Steak Fajitas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the best steak for fajitas? ›

Skirt steak is the traditional cut used for fajitas. It used to be inexpensive, but now it's not so cheap; oftentimes flank steak costs less. Either will be a good choice.

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.

Fajitas start with the meat: You'll need 1/4 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, chicken cutlets or skirt steak for each person. If you're using chicken breasts, pound them until they're about 1/2 inch thick; if you're using skirt steak, cut each steak in half so that it fits easily in your skillet.

How long to marinate your steak depends on the size and variety of the cut you're using. Thinner cuts, such as skirt or flanks steaks, should be marinated for 2-4 hours. Tougher cuts, such as top sirloin or sirloin tip, will benefit from marinating overnight (about 8 hours).

Traditionally, skirt steak is what is used to make fajitas. However, other popular cuts of beef for fajitas are flank steak and sirloin steak.

As I said, the best way to get sizzling steaks on the outside and juicy, buttery steak on the inside is to first sear the steaks over a hot, high flame, then move the steaks over to a cooler, unlit portion of the grill to finish cooking via indirect heat.

If only the inside skirt is available, tenderize it with a mallet to 1/4-inch thickness and use a marinade.

This recipe promises to be a one-pan dinner, but to ensure that the chicken's juices don't steam the vegetables — making them soggy — cook the vegetables first. Transfer them to a plate or cutting board, then cook the chicken in the same pan before bringing things together.

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.

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

Do you wipe marinade off steak before cooking? ›

Yes, marinate steak before cooking for at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Pat the steaks dry before cooking them to remove excess marinade and allow the steaks to crisp on the grill, in a pan, or in the oven.

I like to always say it's about one pound per three people...but let's be honest, I can almost eat a whole pound by myself lol.

Flank steak is one of the most well-known kinds for anything that requires thin steaks. This thin cut works well for slicing, as required for tacos and fajitas. It's also relatively affordable compared to top-of-the-line steaks like ribeye and New York strip.

You can't have fajitas without bell peppers.

I use a combination of red, green and yellow because I usually have all 3 on hand. Onions: Most restaurant fajitas use yellow onion. I prefer red onions because I like the color.

Good beef fajitas need to be cooked hot and fast, and that's the reason so many restaurants deliver them to the table sizzling on a cast-iron skillet. It's a dish that sells itself with the showmanship. Both flank and skirt steak can be extremely tough and are cut thin, so they respond well to a marinade.

In restaurants, skirt steak is the preferred cut for carne asada. But at home, you might notice that skirt steak is never as tender as it is in restaurants.

There are two types of skirt steak: inside and outside. The inside skirt comes from the transverse abdominal muscle and is rather tough; the more desirable outside skirt comes from the diaphragm and is quite tender.