Loaded Carne Asada Fries - The Recipe
A full meal pretending to be a snack. So bomb.
Yoooo hows everybody doing?? This week we got a banger….CARNE ASADA FRIES! This one got about 5 million views on TikTok. So since it was pretty well receieved, I got the recipe for you. This is the kind of plate that starts as a side and turns into dinner. Steak, fries, cheese, crema, salsa, guac — stacked high, hot, and messy in all the right ways. It’s meant to be shared, but no one really does. Carne asada fries walk the line between street food and comfort food, and this version doesn’t get caught up in trying to reinvent anything (i love street food). It just delivers what you want: seared beef, crispy potatoes, and toppings that actually bring something to the table.
Here’s how to make it the lazy way ~
The Final Product
At the center of it all is skirt steak (DONT OVER COOK IT!) — marinated in citrus, garlic, jalapeño, and a splash of Mexican beer. It cooks fast and stays juicy, picking up color and char from a hot pan or grill. The fries underneath can be frozen or hand-cut, but either way, they’re golden and ready to soak up everything you pile on top. Once the steak is sliced and layered over the fries, the rest comes quick: cheese melted just enough to pull, guacamole made with avocado, lime, and salt, onion, and tomato, pico that’s sharp and cold, and a drizzle of crema over everything. Spicy sauce is optional — but worth it.
Building Flavor: The Structure
There are three layers here, and they all have to hold their own.
The steak is the top layer, and it needs to be good. Skirt steak works best — it cooks fast, slices thin, and holds up on top of hot fries without drying out. The marinade matters. It’s citrus-heavy with lime, orange, garlic, salt, jalapeño, and a little oil. If you want to shortcut it, a splash of Goya marinade or a pour of light Mexican beer helps round it out.
The fries are the base. You can go frozen or fresh — it really just depends on time. The key is getting them crispy. They need to hold under hot steak and not fall apart once everything else goes on. Season them well.
Then the toppings — you keep them simple, but you make sure they show up. Guacamole doesn’t need anything fancy. Just avocado, lime, and salt. Pico de gallo stays classic with tomato, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Cheese gets sprinkled while the fries are hot so it starts to melt. Crema finishes it clean. Salsa or hot sauce is up to you.
Ingredient Deep Dive
Skirt steak:
Thin, beefy, and built for fast cooking. It holds marinade well and slices clean after resting. Flank steak works too, but skirt has better texture for this dish.
Citrus (lime + orange):
Freshly squeezed. The acidity helps break down the beef, and the orange adds sweetness without making it taste sugary.