Carne Asada Tostadas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Salsa
Published Sep 30, 2026
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If you’re looking for a fun, flavorful dinner that everyone can build themselves, these Carne Asada Tostadas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Salsa are a delicious choice. Crispy gluten-free corn tostada shells are layered with tender grilled flank steak, fresh Pico de Gallo, creamy avocado salsa, and crumbled cotija cheese.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Need
- Why You’ll Love These Carne Asada Tostadas
- What Is Carne Asada?
- The Secret to Flavorful Carne Asada
- Don’t Skip the Fresh Toppings
- How to Serve Carne Asada Tostadas
- Tips for Making Carne Asada Tostadas
- Can You Make These Tostadas Ahead?
- What to Serve with Carne Asada Tostadas
- Frequently Asked Questions
- A Fun Gluten-Free Dinner Everyone Can Build
- Carne Asada Tostadas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Salsa Recipe
The steak gets a flavorful citrus marinade made with olive oil, Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and spices. The result is juicy, flavorful carne asada that pairs perfectly with the fresh toppings.
And because everything can be prepared ahead of time, these tostadas are a great option for a casual dinner, entertaining, or a build-your-own tostada night.
What You’ll Need
For the Carne Asada
- Olive oil
- Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar
- Orange juice
- Lemon juice
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic
- Jalapeño peppers
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flank steak
The combination of citrus, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and cumin gives the flank steak plenty of flavor before it even hits the grill. The recipe calls for marinating the steak for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
For the Pico de Gallo
- Roma tomatoes
- White onion
- Jalapeño peppers
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime make a bright, fresh topping for the grilled steak.
For the Avocado Salsa
- Tomatillos
- White onion
- Jalapeño
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic
- Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar
- Avocado
- Water
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
The avocado salsa is smooth and creamy, making it the perfect contrast to the crunchy tostada shells and fresh Pico de Gallo.
For Serving
- Gluten-free corn tostada shells
- Crumbled cotija cheese
The recipe makes 12 tostadas, making it a great choice when you need a meal that feeds a crowd.
Why You’ll Love These Carne Asada Tostadas
They’re packed with fresh flavor
There is a lot going on in these tostadas, but every component brings something different. The carne asada is savory and citrusy, the Pico de Gallo is fresh and bright, and the avocado salsa is smooth and creamy.
You get the perfect combination of textures
One of my favorite things about tostadas is the contrast. You get a crisp corn shell, tender steak, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado salsa, and crumbly cotija cheese in every bite.
They’re naturally gluten-free
These tostadas use gluten-free corn tostada shells and are labeled gluten-free, along with being egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free.
As always, if you’re cooking for someone who needs to avoid gluten, check the labels on packaged ingredients and take appropriate steps to prevent cross-contact.
They’re perfect for entertaining
Set out the steak, tostada shells, Pico de Gallo, avocado salsa, and cotija cheese, and let everyone assemble their own tostadas. It makes dinner feel festive without requiring you to plate every serving yourself.
What Is Carne Asada?
Carne asada means grilled or roasted beef and is commonly associated with Mexican and Mexican-inspired cooking. For these tostadas, flank steak is marinated in a citrusy mixture before being grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces.
The marinade in this recipe combines Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar with fresh citrus juices, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and garlic powder.
That flavorful steak becomes the centerpiece of each tostada.
The Secret to Flavorful Carne Asada
The marinade is what gives the steak its bright, savory flavor. The recipe combines several ingredients that work particularly well together: citrus juice, Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and cumin.
The steak should marinate for at least one hour and up to eight hours, so you have some flexibility when planning dinner.
This is also a great recipe to prep earlier in the day. Get the steak into its marinade, make the toppings, and then all you have left to do is grill and assemble.
Don’t Skip the Fresh Toppings
The steak is delicious, but the toppings are what turn it into a great tostada.
Pico de Gallo
The Pico de Gallo brings freshness, acidity, and a little heat. Fresh Roma tomatoes are combined with onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice.
Avocado Salsa
The avocado salsa provides a creamy element that balances the crunchy tostada and grilled steak. Tomatillos, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, onion, and Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar are blended until smooth.
Using both toppings gives you two very different textures and flavors in every bite.
How to Serve Carne Asada Tostadas
I like to put all the components on the table and let everyone assemble their own.
Start with a crisp tostada shell. Add some avocado salsa, followed by pieces of grilled carne asada. Spoon Pico de Gallo over the steak, then finish with crumbled cotija cheese and another drizzle of avocado salsa.
Serve the remaining Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa on the side so everyone can add more as they like.
This makes these gluten-free tostadas especially fun for family dinners and casual entertaining.
Tips for Making Carne Asada Tostadas
Give the steak time to marinate. The recipe calls for at least one hour, with up to eight hours in the refrigerator.
Prepare the toppings while the steak marinates. Both the Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa can be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.
Let the steak rest after grilling. The recipe calls for resting the grilled flank steak for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
Serve immediately after assembling. Tostada shells are at their best when they’re crisp, so assemble them just before serving.
Put the toppings on the table. This turns dinner into an interactive meal and lets everyone customize their tostada.
Can You Make These Tostadas Ahead?
Yes, at least in part. The steak can be marinated in advance, and both the Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa can be prepared while the steak marinates and refrigerated until serving.
For the best texture, wait to assemble the tostadas until you’re ready to eat. This keeps the corn tostada shells crisp.
What to Serve with Carne Asada Tostadas
These tostadas can easily stand on their own as a meal, but you can also serve them with simple sides.
Consider adding:
- A fresh green salad
- Black or pinto beans
- Grilled vegetables
- Fresh fruit
- Rice
Keep the sides simple and let the carne asada tostadas be the star.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is labeled gluten-free and uses gluten-free corn tostada shells. It is also egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free. When preparing the recipe for someone with celiac disease or a gluten-related condition, check the labels of packaged ingredients and prevent cross-contact during preparation.
This recipe uses flank steak. The steak is marinated and grilled before being cut into bite-sized pieces for the tostadas.
The steak should marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
Pico de Gallo is a fresh, chunky mixture of tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. The avocado salsa in this recipe is blended until smooth and combines tomatillos, avocado, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and rice vinegar.
This recipe calls specifically for gluten-free corn tostada shells.
Yes. The Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa can be prepared while the steak marinates and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.
The recipe makes 12 carne asada tostadas.
A Fun Gluten-Free Dinner Everyone Can Build
These Carne Asada Tostadas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Salsa bring together everything you want in a satisfying meal: flavorful grilled steak, crisp tostada shells, fresh vegetables, creamy avocado, bright citrus, a little heat, and salty cotija cheese.
Best of all, you don’t have to make every tostada exactly the same. Put all the components on the table and let everyone build their own.
It’s a simple, colorful, naturally gluten-free meal that feels a little more special than an ordinary weeknight dinner.
Carne Asada Tostadas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar, divided
- Juice of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Juice of 3 limes, divided
- 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds flank steak
- 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 white onion, finely diced, divided
- 4 tomatillos, husks removed and chopped
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup water
- 12 gluten-free corn tostada shells
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
Instructions
- Combine olive oil with 3 tablespoons Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, juice of 1 lime, ½ cup cilantro, 3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno, cumin, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and pour into a large food storage bag. Add the flank steak and flip a few times to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- While the steak is marinating, prepare the Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa.
- Combine the tomatoes with half the onion, 2 jalapeno peppers, 1 cup cilantro, and the remaining lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Put the tomatillos in a blender with the remaining half of the onion, 1 jalapeno, remaining cilantro and garlic clove, 2 teaspoons Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar, avocado, and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
- Prepare the grill for direct heat and preheat to medium-high. Grill the flank steak for 2 minutes per side. Let rest 5 – 10 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
- For each tostada, spread some of the avocado salsa on a tostada shell, top with steak, Pico de Gallo, crumbled cheese, and a drizzle of more avocado salsa. Serve with the remaining Pico de Gallo and avocado salsa on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
