Sizzling Steak Fajitas – Grill or Skillet

Ultimate Steak Fajitas are so flavorful your taste buds will be singing with the mariachi band. The secret, my incredibly delicious fajita seasoning and marinade. Classic Tex-Mex restaurant flavors that you can easily recreate at home.

 

We’ve all been sitting in a Mexican restaurant when a server walks by with a plate of sizzling fajitas. That sound, the delicious aroma wafting everywhere – it’s enough to cause a sensory overload. And now, you too can make flavorful steak fajitas full of tasty charred peppers and onions at home.  

The definition of ultimate is “the best achievable or imaginable of its kind,” and I have to say, it fits this fajita recipe perfectly. After just one bite, I think you will agree with me these fajitas, topped with sour cream, avocado slices, and salsa, are the very definition of ultimate.

Here’s what you will need:

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 smoky ground cumin, garlic, and onion powder, hot sauce, olive oil, and, of course, salt and pepper. Sometimes simple is best and my steak fajita marinade allows the flavors to shine.

You will also need olive oil, sirloin steak, green and red bell peppers, onion, avocado, and flour tortillas. In addition, you might also like these optional toppings. They are delicious and enhance the other flavors: sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese. 

Here’s how to make them:

1. To make the marinade, add two tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, garlic and onion powder, Kosher salt, hot sauce, and pepper to a small bowl and mix well.
2. Pour over the meat, cover, and let it marinate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. 
3. When ready to grill, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place it in a 350-degree F. oven for 10 minutes.
4. To grill the steak, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat — brush olive oil over the grill pan to prevent the meat and vegetables from sticking.
5. Add the meat to the grill pan and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F. for medium-rare. Depending on how thick your beef is, this will take 5-10 minutes. Remove the meat, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for a few minutes.
6. Add the bell pepper strips and onions to the grill pan, and allow them to cook. Stir until they are crisp-tender, which should take about one to three minutes.
7. 
8. Slice the steak very thinly at a 45-degree angle perpendicular to the grain.
9. To assemble the steak fajitas, place a few strips of meat, bell peppers, onions, and avocado slices in a warm tortilla. Top with your choice of sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions:

What to serve with them?

One of the great things about steak fajitas is they are a meal in themselves. Since they are full of meat and vegetables, I usually serve them by themselves and call them dinner.  Restaurants will sometimes include refried or smashed beans and Mexican rice as sides, and if you want to add either or both, they would be good choices, along with my Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing.

How to pronounce fajitas?

I’ve heard fajitas called fa-jee-tas, and I used to say fra-hee-tas myself, but the correct American pronunciation is actually “fuh·hee·tuh.” Fajitas originated in Mexico, and Spanish fajita means “little strips.” 

What’s the best steak to use? 

Skirt steak is probably the most popular steak to use for fajitas. However, in recent years, skirt steak has gotten expensive. I like to use sirloin instead, but round and flank, and most any other cuts of beef work well too. The secret to tender and juicy meat is in the marinade, and even more importantly, how it is sliced. Slicing the meat very thinly at a 45-degree angle perpendicular to the grain produces the most tender strips.

Grill, grill pan, or skillet? 

The quick answer is all will work. If the weather is nice and you would like to cook on the grill, that’s awesome. If the weather is hot or rainy, or you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry, your grill pan, cast-iron skillet, or regular skillet all will work just fine. I used my grill pan for this recipe, and it worked perfectly. 

Sharon’s tips:

• You can also use a gallon-size plastic storage bag to mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the beef – saves on clean-up.
• I used sirloin in this recipe, but you can also use a skirt, flank, round, or any other type of beef you have on hand or like. You can also substitute chicken or shrimp.  
• Feel free to substitute lime juice for the lemon juice in the marinade. 
• If cooking the beef on a grill outside, preheat the grill to medium-high, or about 400 degrees. Brush the grates with cooking oil and cook the beef as directed. Use a vegetable or wire basket to grill the vegetables. 

To cook the meat in a regular or cast iron skillet, brush with oil as directed with the grill pan and follow the directions for cooking the beef and vegetables on the grill pan.

More Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes: 

Even though this is primarily a Southern-style cooking blog, I love Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes too!

Here are some of my favorites  Walking Taco Casserole, Smoked Queso Dip, Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, Tequila Lime Chicken Enchiladas, Easy Crunchy Taco Cups, Ultimate Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, and Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas.

If you like this recipe, you might want to check out all of my Mexican-inspired recipes at this link.  You also might be interested in my roundup post 40+ Cinco de Mayo Menu Ideas and Mexican-Inspired Recipes.

 

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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