Perfect for a party or tailgating, these carne asada fries are loaded with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and thinly sliced carne asada steak.

A sheet pan of carne asada fries next to salsa for serving.

Nobody know the exact origin of carne asada fries (although San Diego seems to stake claim to it), but everyone who eats them knows how delicious they are. While not the most authentic or traditional of Mexican food, they are perfect for a fun game day treat.

What Is On Carne Asada Fries?

Similar to nachos, carne asada fries can be loaded with almost anything you decide. If you were to go to a stadium in the Southwest and order them, they would come with shredded cheese, thinly sliced carne asada, guacamole and sour cream. If you ordered them in a mexican restaurant, you might also get jalpenos, onions, cilantro, lime wedges for juice, or pico de gallo.

You can do them up however you like, but for the ease of this carne asada fries recipe, I’m keeping it traditional. Well...almost. I am doubling up the cheese by adding shredded cheese that gets melty, and cotija cheese for flavor

A hand sprinkling cheese onto french fries.

What Cut Of Meat Is Carne Asada?

Traditionally, carne asada is made of a steak that comes out of the flank or short plate of the cow. This includes skirt steak or flank steak. These are extremely flavorful cuts of beef, but not necessarily the most tender. Because of this, a flavorful marinade is used to tenderize the steak.

A really good piece of carne asada should taste primarily of great beef. After this is the smoky flavor from cooking, then finish the marinade’s flavors.

A two pound broiled flank steak on a cutting board.

What Kind Of Fries Should I Use?

Traditionally, carne asada fries are made with a thinner shoestring style fry. This keeps them from buckling under the weight of the toppings because they get crispier. You can use whatever style of fries that you want, or whatever cooking method. This could be your favorite frozen brand (mine is Alexia), some you picked up from a fast food restaurant, or homemade.

If you go homemade (which I always recommend) you should try my recipe for french fries that aren’t double fried. They are perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside, and soft on the inside. They freeze really well, too. So you can make extra, save them for later, and make these carne asada fries whenever you’re craving them

A knife slicing into flank steak showing the angle to cut to get it thin.

How To Cut The Steak

One of the most important things with these is that you cut the carne asada as thinly as possible. You’re supposed to be able to eat these with your hands or a fork, so you don’t want the meat to be too thick, unless you cut it into chunks.

To help keep it thin, use your slicing knife at a 45° angle. Not only does this help you keep your slicing thin, but the shape of the slice is more appetizing. (This is a super secret restaurant tip for you.)

Whether you choose to leave it as strips or chunks, you want to make sure to cut the carne asada AGAINST the grain for tender steak (The grain is the natural direction the meat layers.) To find the grain, look for the noticeable lines in the meat after it is cooked. Then, cut on a diagonal over them.

Overhead view of a sheet pan of carne asada fries next to a cutting board of carne asada steak ready for serving.

Professional Recipe Tips for Making Perfect Carne Asada Fries

Cotija cheese makes these more authentic, but Monterey jack melts better. If you want hot and fresh carne asada fries that have cheese stretching out in every bite choose the optional Monterey jack cheese. If you want to make the fries extra cheesy, use both.
Broil the carne asada to rare because it will cook a little further when you heat up the fries. By the end, the steak should end up around a medium level of doneness. If you choose to use a grill instead of a broiler, make sure to use a meat thermometer and aim for 115°-120°F as the temperature in the thickest part of the steak.
For the best smoky flavor on the carne asada, cook the steak on the highest heat you can. The “high” setting of the broiler gets to be about 550°F. You don’t need a lot of time for it to achieve that smoky flavor.
Use a high smoke point oil in the marinade, not olive oil. This keeps the oil from catching on fire during cooking. I recommend avocado oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil.