Steak Fajitas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cut of steak do you use for fajitas? ›

Skirt steak is one of the best steaks to use for fajitas because it takes marinade really well. Because it's thin, it cooks quickly ,and it's easy to cut across the grain—which makes it tender. Flank steak is another cut of meat that works well, too, for the same reasons.

Whisk water, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring together in a bowl. Stir in cayenne and black pepper until combined.

"We use inside skirt steak," he said. "It's already marinated when we buy it. Then we add our own seasonings."

Fajita meat is marinated and grilled before it is cut into strips and served. The best way to get a tender slice of meat is to cut perpendicular to (across) the grain of the meat.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to choosing the right onion for your fajitas. You can go for the traditional white or yellow onions, offering a more savory option, or experiment with sweet onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla to add a subtle sweetness to your dish.

Marinating

Make a marinade with acidic components—such as citrus juice, buttermilk, yogurt, wine, vinegar or soda—to help break down tough connective tissue and muscle fibers.

Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

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

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.

What is traditionally in a fajita? ›

Fajitas are a popular Tex-Mex dish made from grilled meat, usually beef or chicken, which is served on a sizzling hot skillet along with grilled onions and peppers. The meat and vegetables are served with warm tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, allowing diners to create their own unique flavor combinations.

Flank Steak

Lean and boneless with lots of intense beef flavor. Best when marinated and grilled or sliced thin and stir-fried.

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.

In northern Mexico, fajitas are typically made with a cut of beef called arrachera, which is similar to skirt steak. The meat is marinated in a mixture of lime juice, garlic, and spices, and grilled over an open flame.

While fajitas are traditionally made with outside skirt—part of the diaphragm muscle of the steer—the cut is pretty much unavailable unless you work for a restaurant that special-orders it. At the butcher's or meat counter, you're far more likely to find inside skirt, which will do us just fine.