Arrachera marinates quickly, so the goal is to build flavor without letting strong acids sit so long that the meat loses its spring and turns soft on the surface.
The safest approach is a balanced marinade, moderate timing, and a quick surface dry before the meat hits high heat.
Rapid read
A little acid helps, but too much citrus or vinegar can overpower the texture if the meat sits too long. Oil, garlic, spices, chile, and salt can carry plenty of flavor without leaning too hard on acid alone.
Thin cuts like arrachera do not need an endless marinade. They already expose a lot of surface area, so flavor moves in faster than many people expect.
Even a good marinade can sabotage searing if the surface is dripping wet. Lift the meat out, let excess marinade fall away, and pat lightly if needed.
FAQ
Sometimes, but thin arrachera often needs much less time than people expect, especially if the marinade is acidic.
The usual causes are too much acid, too much time in the marinade, or both.
You do not need to strip it bare, but removing excess wet marinade helps the meat brown better.