Beef Fajitas Wellplated Com

Strips of tender marinated steak, blistered peppers, and caramelized onions piled high into tortillas with all of your favorite Tex-Mex fixin’s, fajitas are a total show-off and super simple to make at home. Growing up, my family went out for Mexican food every Sunday. Our love runs so deep, we make the Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas for Christmas dinner (For real! And I have an even better version of that recipe in my cookbook). We were budget-conscious, which meant that I was only allowed to order the more expensive entrees with steak (like beef fajitas and Flank Steak Tacos) as a special treat. I still remember the server setting a hot, hissing plate of spicy beef enchiladas in front of me. I felt like I’d won the lottery. Steak fajitas are easy to make at home, even for the most beginning chefs. With this tasty beef fajitas recipe, you can strike gold any night of the week!

How to Make Beef Fajitas

The two most important factors to making great fajitas at home are:

The Ingredients

Steak. Tender, protein-packed flank steak works wonderfully for beef fajitas. It soaks up the marinade and becomes incredibly juicy and flavorful.

Beef Fajitas Seasoning. Cumin, chili powder, chipotle chile powder, lime zest and coriander are the secret to that bold, restaurant-worthy fajita flavor. The mixture is warm, earthy, and has the right amount of spice. Vegetables. A mixture of bell peppers and onions are the ideal veggies for fajitas. They develop scrumptious flavor, can easily be cut into long strips, and pair well with the beef. Lime Juice. Adds brightness and zest to the marinade and helps to tenderize the fajita meat. Honey. Naturally sweetens the marinade and helps the steak caramelize as it cooks. Worcestershire Sauce. For that umami goodness.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate beef and veggies in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. To Reheat. Gently rewarm beef and veggies in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. To Freeze. Freeze the beef and veggies in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make Best Steak Fajita Recipe

Cast Iron Skillet. My go-to for making beef fajitas. Sharp Chef’s Knife. A sharp, good-quality knife will make all the difference.Instant Read Thermometer. The best way to tell if your beef is cooked through.

Don’t sit on that winning lotto ticket—these tender beef fajitas hit the jackpot every time!

Cut the Beef Against the Grain. Slicing meat against the grain helps tenderize it. By looking closely at the steak, you’ll be able to see the direction the grain is running. Make your cuts perpendicular to it (this rule applies if you are making chicken fajitas too).Marinade with an Acid. Acids like citrus juice or vinegar tenderize meat by breaking down its fibers. Even 30 minutes of marinade time makes a difference. Don’t skip it!

Longer is not necessarily better when it comes to marinating meat.

Letting the beef sit too long in the acid will eventually cause it to break down too much and it will have a poor texture.Generally, I find that you can marinate meat for up to 1 day with good results; 4 to 6 hours is ideal.