This Instant Pot carne asada make weeknight dinners a breeze! Use it to top tacos, burritos, or toss in a quesadilla. This recipe is easy and quick to make for delicious Mexican meal in just under 20 minutes. The simple ingredients make this dish both Whole30 and Keto compliant.
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When Taco Tuesday needs a little spicing up beyond your regular taco meat, Instant Pot carne asada is here to the rescue! Bursting with bold flavors, this simple recipe is so quick to make and really elevates any taco, burrito or quesadilla.
Whether you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo or just your weeknight Taco Tuesday, this is an easy weeknight meal that is great for any night of the week. It has only 5 ingredients, can be made in your pressure cooker or on the stove top and is done in less than 20 minutes.
If you are loving these flavors be sure to try the Walking Taco Casserole, Chicken Tacos or Homemade Taquitos.
Why You Should Make THIS Recipe
- Great spice and smoky flavor with tender, juicy and delicious meat.
- Quick and simple to make in under 20 minutes. No marinade time!
- Uses pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand! No need to run to the store for orange juice!
- Versatile base meat recipe that can be used in street tacos, burrito bowls, quesadilla or a salad. Perfect for meal prep!
- Perfect recipe for summer when you don’t feel like using the stovetop or firing up the grill.
- Low carb and keto making it an easy recipe for many dietary restrictions.
Ingredients, Equipment & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Equipment: An instant pot, Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker. Alternatively, you can use the stovetop.
- Steak: flank, skirt or sirloin steak. You could also swap out steak for pork or chicken – however cook times will vary.
- Salsa: Jarred or fresh salsa works well. You can also use pico de gallo.
- Seasoning: Everything But the Elote Seasoning (I found mine at Trader Joe’s) – can swap for taco or fajita seasoning. Some stores even carry carne asada seasoning!
- Avocado Oil: Olive oil may also be used.
How to Make This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Cut skirt, flank or sirloin steak into smaller pieces. Season with salt + pepper.
- Turn pressure cooker saute mode on. Once it reads “hot”, add avocado oil and steak.
- Season with elote seasoning, then cook steak until desired doneness (approximately 2-3 minutes per side for medium.)
- Mix in 1 cup fresh salsa and ¼ cup cilantro. Season with additional Everything But the Elote Seasoning.
Expert Tips
- Cut meat into bite-sized pieces prior to cooking. Watch steak closely as it cooks as smaller pieces tend to cook up quickly.
- If making tacos, warm corn tortillas before assembling.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Leftovers may be frozen and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make Ahead: Recipe may be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for no more than 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave over medium heat until heated through. Add in more salsa if needed.
Serving Tips
- Street tacos: Top with onions, cilantro and salsa and stuff into a corn tortilla.
- Steak tacos: Top with cojita cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole.
- Quesadilla: Check out my recipe for carne asada quesadilla.
- Burrito bowl: Check out my recipe for a healthy burrito bowl and swap out chicken for steak.
FAQs
Carne asada is made from flank steak. Generally, carne asada is flank or skirt steak cut into long strips.
Since the only function you are using is saute, you actually do not need a pressure cooker to make this recipe. Follow the recipe as written using a skillet cooked over medium heat.
Asada refers to the way the steak is cooked and the flavors used. The lime juice, salsa and cilantro give it an enhance flavor that tastes like a delicious roasted steak with Mexican flavors.
Related Recipes
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Instant Pot Carne Asada
Equipment
- Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or Ninja Foodi
Ingredients
- 2 lbs flank or skirt steak
- 1 cup fresh salsa
- 1 ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- Elote seasoning to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro optional
Instructions
- Cut two pounds of skirt, flank or sirloin steak into smaller pieces. Season with salt + pepper.
- Turn pressure cooker saute mode on. Once it reads "hot", add avocado oil and then steak.
- Season with elote seasoning, then cook steak until desired doneness (approximately 2-3 minutes per side for medium.)
- Mix in 1 cup fresh salsa and ¼ cup cilantro (if using). Season with Everything But the Elote Seasoning.
Notes
- Cut meat into bite-sized pieces prior to cooking. Watch steak closely as it cooks as smaller pieces tend to cook up quickly.
- If making tacos, warm corn tortillas before assembling.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Leftovers may be frozen and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make Ahead: Recipe may be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for no more than 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave over medium heat until heated through. Add in more salsa if needed.
Elaine
According to the recipe directions, the instant pot is used for sauteeing, but not pressure cooking. Is that correct? Also, the ingredients list does not list cilantro or the seasoning. Thank you.