Steak Fajitas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What type of steak is best for fajitas? ›

Steak: Flank steak is what's typically used for steak fajitas. But you can also use sirloin steak or skirt steak (similar to my carne asada recipe). Steak Fajita Marinade: A simple yet flavorful combo of lime juice, olive oil, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper — that's it!

Most fajita marinades are made with lime juice, but I prefer lemon juice. However, if you are a lime juice aficionado, go for it; your fajitas will still be delicious! Other fajita seasonings include smokey ground cumin, garlic, and onion powder, hot sauce, olive oil and, of course, salt and pepper.

Do You Cut Steak Before Marinating for fajitas? It is generally not necessary to cut the steak before marinating it for fajitas. In fact, it's best to leave the steak whole so that it can absorb more of the marinade and remain tender while cooking.

The question of “what is a fajita” would usually be referred to as sliced skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish. In restaurants, the meat is usually cooked with onions and bell peppers and toppings that are served on the side.

tENDERIZE the SKirt steak if needed

This does wonders at breaking down the connective tissue, transforming it into a tender cut of beef. To tenderize, place the steak sections in between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it evenly with a meat mallet or side of a can until it is about ¼ inch thick.

Our preferred way of making this easy steak fajitas recipe is to saute the fajita veggies in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop until they are tender but never mushy. Meanwhile, we typically like to grill the meat, then combine the two.

Marinating the flank steak is a crucial part of the fajita recipe. A marinade adds more flavor to the meat and makes it more tender, because the acid in the marinade helps to break down the muscle and proteins in the meat before cooking.

Cornstarch or arrowroot

You'll need about 1 tablespoon for every cup of liquid in the recipe. Mix the cornstarch with equal parts water to create a slurry and pour it into the pot. Whisk continuously over high heat until the cornstarch is well incorporated and the sauce starts to thicken.

McCormick Culinary Fajita Marinade & Seasoning Mix's uniform texture is perfect for marinating protein and infusing signature flavor before grilling, broiling or roasting.

Is there a difference between taco seasoning and fajita seasoning? ›

Fajita seasoning and taco seasoning are very similar, but they are not the same. Taco seasoning typically has more oregano and chili powder than fajita seasoning. With that being said, however, you can use fajita seasoning and taco seasoning interchangeably in recipes, it may just warrant a slightly different flavor.

Fajita sauce typically contains a blend of ingredients such as lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and various other spices. These ingredients come together to create a flavorful and slightly tangy sauce that complements the grilled meats and vegetables in fajitas.

You're not going to make much of a dent in a whole hunk of skirt steak with a few hours of marinating, but if you go ahead and slice the raw beef, marinate it, and then grill—well, you may very well be on your way to the best steak tacos of your life.

Cook the fajitas.

Sear the chicken until well-browned on the outside and cooked through. Set the chicken aside and cook sliced peppers and onions until browned and softened. As they break down, they soak up all that browning left behind by the chicken.

Fajita is a Tex–Mex, Texan–Mexican American or Tejano, diminutive term for little strips of meat cut from the beef skirt, the most common cut used to make fajitas.

The best meat to use instead of flank steak is skirt steak, flat iron steak, flap (sirloin tip) steak, tri-tip steak, and hanger steak (in that order). Each has its differences, but all do well being marinated and cooked over high heat, like flank steak.

The flat iron is a newer steak cut and is also known as the butler's steak or oyster blade steak. For many years, this area of the animal was considered an unusable cut of meat due to connective tissue and sinew that ran through it.

Other names for flank steak include London broil and skirt steak, which is actually a different cut (more on that in a moment). This cut of steak comes from the abdominal muscles of the animal, right behind its chest. As you'd expect from that muscle-y area, the meat can be somewhat chewier than other steaks.