The Ultimate Instant Pot Carne Asada Recipe: Tender, Flavorful & Effortless
Craving the bold, zesty flavors of authentic carne asada but don’t have a grill or the time for a lengthy marinade? Look no further! This Instant Pot carne asada recipe is a game-changer, transforming a humble flank steak into an incredibly tender, juicy, and flavor-packed dish with minimal effort. It’s truly one of the most brilliant ways to prepare a perfect flank steak, delivering restaurant-quality taste right in your kitchen. Whether you’re planning a quick weeknight dinner, hosting a gathering, or meal-prepping for the week, this recipe offers a convenient and delicious solution that will quickly become a family favorite.
Why This Instant Pot Carne Asada Recipe is a Must-Try
- Achieve Authentic Flavor Without a Grill: While traditional carne asada is synonymous with grilling, this Instant Pot version masterfully captures the essence of those vibrant, savory flavors. It’s perfect for those times when grilling isn’t an option due to weather, lack of outdoor space, or simply wanting a quicker, less hands-on cooking method. You get all the robust, zesty taste of a classic carne asada dinner, but with the unparalleled convenience and speed of your pressure cooker.
- Incredible Versatility for Any Meal: The beauty of this Instant Pot carne asada lies in its adaptability. This flavorful beef can be the star of countless dishes! Use it as a hearty protein in your favorite tacos, pile it high on cheesy nachos, or create a truly indulgent batch of carne asada fries. Beyond these popular choices, it’s also delicious served simply with complementing sides like fluffy cilantro lime cauliflower rice, creamy refried black beans, or a refreshing guacamole salad. It’s also fantastic in burritos, quesadillas, or as a topping for salads and grain bowls.
- Unmatched Tenderness and Juiciness: The Instant Pot is truly a culinary marvel for tough cuts of meat like flank steak. Pressure cooking creates an environment where moisture is locked in, preventing the steak from drying out. The high pressure also rapidly breaks down the tough muscle fibers, resulting in flank steak that is incredibly tender and juicy, practically melting in your mouth. This method ensures your carne asada is perfectly cooked every time, and clean-up is remarkably easy, making it a fantastic addition to your kitchen appliance repertoire.
- Perfect for Meal Prep and Make-Ahead Meals: If you’re someone who loves to plan ahead, this Instant Pot carne asada recipe is an absolute dream. It’s an excellent make-ahead option that can save you valuable time during busy weekdays. Any uneaten carne asada can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, allowing you to enjoy delicious, ready-to-eat meals throughout the week. For longer storage, you can freeze it too! Simply let it cool completely, pack it tightly in an airtight freezer-safe container, and enjoy it within 3 months.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Carne Asada
Crafting delicious Instant Pot carne asada begins with selecting the right components. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in building the dish’s signature flavor and achieving that desirable tender texture.
Flank Steak: This lean and flavorful cut of beef is a popular choice for carne asada due to its robust beefy taste and relatively thin profile. While it’s incredibly versatile, its leanness means it can become tough if overcooked. However, this is precisely where the Instant Pot shines! Cooking flank steak under pressure with ample liquid significantly reduces the risk of overcooking and drying out the meat, ensuring it remains moist and tender. If flank steak isn’t available or you prefer a different texture, skirt steak is an excellent substitute, offering a similar flavor profile and benefiting equally from the pressure cooking method.
Orange Juice: You might raise an eyebrow at this inclusion, but trust us – it’s a delicious secret weapon! The natural acidity in orange juice, alongside the lime juice, plays a vital role in tenderizing the flank steak. Acids help to break down the connective tissues in the meat, making it wonderfully supple. It’s important to use the right amount, as too much acidity can actually have the opposite effect, making the steak tougher. Beyond tenderization, the orange juice also imparts a lovely citrusy brightness and a subtle hint of sweetness to the marinade, balancing the savory spices and preventing the overall flavor from being overly acidic.
Lime Juice: A cornerstone of Mexican-inspired cuisine, fresh lime juice brings an essential zing and brightness to the carne asada marinade. Its high acidity further aids in tenderizing the beef while infusing it with that quintessential tangy, fresh flavor that is characteristic of this dish.
Beef Broth: Low-sodium beef broth forms the liquid base of our Instant Pot cooking, ensuring there’s enough moisture for pressure build-up and contributing a rich, savory depth to the overall flavor. Opting for low-sodium allows you to control the saltiness of the final dish.
Garlic, Cilantro, and Onion: These aromatic powerhouses are non-negotiable for authentic carne asada flavor. Minced garlic provides a pungent, savory base, fresh cilantro adds a bright, herbaceous note that truly elevates the dish, and sliced onions caramelize slightly, lending a subtle sweetness and depth to the marinade as it cooks.
Spice Rub (Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin): This simple yet potent blend creates the foundational flavor profile for your carne asada. Cumin delivers an earthy warmth, chili powder adds a mild smoky heat, and onion powder enhances the savory notes already present from the fresh onion. Salt and pepper are, of course, essential seasoning staples that bring all these flavors into harmony.
Chef’s Expert Tips for Optimal Results
- Customizing Cook Time for Desired Doneness: The beauty of cooking steak is being able to tailor it to your preference. If you enjoy your flank steak less done, such as medium-rare or medium, you can confidently reduce the Instant Pot cook time by approximately 5-10 minutes. Your exact cooking time will largely depend on the specific model of your Instant Pot, as well as the thickness and desired doneness of your steak. For a reliable assessment of doneness, an internal meat thermometer is your best friend. Aim for 130°-135°F for medium-rare, 140°-145°F for medium, and 150°-155°F for medium-well. While you can’t easily check the temperature mid-cook in an Instant Pot, a small test run with a piece of flank steak can give you a ballpark estimate for your preferred level of doneness before you cook the entire batch.
- Allowing the Spice Rub to Mingle: While not strictly mandatory if you’re short on time, taking an extra 15-30 minutes to let the flank steak rest with the spice mixture on it can significantly enhance the final flavor. This brief resting period allows the dry rub to permeate the surface of the meat, deepening its flavor and ensuring every bite is infused with those delicious, aromatic spices. After this resting period, you can proceed directly to browning the steak as outlined in step 3 of the instructions.
- The Importance of Resting the Meat: This simple step is often overlooked but can make a dramatic difference in the juiciness of your Instant Pot carne asada. After carefully removing the flank steak from the Instant Pot, transfer it to a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Resting allows the meat’s internal juices, which have been driven to the center during cooking, to redistribute throughout the entire steak. This results in a more tender, succulent, and juicy final product.
- Mastering the Art of Slicing Against the Grain: For maximum tenderness, how you slice your carne asada is just as crucial as how you cook it. Always use a sharp knife and slice the flank steak thinly, cutting directly against the grain of the meat. The “grain” refers to the long, parallel muscle fibers visible in the steak. Slicing perpendicular to these fibers shortens them, making the meat much easier and more pleasant to chew. If you slice with the grain, the meat will be chewy and tough, regardless of how perfectly it was cooked. You may need to adjust your slicing angle in different sections of the meat as the grain direction can vary.
- Achieving a Delicious Brown Crust: Don’t skip the browning step in your Instant Pot! Sautéing the flank steak in olive oil before pressure cooking creates a beautiful sear and develops a rich, savory crust through the Maillard reaction. This browning step adds a crucial layer of flavor and texture that is essential for a truly exceptional Instant Pot carne asada. Ensure your Instant Pot is hot and don’t overcrowd the pot to get the best sear.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re like us and adore the convenience and versatility of your Instant Pot, here are some other fantastic recipes to explore that will simplify your cooking and delight your taste buds:
- Instant Pot Asparagus
- Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
- Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
- The Best Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
If you loved this Instant Pot Carne Asada recipe as much as we did, don’t forget to leave us a review below. ★ Follow Easy Healthy Recipes on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, too!
For more delicious recipes and culinary inspiration, visit our sister sites, 40 Aprons and Easy Cheap Recipes.
Instant Pot Carne Asada
Cheryl Malik
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Ingredients
For the Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
For the Flank Steak
- 1 2-pound flank steak
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Marinade
- ½ cup low-sodium beef broth
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup orange juice see Notes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ packed cup onion slices half of 1 small onion
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- chopped fresh cilantro
- prepared chimichurri sauce
- Warm tortillas
- Salsa or pico de gallo
Equipment
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Small bowl
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Instant Pot
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Tongs
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Cutting board
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Sharp knife
Instructions
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In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin. This will be your flavorful dry rub for the flank steak.
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Generously season both sides of the 1 2-pound flank steak with the prepared spice mixture. Make sure to rub the spices into the steak very well, covering every surface for maximum flavor. If time allows, let the steak rest with the spice rub for 15-30 minutes before proceeding.
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Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to your Instant Pot inner pot and select the Sauté function (Normal or Medium heat). Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the seasoned flank steak to the Instant Pot. If your flank steak is too large to fit in one piece, you can cut it against the grain into two or three large pieces. Brown the flank steak on both sides for approximately 2-3 minutes per side, for a total of about 6 minutes, to create a delicious crust.
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After browning the flank steak, deglaze the pot by adding ½ cup low-sodium beef broth, ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup orange juice, and 3 cloves minced garlic to the Instant Pot. Make sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to prevent a “Burn” notice.
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Evenly distribute ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro and ½ packed cup onion slices on top of the flank steak. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, ensure the vent is sealed, and set it to Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes (this is for a well-done steak – please refer to the Notes section below for adjustments for less done steak). Once the 20-minute cook time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
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After the 10-minute natural release, carefully quick-release any remaining pressure by turning the venting knob. Once the float valve drops, gently remove the lid. Transfer the cooked flank steak to a clean cutting board. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing to retain maximum juiciness. Slice the steak into thin strips, always cutting against the grain for ultimate tenderness.
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Top the sliced flank steak with additional chopped fresh cilantro, a drizzle of the flavorful cooking liquid, or prepared chimichurri sauce if desired, and serve immediately with your favorite accompaniments. Enjoy your tender and delicious Instant Pot carne asada!
Recipe Notes & Tips for Success
- Adjusting Cook Time for Desired Doneness: Keep in mind that Instant Pot cook times can vary slightly based on your specific model and the initial temperature, size, and thickness of your flank steak. The 20-minute setting is generally for a well-done steak. For a less done steak (medium-rare, medium, or medium-well), you will want to lower the cook time by 5-10 minutes. For example, for a medium steak, try 15 minutes of high pressure with a 10-minute natural release. Always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before cutting the steak to ensure it meets your preferred doneness level.
- How to Properly Cut the Flank Steak: The secret to tender flank steak, regardless of the cooking method, is slicing it correctly. Using a very sharp knife, always slice against the grain of the meat, ideally at a slight diagonal angle. To identify the grain, look for the long, distinct lines of muscle fibers running through the meat. You want to cut perpendicularly to these lines. This technique shortens the muscle fibers, making the meat much easier and more tender to chew. Be aware that the direction of the grain may change in different sections of the flank steak, so you might need to adjust your slicing angle accordingly.
- Making it Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but always double-check the labels of your beef broth to ensure it is certified gluten-free, as some brands may contain hidden gluten ingredients.
- Keto-Friendly Modifications: For those following a strict ketogenic diet, the orange juice and onion are the primary ingredients to consider. While some keto eaters are lenient with small amounts of onion, you can omit it entirely if preferred. Regarding the orange juice, since you’re only using ¼ cup for the entire recipe, it contributes approximately 6 total carbs, or about 1 carb per serving. If you are very strict keto, you can skip the orange juice altogether and substitute with an equal amount of additional low-sodium beef broth and/or lemon juice or more lime juice. The flavor profile will be slightly different but still wonderfully delicious and keto-compliant.
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.