Short answer: A smoked chipotle sauce is the best match for carne asada. Carne asada is defined by char, and chipotle is the one common pepper style defined by smoke — so the two reinforce each other instead of competing. From our lineup that is Crossed The Line, our smoked chipotle sauce.
Why does smoke work on carne asada?
Because the grill has already made the decision for you.
Carne asada is thin-cut beef, usually marinated with citrus and cooked fast over high heat. What you taste is char, fat, salt and lime. A bright, green, vinegary sauce lands on top of that and pulls in the opposite direction — it is arguing with the charring rather than joining it.
A chipotle is a jalapeño that has been ripened red and then smoke-dried. That means a chipotle sauce brings the same flavor family the fire already put on the meat, and extends it. The slight sweetness that comes with chipotle does roughly what a caramelised edge on the beef does.
Which Bad Decision sauce is best for carne asada?
Crossed The Line — smoked chipotle, $12.00, 5 FL OZ (148 ML).
It is built on aged red chipotle with a small amount of sugar underneath so the smoke reads slightly sweet, onion and garlic for body, and aged tabasco peppers to sharpen the finish. On asada that sharpened finish matters: without it, smoke on top of smoke gets heavy.
It is rated Very Hot on our five-level scale, which is one step above our habanero. That surprises people, because chipotle is a much milder pepper than habanero — the heat guide explains why a finished sauce and its headline pepper are different things.
What if you want more heat?
Use Ignored The Warning, our Ghost Jolokia sauce, in drops rather than pours.
It is rated Extreme and built on a mustard and cumin base, which is earthy rather than bright — so it sits closer to the asada than you might expect. Put two or three drops on one taco out of four and leave the rest of the plate alone. There is no taking it back out once it is on the food.
What if you want less heat?
Use Took The Bet, our aged jalapeño sauce, rated Medium.
You lose the smoke, but you gain something the asada can genuinely use: a green, slightly vegetal sharpness that behaves like the lime already in the marinade. It is the right call if you are feeding people with mixed tolerance, because medium heat with real flavor satisfies both ends of a table.
Milder again is First Mistake, our garlic sauce, rated Mild — savory rather than smoky, and safe for anyone.
How much should you use?
Less than you would use on a burrito. Carne asada is already seasoned and already acidic, so the sauce is a finishing note rather than a base layer.
About a teaspoon per portion is right for the chipotle. For the ghost pepper sauce, count in drops. A useful test: you should still taste the beef and the char. If you cannot, the sauce has stopped seasoning and started replacing.
Add it after the meat comes off the heat, not during the cook — the sugars in a chipotle sauce will scorch on a hot grill.
What else does this sauce go with?
Anything that has already met fire. Crossed The Line is good on burgers, grilled meats, wings, beans, brisket and chili. If the food has char on it, the smoke has something to attach to.
Where it works less well is delicate food — white fish, eggs, anything mild — because the smoke tends to flatten whatever is underneath it.
Frequently asked questions
What hot sauce goes best with carne asada?
A smoked chipotle sauce. Carne asada is defined by char from fast, high-heat grilling, and chipotle is a smoke-dried pepper, so the two reinforce each other rather than competing. Bright, green, vinegar-forward sauces tend to fight the charring. From the Bad Decision lineup, Crossed The Line is the smoked chipotle option.
Is habanero good on carne asada?
It works, and it is the better choice if you want heat that contrasts with the beef rather than matching it. Habanero is fruity and almost floral, which plays against char instead of extending it. No Turning Back is our habanero, rated Hot. Choose it over chipotle when the asada is heavily marinated with citrus.
Can you put hot sauce on carne asada while it is cooking?
Better not to. Most hot sauces contain sugar or fruit solids that scorch over the high heat carne asada is cooked at, which turns sweetness into bitterness. Add the sauce once the meat is off the grill and resting. If you want chile flavor in the cook itself, that belongs in the marinade.
How much hot sauce should you use on carne asada?
Roughly a teaspoon per portion for a medium or hot sauce, and a few drops for anything rated extreme. Carne asada arrives already salted, marinated and acidic, so the sauce is a finishing note. If you can no longer taste the beef or the char, you have used too much.