Leftover Prime Rib Carne Asada Taco Recipe (2024)

I make my foolproof prime rib every year during the holidays, and a few years ago I somehow ended up with leftovers of our delicious prime rib in my fridge. So rather than heat it up and have it just be okay (it really is best the day you make it,) I decided to use those leftovers to make something NEW.

Read More: This Is The Only Prime Rib Recipe You’ll Ever Need

In my quest for inspiration I consulted Tyler Florence, who is always a reliable source when you’re looking for really flavorful recipes. A quick search through his recipes on the Food Network website yielded a recipe for Tacos Carne Asada, and I knew my search was over!

In his recipe, Tyler uses a mojo sauce as a marinade for his meat. Mojo sauce is delicious mixture of citrus, garlic, olive oil, and herbs that originated in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. Canarian immigrants brought mojo to Cuba, where it became a fixture in Cuban cuisine. Mojo can also be found in various forms in Caribbean and Central American cuisines. But the most important thing to know about mojo sauce is that it is addictively delicious, and it makes nearly everything taste great. ;-)

I whipped up a batch of Tyler’s mojo sauceto marinate my leftover prime rib. Since the meat was already cooked, I just warmed it through on the stove, and served it with warm tortillas and fresh pico de gallo. To my delight, my leftover prime rib “carne asada” tacos were a HUGE hit! Not a single morsel survived that feeding frenzy. And now every Christmas when I make our prime rib, I make sure to buy a bigger-than-necessary roast to ensure we’ll have leftovers to make these tacos.

Here’s what you need to know to make your own leftover prime rib tacos at home!

Leftover Prime Rib Carne Asada Tacos

Ingredients:

• Mojo sauce, prepared (recipe below)
• Leftover prime rib, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Tortillas
• Pico de gallo (recipe below)
• Lettuce (optional)
• Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Place your leftover prime rib pieces into a large ziplock bag, and pour the mojo sauce over the top. Seal the bag and put it in your fridge for an hour or two.

Pour out any extra marinade, and put the meat into a large pan. Place the pan on your stove over medium-high heat, just until the meat has warmed through.

Put the meat into a serving bowl, and serve alongside warmed tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, and any other taco fixings you see fit. Delicious!

Tyler Florence’s Mojo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Jillee’s Favorite Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

• 6-8 Roma tomatoes, diced small
• 1 large white onion, diced small
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, diced small
• 1 limes, juiced
• 1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed, chopped finely
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

Toss all of the above ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Chill in the fridge for an hour or two before eating, to let the flavors marry.

I’m sure the fact that we used prime rib for these carne asada tacos is a big part of why they are so delicious, but you could just as easily make these tacos withflank steak or skirt steak, like Tyler Florence does in his recipe. Whatever works for you! :-)

Hope you had some tasty leftovers too!