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Steak Fajitas

Steak Fajitas

Classic Tex Mex, fajitas (pronounced fah-hee-tas) are typically made with grilled strips of skirt steak with onions and bell peppers, and served sizzling hot with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. You can make fajitas with steak or chicken, or even make it plain vegetarian. Here's a quick and easy recipe for steak fajitas.

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Steak Fajitas Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb of flank steak or skirt steak
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain as one would normally slice an onion. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point.
2 large bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into half-inch wide strips

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (be careful not to touch your eyes or anywhere near your eyes after handling a Jalapeño pepper!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems

Method

1 Mix all marinade ingredients. Set the steak in the marinade and let it sit at least an hour, the longer the better.

2 Heat to high heat a large cast iron pan or griddle. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. 3 minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak. If pan starts to smoke too much, reduce the heat to medium high. We want the steak browned, not burned. Remove from pan and let sit for 5 minutes.

3 Reduce the pan heat to medium high. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Add the onions, bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent.

4 Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at a slanted angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin. (I forgot to do this in the photo above!) Flank steak is flavorful but can be a little tough, so thin slices will really help make it easier to eat.

5 Serve immediately with shredded cheese, salsa, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and warm flour tortillas. (Hint for warming tortillas - put in microwave over a paper towel for 20 seconds on high heat.)

Serves 4.

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38 Comments

I made this the other night. This was awesome! Very easy, it's got be pretty low in fat and stuff (flank steak is considered a very lean cut of meat, right?), and just plain tastes good. I put low-fat shredded cheese only on top of mine, and just wolfed it down. Wonderful recipe!

Posted by: Sheeijan on June 6, 2005 4:43 PM

I find that sprinkling a little water on the tortillas before putting them in the microwave helps keep them soft and flexible enough to be stuffed full of these delicious ingredients.

Posted by: Shaun on June 13, 2006 7:21 AM

Have made this twice since it was posted on Cinco de Mayo and can't get enough! Perfect with the guac. recipe too!

Posted by: Anonymous on June 13, 2006 7:43 AM

Flank steak is very lean and recommended on a lot of diets. Great tip on the tortillas too!

Posted by: Jonathan on June 13, 2006 9:13 AM

I love fajitas, and I've tried various recipes before, this one looks delicious, I think I'll have to try it!

I dunno about you, but whenever I nuke my tortillas, after a few minutes, the edges seem to get hard and brittle, even if I dampen the towel covering them. I like to heat them in a frying pan, just turn the heat to medium high, place the tortilla in the pan and heat for 30 seconds or so on each side. They get almost impossibly flexible.

Posted by: Anonymous on June 13, 2006 10:03 AM

Regarding microwaving, we microwave the tortillas for only 20 seconds each, and then only one at at time. They never ever ever get dried out. In fact, if you don't put a paper towel under them, they'll be a little damp. We also will heat the tortillas directly on the hot burner (electric!) on medium high heat. On my old stove which was gas, I would just heat the tortillas directly over the flame, flipping them every couple seconds. This will get them toasty, but not particularly flexible. Depends on what you like.

Posted by: Elise on June 13, 2006 12:44 PM

Is the cilantro essential in the marinade? I really don't like cilantro, and would prefer to leave it out.

Posted by: Alice on June 13, 2006 2:07 PM

I almost always put tequila in my fajitas. The alcohol helps tenderize the meat, and it goes perfect with the lime. If the flavor gets too crazy-musky, ketchup will even it out (ketchup is underrated!)

I tend to use an affordable white tequila like Sauza Blanco... it's good enough to drink, cheap enough that it won't make you shy about tossing in a measure or two.

Posted by: Hawk on June 13, 2006 4:09 PM

Fajitas and tequila - sounds good. Will try to add some next time I make this dish. Thanks!

Posted by: weather on July 12, 2006 11:42 AM

Made Irish Stew last week, family were calling My Niece 15 Nephew 18 with their Mum & Dad, they all loved it. (Nephew & Niece said it was better than Big Mac & Fries anyday, Bless) Popped the stew into large Yorkhire Pud. My Nephew asked if he could take what was left with back to Uni. Will be making it again. Many thanks.

Posted by: Anonymous on October 30, 2006 2:42 PM

First time making fajitas, this recipe was a complete success. :-) Thanks a bunch. Tip: I skipped the initial "browning" step, choosing to cut the meat first, marinade, then cook at all at once. The cut meat soaked up the marinade nicely.

Posted by: Dave on February 16, 2007 10:45 PM

I am a GOOF in the kitchen, and I made this 1.2.3! So easy and tasty! I added tequila like the above commenters said...amazing! I served it with Spanish rice. So good!

Posted by: Kristina on June 1, 2007 1:14 PM

When chopping chilies or peppers the burn will stay on your hands after washing, and your hands will still be dangerous hours later. SO when handeling chilies or peppers it's best to coat your hands in cooking oil. This prevents the spice from clinging to your skin and nails. After you wash off the oil your safe to touch your skin without any burn. ^_^ As for tortillas flour or corn put them in a plastic bag (not sealed shut) and microwave for 15-20 seconds. you can do one or 20 at a time.You may have to put them in twice when you heat up more. For flour tortillas you may need to place a paper towel between the plastic and the outer tortillas so they dont get soggy. FYI any plastic bag that doesn't melt easy will do even the ones from groceries.

Note from Elise: Because of the chemical outgassing of plastic when heated, it is highly recommended never to use plastic in a microwave unless it has been cleared for use in the microwave. So microwave-safe labeled plastic wrap is fine, but regular plastic bags from the grocer? Not a great idea.

Posted by: Domestic Goddess on October 25, 2007 8:20 PM

As for the tortillas, I turn a gas burner on low and lay the tortilla on the grate over it just long enough to brown it. This works great and then the tortillas aren't crumbling on the edge.

Posted by: ALLIE on November 1, 2007 7:51 AM

My wife and I are on the South Beach Diet (phase 1) which restricts quite a bit of goodies including tortillas. We saw this recipe and scratched our collective heads to figure how we could get around the SB restrictions...well, we used slightly wilted iceberg lettuce leafs as faux tortillas (use your imagination). Just fill um, roll them up...and munch out. We used reduced fat chesse and sour cream, not what the original vaqueros would do, but we ovoided a ticket from the South Beach Diet police (my cardiologist!). I think it is fair to assume that shreaded lettuce was omitted as a topping. We also used a cut called "flat iron steak"...mmm.

Posted by: Joe on December 15, 2007 8:36 AM

Heating tortillas in the microwave is far from authentic. As one writer stated, just heat them in a hot pan for a few seconds on each side (spray with Pam very lightly first). It brings out the flavor and softens them just right. Also, corn tortillas are far better for you than flour, not to mention having some flavor. Secondly, the onions and peppers are more of a gringo adapation. Fajitas, pico de gallo, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, etc are tasty and less likely to upset your stomach.

Hi Randy, what you are describing sounds more to me like carne asada tacos. Fajitas are TexMex, not Mexican, and are typically served with onions, green peppers, and flour tortillas, though some prefer corn tortillas to flour. Flour tortillas are best warmed up over a griddle, you get better browning that way, but you can easily heat them in a microwave too. As for using PAM to heat up corn tortillas, to each her own. I use butter if I heat them on the stove, and heat them on both sides until they are getting some air pockets. Or I use nothing at all if I've just made them from scratch and they're still warm.

Posted by: Randy on January 21, 2008 12:15 PM

I'm making these right now!! The marinade smells soooooo good. I too sliced my steak up first and am only marinading for about 15 minutes. Thanks for this recipe. Beautiful and delicious!

Posted by: Lisa B on February 14, 2008 6:08 PM

Tried this today with some nice flank from Costco. Omitted the jalapeno in deference to our 3 yr old grand daughter. Marinated overnight. Intended to BBQ the meat but weather didn't cooperate so cooked to 145' on a heavy preheated aluminium griddle in the oven. It was med rare just like the pic, very tender and tasty. I just love flank and tri-tip roasts for the flavour. We also cooked some chicken breasts with a dry mexican rub - for variety. Thanks for the recipe.

Posted by: Clive on February 17, 2008 2:11 PM

I've never made fajitas before and am going to try them. Can I heat the tortillas on an electric griddle? If so, should they be dampened?

Yes, you can heat them on an electric griddle. If you are using flour tortillas, all you have to do is heat them. If you are using packaged corn tortillas, you may want to soften them too with some butter or oil. ~Elise

Posted by: Cathy B on February 22, 2008 11:18 AM

Try adding tomatillos to the marinade; the acidity in them helps tenderize the meat.

Posted by: Anonymous on February 23, 2008 3:26 PM

This is a great recipe! I added gaucamole and home made salsa for a great surprise meal for the family the other night! Thank you!

Posted by: Jennifer from So. Cal. on February 25, 2008 6:19 PM

I love this recipe! I did make one change, I add beer to the marinade and the meat comes out perfect! I've also tried this using top sirloin steak and it was amazing!

A++!

Posted by: Becker on March 5, 2008 6:31 PM

Muy muy delicioso!! Gracias!

Posted by: Maria on March 7, 2008 9:38 PM

This was amazing with a tri-tip cut from costco. Mmmmmm

I omitted the cilantro simply because I forgot to pick it up from the store prior to making this dish...

Does anyone think it would make a dramatic difference if I added it next time? (They were delicious w/o the cilantro)

Posted by: Sean on April 16, 2008 7:44 PM

I absolutely love cilantro. I say always go with cilantro, and plenty of it!

Posted by: Eric on July 24, 2008 3:52 PM

Cilantro is a chameleon herb. It takes on and enhances the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. I suggest cilantro for most every dish I create and have not had a complaint yet! This was a great recipe as it was one of the few things I did not know how to make from scratch. Great way to impress a date without too much effort.

Hi Aaron, I too love cilantro. Though just so you know, for some people it actually tastes like soap. So it isn't for everyone. ~Elise

Posted by: Aaron on August 4, 2008 3:55 PM

Thanks a ton Elise! We make a lot of Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food. We've moved from Southern California to Australia so it's good for impressing our friends and we love it. Last night it was my turn to cook so I made these steak fajitas and some spanish rice (your recipe which I adapted for my rice cooker). The verdict from my husband (the chef from SoCal), "The absolute best Mexican food I've had since we landed in Australia. Maybe before that. That is a perfect fajita and the rice is extraordinary!" We've been here 2.5 years and he actually worked in a restaurant for a while as head chef adding a Mexican menu so that's QUITE the compliment. I'll leave the spanish rice adaptation in the comments over there.

Posted by: Pademelon on September 24, 2008 2:49 PM

I made these last night and they were a HUGE hit with my husband. I used skirt steak and marinated it for a little over an hour and you could taste the lime and cilantro in the steak after they were cooked. My husband said they tasted as good as any top mexican restaurants fajitas. So I'm sure he will be requesting them quite often. I never knew cooking fajitas were so easy. Thanks for an easy and great tasting recipe.

Posted by: Alicia on November 12, 2008 7:39 PM

I made these for the super bowl on Sunday and they were a success! I used a cilantro base instead of the cilantro but it came out really good.

Posted by: Mrs. Booth on February 3, 2009 10:31 AM

Do you think this recipe would taste good using chicken?

Yes, chicken fajitas are terrific. ~Elise

Posted by: kristine on February 12, 2009 5:03 AM

For the hot peppers-if you do burn yourself with them, then poor Maalox on the burn (but, of course, not in your eyes!). I burned myself so badly I had to call poison control and this was their recommendation. While it did not solve the problem entirely, it did help a great deal.

Posted by: Jamie on March 7, 2009 3:06 AM

I made this - well, used this technique - for dinner. Instead of marinading my own skirt or flank steak, I bought a pre-marinated piece of Carne Asada Authentica (sirloin steak) and used the above-described method. Quick, easy, flavorful.

In any case, with more planning, I look forward to trying your marinade recipe!

Posted by: Matt on April 1, 2009 8:33 PM

These fajitas were amazing! We had no steak on hand, but did have 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which we cut up into 1" chunks, and marinated for several hours. Then we cooked them for 5-6 minutes in the cast iron skillet. Also don't forget the pepper & onions--they are extremely yummy! Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Kristin on April 15, 2009 7:28 PM

Just a comment from Pademelon; I have moved from Australia to San Francisco and I made Fajitas just like this all the time in Australia.. so not new at all. I must admit though that Tex Mex is all you can get in Australia.. here I am so loving the authentic mexican ingredients you can get here... I made Arepas the other day.. yummy..

Posted by: Trudi on May 15, 2009 3:34 PM

Made this!

Forgot a lime so used lemonade.

Thank you for this recipe! It was very easy to follow and read, even for a not so good chef like me.

Posted by: bee on June 28, 2009 5:26 PM

I made this last night with chicken instead of steak. Chicken will absorb the marinade faster than steak, so it requires a lot less prep time!

I also used one lemon and one lime in the marinade, and I added some cayenne pepper. Results? Delicious! I used a wok to get it done quickly and nothing was lost in translation. The chicken tasted like citrus with a hint of spice.

I can't wait to make this again with steak! Although, I wouldn't even have a problem with it if it was all veggie. Yum yum!

Posted by: Shannon on June 30, 2009 11:34 AM

I would say that I had high hopes for this recipe at the start. . . at the end . . . well, let's just say my taste buds and those earlier hopes did not agree. Granted, one's taste is purely subjective, but to my taste buds (and those of my wife) the only flavor present in the beef (I used a flat iron steak) was that of lime. . . everything else was simply over-powered. The "nose" of the marinade (cilantro, garlic, cumin, et al) and the flavor of the finished product simply did not agree. My rule in the kitchen is this: I always try a recipe "as written" the first time. If there seems to be some merit for another attempt, but with adaptation, I will do so. This one calls for such adaptation.

Posted by: Rev on August 8, 2009 7:20 AM

Well, in direct contrast to Rev...the other day my daughter told me she wanted fajitas for dinner. I've never made them before, but googled and your recipe was the first one that came up. I made them almost exactly as your recipe. The only difference was that I added some chili powder to the marinade. I used both beef (skirt steak) and chicken breast.

After dinner the entire family told me that this could be added to my regular rotation of dinners. That's a great compliment!

Posted by: Sally on August 21, 2009 9:58 AM

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