Carne asada

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For the Argentine barbecue tradition, see Asado

Carne asada is a dish, literally meaning "grilled meat", it is one of the most popular varieties of Mexican food, more commonly in the Northern parts of Mexico, in the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. It can be found as the main ingredient in tacos, tortas, burritos, or served alone as a meal.

Mexicans traditionally hold barbecues with Carne Asada as the main dish^{[citation needed]}.

In Mexico and the American Southwest, the phrase Carne Asada is the equivalent of a barbecue. It is meant in the "party" sense of the word, since the literal translation for barbecue is barbacoa, an entirely different dish in Mexico.

The term is also used to describe a social gathering where the dish will be prepared and served as the main course, the event is usually referred to as "a carne asada" or "una carne asada".

The dish mainly consists of pieces or thin cuts of beef, (i.e. flank steak, skirt steak) sometimes marinated, sometimes lightly salted or rubbed with salt, pepper and/or spices, and then grilled. It can be eaten alone, accompanied with side dishes, chopped and eaten as tacos, or chopped and used as filler for tortas, burritos etc.

It is commonly accompanied with guacamole, salsa, beans and grilled scallions.