Loaded Carne Asada Fries Give You the Best of Both Worlds (2024)

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Kristina Vänni

Internationally recognized culinary authority Kristina Vänni is a well-known food writer, engaging TV host, award-winning recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer. In addition to writing for industry-leading websites including Better Homes and Gardens, The Spruce Eats, and Food52, she has been a featured expert on national media such as ABC News’ “World News Tonight” and CBS’ “The Talk” and has served as a spokesperson and recipe developer for national brands such as Finlandia, KitchenAid, Post Foods, Baileys, among many others. Kristina is currently writing her first cookbook, an exploration of the traditional and seasonal cuisine from her family's dairy farm in Finland. Kristina enthusiastically shares her creative content, behind-the-scenes peeks, and industry expertise with food enthusiasts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

published Aug 23, 2021

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Loaded Carne Asada Fries Give You the Best of Both Worlds (1)

Carne Asada Fries are everything you love about tacos, loaded nachos, and a plate of French fries all piled high in a sharable dish.

Serves4Prep12 minutesCook30 minutes to 35 minutes

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Loaded Carne Asada Fries Give You the Best of Both Worlds (2)

Carne asada fries are everything you love about tacos, loaded nachos, and a plate of french fries — all piled high in a sharable dish that feels like a party on a plate. This over-the-top concoction originated in San Diego back in the late ’90s and now can be found at restaurants and sports stadiums throughout the Southwest. With this recipe, you can now enjoy every bite of this tasty experience easily at home.

Start by making a flavorful marinade for skirt steak. In a zip-top bag, simply combine a chopped chipotle pepper along with some of the adobo sauce from the can. Add orange juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper, and allow the steaks to marinate for a few hours or up to overnight. Once you are ready to enjoy the fries, the steak can be cooked outside on a gas or charcoal grill, or inside in a grill pan.

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A bag of frozen french fries works great to start building the dish. Top the cooked fries with a shredded Mexican cheese blend and warm in the oven until melted to perfection. Then, it’s go time. Slice up the beautiful skirt steak and fan it out over the warm plate of fries. Top with pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole to your heart’s content. It’s fun to add some jalapeño slices for heat, or chopped cilantro for a burst of fresh flavor. I like to sprinkle on some crumbled queso fresco for added texture and interest. In the end, you can pile the fries with any of your favorite taco toppings to create your own masterpiece. These fries are best when shared with friends. Enjoy with lots of laughs and maybe some ice-cold beer or margaritas.

What Cheese Do You Use for Carne Asada Fries?

Carne asada fries can be prepared with any cheese that melts well. Here a prepared shredded Mexican cheese blend was used. You can also feel free to try the fries with a sharp cheddar, spicy pepper Jack, or even nacho cheese.

What Exactly Is Carne Asada?

Carne asada is a grilled beef dish usually prepared with skirt steak, sirloin steak, or flank steak. It is commonly marinated before grilling to infuse flavor and tenderize the meat.

What Are the Ingredients for Carne Asada Fries?

Carne asada fries are made with french fries that are topped with sliced grilled beef, melted cheese, and a variety of classic taco toppings such as salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

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Carne Asada Fries Recipe

Carne Asada Fries are everything you love about tacos, loaded nachos, and a plate of French fries all piled high in a sharable dish.

Prep time 12 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the carne asada:

1 to 2
canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon
canned chipotle pepper adobo sauce
1/3 cup
orange juice
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
1 teaspoon
ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound
skirt steak

For the fries and toppings:

1 (1-pound) bag
frozen French fries
1 1/2 cups
shredded Mexican cheese blend
1
medium lime
2 tablespoons
loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup
pico de gallo
1/2 cup
guacamole
1/4 to 1/3 cup
sour cream
2 tablespoons
crumbled queso fresco cheese
2 tablespoons
pickled jalapeño slices

Instructions

Finely 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce until you have 1 tablespoon. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and massage the bag to combine.
Add 1 pound skirt steak. Seal the bag, releasing as much air as possible. Massage the bag to coat the steak in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight, turning occasionally.
Heat an outdoor grill to medium, direct heat. (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium heat when ready to cook the carne asada.) Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Bake 1 pound frozen French fries according to package directions, usually 18 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the steak from the marinade and discard the bag. Place on the grill and grill until desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
Transfer the fries to a large ovenproof platter or baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese. Return the fries to the oven to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut 1 medium lime into wedges. Finely chop 2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves. Thinly slice the steak on slight diagonal across the grain. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed.
Scatter the steak over the cheese fries. Dollop 1/2 cup pico de gallo, 1/2 cup guacamole, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream over everything. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco cheese, 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, and the cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges.

Recipe Notes

Gluten-free: To make this dish gluten free, make sure the chipotles in adobo sauce do not contain wheat.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, separate the carne asada from the fries. Reheat the meat first in the microwave until warmed through. Cover with a paper towel to keep warm while then reheating the fries in the microwave. This will help keep the fries from getting too soggy while reheating.