummy!