Charred Arrachera with Lime
Thin-sliced skirt steak seared hard until edges blacken, finished with lime, cilantro, and onion. Fast, smoky, and authentic to northern Mexico's grilled beef tradition.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb skirt steak (carne de res / arrachera)
- ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 whole limes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder (or guajillo powder)
Instructions
- 1
Pat steak dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
- 2
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking, about 2 minutes.
- 3
Sear steak 2–3 minutes per side without moving — edges should blacken and char. Rest 5 minutes on a cutting board.
- 4
Slice steak against the grain into thin strips. Arrange on a platter with raw onion on top.
- 5
Squeeze lime over the meat. Scatter cilantro. Serve with extra lime wedges and warm tortillas.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
- cutting board
- paper towels
- knife
- tongs
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