This slow cooker carne asada recipe is easy & delicious, and marinades as it cooks! The mango sauce is spicy sweet, perfect for tacos or carne asada bowls!
I seriously cannot believe it’s August already! Not sure about you, but most the fairs and fun festivals have been cancelled this year.
That means no fireworks, no rides, no petting zoos, and no fair food! Ugh.
One of my favorite food cart indulgences is street tacos. So I figured if I can’t buy myself some carne asada, I should make some at home!
I love this recipe because it makes delicious carne asada bowls but is also great for tacos and burritos! It’s so versatile!
Healthy Slow Cooker Carne Asada
So, I’m pretty sure there is nothing healthy about fair food. But that’s not the case for this carne asada recipe!
These non-greasy, super easy recipe is basically just meat covered in herbs, spices, a little juice, and 1/2 cup of beer (I use Corona since it’s our favorite beer around here). The flank steak just absorbs all those flavors all day in your crock pot.
At the end of the day, you have delicious, citrusy meat that falls apart when you dish it up. Farro is really high in fiber too, making it filling and satisfying! Top it all with the sweetness and hint of spice from the mango sauce. This one is definitely a winner!
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Freezer Friendly
Yep, another freezer meal in the books! Just throw the flank steak and all of the slow cooker carne asada ingredients into a gallon sized zip lock and freeze for up to 3 months! You will definitely want to thaw this one out completely in your fridge before you slow cook it. Otherwise, the flank steak may not absorb all those flavors as well!
The mango sauce is also freezer friendly! I just put any leftovers in a wide-mouthed glass jar and freeze it (also for up to 3 months). You can pull it out of the fridge to thaw out at the same time as you do your bag of carne asada meat.
RELATED: Freezer Meatballs w/Chimichurri Sauce
Budget Friendly
Boy, do I love a budget friendly recipe! Aside from the flank steak, everything in this slow cooker carne asada recipe is cheap as heck! Total cost for this recipe is $13.20 or about $3.30 per bowl. Way cheaper than the food carts!
To cut costs on this recipe, you can make brown rice instead of farro, or leave out the mango sauce. The meat and toppings are good by themselves, but the mango sauce takes it to a whole other level!
Slow Cooker Carne Asada Bowls w/Mango Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup beer (I use Corona)
For The Mango Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh mango
- ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
For The Farro Bowls:
- 2 cups cooked farro
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 cup corn sauteed or grilled
- cilantro and lime wedges (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Place flank steak in the bowl of your slow cooker. Cover with spices, juices, and beer in the crock pot.
- Cook on low in the slow cooker for 6 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the mango sauce. Combine mango, coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Assemble the farro bowls. Divide the cooked farro into 4 portions. Top with carne asada meat, avocado, tomato, corn, and mango sauce.
- Serve!
To Make A Freezer Meal:
- Place flank steak, spices, juices, and beer in a gallon sized zip lock. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before slow cooking on low for 6 hours.
- Mango sauce can also be frozen in a freezer safe jar or container for up to 3 months.
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If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!
How excited are you to make this slow cooker carne asada with mango sauce? Can’t wait to hear what you think!
xoxo Megan
This was absolutely delicious! We used it on top of rice and didn’t blend the mango for a full meal. It also made enough for a delicious salsa for the next day.