Fire up the grill and get ready for something bold — “Carne Asada with Chimichurri” brings together the smoky, charred richness of grilled steak with the fresh, herb-forward brightness of chimichurri sauce. This isn’t your average steak dinner; it’s a flavor-packed celebration of contrast: heat and cool, smoke and herb, simple and sublime.
What You'll Love
- The chimichurri is fire-roasted, not blended raw. Poblano and Anaheim chiles go directly over the grill flame until charred on all sides, then steam and peel — that roasted sweetness and subtle smokiness is what separates this from a standard herb sauce.
- The brine is the marinade. Sweetwater Spice Lime Jalapeño Fajita Bath Brine in equal parts water — one hour per pound of steak — and the lime and jalapeño flavors penetrate the flank steak all the way through before it ever sees the grill.
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500°F direct over GrillGrates, 2–3 minutes per side. That's a sear, not a grill. The goal is maximum crust and a medium-rare center — a flank steak at that thickness hits temperature fast and should rest 10 minutes under foil before any slicing happens.
- The cauliflower rice is genuinely good here, not a compromise. Processed to rice-sized granules and cooked in cast iron with cumin, cilantro, and lime, it absorbs the chimichurri and steak juices in a way that plain rice would too — but it keeps the plate lighter.
Carne Asada Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Latin
Servings
2
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
744
Whether you’re slicing it up for tacos, tacos bowls, or plating it as a centerpiece, this dish transforms an everyday cut of beef into a vibrant, show-stopping meal — perfect for a backyard cook-out, taco night, or casual dinner that feels special.
Ingredients
- 1 flank steak
-
Sweetwater Spice Lime Jalapeño Fajita Bath Brine
-
Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 4 Poblano chiles
- 4 Anaheim chiles
- 1/4 sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp capers
-
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
-
salt, to taste
-
1 head cauliflower
- pinch cumin
-
kosher salt, to taste
- 1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
- lime juice, to taste
For the Fire Roasted Chimichurri:
For the cauliflower rice:
Directions
Prep the Chimichurri
Roast the poblano and Anaheim chiles (or Hatch, if in season) directly over heat until charred on all sides. Remove, place in a covered container or Zip-lock bag to steam for 10–15 minutes, then peel, destem, and seed.
In a food processor (or blender), combine lime juice, cilantro, parsley, peeled chiles, onion, garlic, capers, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped and blended. Adjust consistency with extra olive oil if needed. Chill until ready to use.
Prep & Marinate the Steak
Trim any silver skin from the surface of the flank steak. Submerge the steak in Sweetwater Spice Lime Jalapeño Fajita Bath Brine (and equal parts water). Let sit one hour for every pound of meat.
Preheat Grill for High Heat
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 pellet grill to 500°F, set up for direct grill with GrillGrates over the firebox.
Season & Grill the Steak
Remove the steak from the marinade. Remove excess liquid from the surface with a paper towel.
Generously season the steak with 8-Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning. Place directly on hot grill grates and sear ~2–3 minutes per side (depending on thickness and desired doneness). Aim for medium-rare to medium for maximal tenderness.
Once seared, remove from grill and rest 10 minutes under tented foil before slicing thin against the grain.
Make the cauliflower rice
Cut the cauliflower florets away from the stem. Roughly chop the florets.
Place in a food processor. Process until broken down into rice sized granules.
Preheat a Lodge Logic 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil. When the oil is hot add the cauliflower, cumin and a pinch of salt.
Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, as necessary. Add the cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve
Arrange sliced steak on a platter or in tortillas. Spoon generous amounts of chimichurri over top (or serve on the side). Serve with cauliflower rice. Add lime wedges, grilled veggies, corn, or your favorite sides — even simple beans or fresh salad works beautifully.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What's the difference between the fire-roasted chimichurri here and standard chimichurri?
Standard chimichurri is raw — fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, oil, and vinegar blended without any heat applied. This version chars whole poblano and Anaheim chiles directly over the flame before they go into the food processor. That charring adds a smoky, slightly sweet roasted pepper character that standard chimichurri doesn't have. The capers add a briny punch that also distinguishes it from the Argentine original. It's a looser, more complex sauce — herb-forward but with real heat and smoke underneath.
Does the red wine vinegar go in the chimichurri?
Yes — the direction step calls for red wine vinegar but it's missing from the printed ingredient list. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar to the chimichurri ingredient list. It goes in the food processor with the lime juice, herbs, chiles, garlic, capers, and olive oil. The vinegar provides a different acidity note than lime juice alone — sharper and more wine-forward — and is standard in chimichurri formulas. The lime and vinegar together produce a more layered acid profile than either one alone.
Why remove excess liquid from the steak before seasoning?
The brine is water-based — a wet surface on the steak when it hits the GrillGrates will steam rather than sear. Steam at 500°F produces a gray, boiled exterior instead of char. Patting the surface dry with a paper towel removes the surface moisture so the 8 Second Ride seasoning can form a dry crust that sears on contact with the hot grates. This step takes 30 seconds and makes a significant difference in the crust quality.
What internal temperature should I target for medium-rare?
Pull the flank steak at 125–130°F internal for medium-rare; 135–140°F for medium. At 500°F over GrillGrates, the 2–3 minutes per side window gets most flank steaks to 125–130°F depending on thickness. Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying solely on time — flank steak thickness varies significantly from one end to the other, and the thinner end will be done before the thicker end at the same elapsed time.
Can I make this indoors?
Indoor cooking rating: 4 out of 5 — Great in the kitchen, better on the grill. A cast iron grill pan screaming hot on a high-heat burner replicates the GrillGrate sear adequately indoors — the char marks and crust form the same way. The chimichurri chile-roasting step works identically over a gas burner or under a broiler. What you lose is the live-fire smoke character from the YS640s. Everything else — the brine, the sear, the rest, the slice — translates perfectly.
Recipe Highlights
Steam the Chiles After Charring, Don't Skip It: After the poblano and Anaheim chiles are charred on all sides over direct flame, they go into a covered container or sealed bag for 10–15 minutes to steam. That steam loosens the charred skin from the flesh underneath — without it, peeling the skin is tedious and you end up tearing the flesh apart trying to get it off. After steaming, the skin pulls away cleanly in large pieces. Peel over the sink or a bowl to catch the liquid that runs out.
Don't Over-Process the Chimichurri: The direction says "pulse until finely chopped and blended" — that's the target texture. Over-processing produces a smooth purée, which is a different sauce with a different mouthfeel. Chimichurri should have visible herb and pepper pieces throughout; you want texture, not smoothness. Pulse in short bursts and check frequently. If you've gone too far, stir in a little more roughly chopped cilantro or parsley to restore some texture.
Season Generously with 8 Second Ride — It's a Finishing Rub: The Cattleman's Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning is the only seasoning that goes on the exterior of the steak, applied after the brine and after the steak is dried. The brine handles interior flavor; the rub builds the exterior crust. Apply it generously — a thin dusting won't produce the flavorful crust that holds up against the chimichurri.
Slice Thin and Against the Grain, Then Spoon Chimichurri Over Immediately: Flank steak sliced thin against the grain exposes a much larger surface area than thick-sliced steak. Spooning chimichurri over immediately after slicing — while the meat is still warm — lets the olive oil and herb mixture absorb slightly into the cut surfaces rather than sitting entirely on top. Let it sit for 60 seconds before serving; the flavor integration is noticeably better than chimichurri applied at the table.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6.73 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 744
- Carbs
- 26 grams
- Protein
- 77 grams
- Fat
- 37 grams
- Sodium
- 1139 milligrams
