The Best Steak Fajitas
The absolute BEST Steak Fajitas you’ve ever had! This is my take on the Tex-Mex steak fajitas. Marinated for hours in lime juice, garlic, and cumin — so good you’ll never use another recipe again!
Holy Guacamole!
And I’m not just saying that because steak fajitas NEED guacamole. I’m saying it because you need these homemade fajitas. And I actually can’t believe it took me this long to make them for us. I mean, beef fajitas are a classic, and quite possibly the most delicious thing we’ve eaten around here. Hands down. Like EVER. So it’s totally my food blogging responsibility to bring these to you right now because they couldn’t possibly taste better than they do right now.
These fajitas were gobbled up quicker than anything I’ve ever made before – that’s saying a lot because I feel like I’m ALWAYS cooking. And these make A LOT, enough to feed 4-5 people! We enjoyed them in tortillas the first day and turned them into Chipotle-style fajitas bowls for lunch the next day, and we still had some leftovers! And nope, I’m not even complaining about them. I’ll definitely be making these over and over again on repeat.
Watch how to make the best steak fajitas video (57 sec.):
You’ve probably made steak fajitas with store-bought fajitas seasoning a million times before. But I’m kind of reinventing this a little because my recipe is less focused on spices and more focused on overall ingredients that marinate, tenderize, and flavor the fajita meat. Because no one likes fajitas that are bland. What’s the point in that?
But this marinade! Oh my Lanta! It is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. I was never convinced you could make restaurant-style steak fajitas at home and make them taste better, but this totally does it. They are absolutely are the BEST steak fajitas of your life. The ingredients are simple and straight forward. Also, this isn’t a Harry Potter potions class – you don’t need anything super fancy to make the best fajitas of your life. There is one ingredient in particular that I use that isn’t a typical ingredient one sees in a fajita recipe but give it a try, I promise you, it’s a GAME CHANGER.
I like to use a colorful array of veggies for my fajitas.
You can do with the regular red and green peppers if you’d like, but I love the color and the flavor that yellow and orange peppers add to this recipe. I’m one of those people that eat with my eyes first. I also like to add in a BIG poblano pepper. Remove all the ribs and seeds, so the spice is gone. We just want the nice smokiness of the poblano sizzled with the onions and bell peppers — the flavor is out of this world. I can’t believe I had been making fajitas without poblanos for so long before this. I almost feel like I cheated myself out of the best fajitas.
And the secret ingredient in my steak fajitas is…
Okay, let’s do a quick walkthrough on the ingredients and how you’re going to make the marinade for the fajitas. Without any further suspense let me share with you the ONE ingredient that makes my steak fajitas better than the rest — PINEAPPLE JUICE. Um, yup. You read that right. Pineapple juice, the stuff that comes in a small/large cans in the juice aisle. I use the stuff that is 100% juice with no additional sugars added.
If you’re wondering what the function of pineapple juice is for fajitas, allow me to explain. Store-bought fajita seasonings usually contain enzymes that help tenderize the meat. So to mimic that same tenderization without any weird ingredients, we use pineapple juice. There are people that argue that fresh pineapple juice (that hasn’t been heated) works best. But honestly, for our recipe, canned pineapple juice works just fine! No need to grab a fresh pineapple and make fresh juice, unless you’d like to that is.
What else do you need to make the best steak fajitas:
The other ingredients are simple! A little lime juice, some Worcestershire sauce (this is Tex-Mex style fajitas after all!), garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, a little olive oil, chopped cilantro, and a little salt and pepper. That is it! No cornstarch or sugar or a million other ingredients. These are simple, flavorful steak fajitas that shine on their own. You don’t need to put a million ingredients in them to taste good.
How to make the best steak fajitas:
Now the instructions – combine the ingredients for the marinade and let marinate. It’s that simple. I like to let fajita meat marinate for at least 4 hours and ideally sometimes, overnight. The longer you let them sit, the tastier they are.
I made these indoors on a large cast iron skillet. You can grill the meat out on the grill in the summertime if you’d like. I know we definitely will once it stops raining here EVERY SINGLE DAY and once we purchase a grill. In the meantime, the cast iron skillet is making them just perfectly. ?? I use one large skillet to sear the meat, and while the meat is resting, I add in another tablespoon of oil and allow the veggies to sauté. I love the little bits of the charred marinade to coat the peppers and onions. If you don’t want that, use a separate skillet to make the veggies. Make sure to season them with a hint of salt and pepper.
Be prepared to make this meal on a weekly rotation, served both inside warm homemade flour tortillas and over a bed of cilantro lime rice.
Make it a Sunday tradition, because I have a feeling that this recipe is going to get ten thumbs up.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Cheesy Steak Quesadillas
- Homemade Carne Asada
- The Best Chicken Fajitas
- Shrimp Enchiladas in Poblano Cream Sauce
- Crispy Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
The BEST Steak Fajitas
The absolute BEST Steak Fajitas you've ever had! This is my take on the tex-mex steak fajitas. Marinated for hours in lime juice, garlic, and cumin -- so good you'll never use another recipe again!
Ingredients
Steak Marinade:
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup pineapple juice (no sugar added)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin AND chili powder (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: kosher salt AND smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon EACH: black pepper AND red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Fajitas:
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds skirt or flank steak
- 1 tablespoon oil (high heat)
- 2 medium white onions, sliced
- 1 large poblano, ribs and seeds removed then sliced
- 2-3 bell peppers, thinly sliced (any color you please!)
Optional:
- guacamole, salsa, cilantro leaves, salsa verde, sour cream, black beans, rice, tortillas, cilantro-lime rice, sautéed corn, tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheese, etc.
Instructions
- STEAK MARINADE: Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large shallow bowl. Give it a taste and check for seasonings, adjust to preference. Coat the steak with the marinade and let sit covered in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours and ideally overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minute prior to cooking.
- Set a large cast iron skillet or pan over high heat and let heat up for a couple of minutes. Add the steak to the pan and fry on each side for about 3-5 minutes or longer if you'd like it more done. Feel for desired firmness. The 3 minutes/side will yield a medium rare doneness. If the pan becomes too hot, reduce the heat to medium high. Remove the steak from the pan and allow to rest for several minutes tented with a piece of foil. Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. I like to do so on an angle so the meat slices are tender and thin.
- FAJITA VEGGIES: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan over high heat, add in the onions, poblano, and bell peppers. Let the veggies begin to sizzle and toss as necessary, cook for a total of 2-3 minutes or longer if you prefer them softer, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If your pan is small, cook the veggies in a few batches so they don't steam.
- ASSEMBLY: Serve them in tortillas or on rice bowls topped with your favorite toppings!
Great recipe! If you want to avoid a smoke filled house when using a cast iron pan, use grapeseed oil to season and cook with. It has a high smoke point.
Thank you!! These are the BEST fajitas ever! My husband rated them at a perfect 10. I didn’t have the 4 hours minimum for marinating, only 2 hrs and they were impregnated with flavor. I can’t even imagine how more scrumptious they can get with overnight marinating! Again, thank you these were absolutely amazing!
Trying this marinade tonight, the only thing I did different was added more garlic and I used smoked paprika!! It smells ahmazing and I’m super stoked to try it. Fingers crossed the kids love it but I’m sure they will because they love all things Mexican. I picked this marinade because all the delightful reviews!!
Delicious!
What if you don’t have pineapple juice ? Orange Juice?
Awesome marinade!! Delicious even the my orange juice I had on hand. Next time I will try the pineapple.
This is quite possibly the BEST steak I have ever had. Topped off with fresh salsa and quacamole…yum! I also added cilantro lime rice, black beans, and shredded cheese. These are amazing. Give them a try…you won’t be sorry!
New to the flat Blackstone scene – But, my goodness this recipe was awesome. Well worth the prep. HUGE compliments from all on these amazing Fajitas!! Thank you for the great recipe
Fantastic! Introduced hubby to fajitas and did he ever LOVE them! I am marinading another steak to fix them again tonite! Ole!
Off. The. Charts!!!
That marinade really is to die for. Used it on a skirt steak cooked on a grill over charcoal. Bravissimo!!! Couldn’t have been better!!! Think I just ruined myself for restaurant fajitas.
Oh well, same thing happened with ribs anyway ;<)
You are absolutely right, these are the best fajitas I ever had! I had a lot of marinade left so I simmered it a bit and folded it into the cut steak. Just delicious
It is so yummy. I grilled the flank steak. I did not put poblano because of my small grandchildren.
I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious! New favourite recipe! We served it with cubed avo, flour wraps, black beans mashed with salt and lime juice, grated cheese, crème fraiche and lime. Will definitely make again.
Can I marinate this overnight? I saw a comment that said no more than 12-14 hours but I was hoping that 24 hrs would be ok. ???? This recipe sounds amazing!
Best fajita recipe ever!
Thank you for listing the ingredients this way;
It makes sense to use the same measuring spoon for all ingredients that use the same amount.
Oh my GOODNESS!!! I have tried so many fajita recipes but this one is the show stopper!! It truly is the best!
Excellent marinade. I purchased “stir fry/fajita” cut beef from the meat section at my grocery and I marinaded it overnight. My teenage boys gobbled it up and we’re disappointed I didn’t make more. Will be adding this to our meal rotations for sure.
Scrumptious! Will definitely be making this again. Had sirloin on hand, so used that, but will use skirt or flank steak next time. Had this recipe saved to try for ages & I’m so happy with the way it turned out. Thank you, Marzia for this fabulous recipe!
We loved these fajitas! My husband is a super foodie and had his marinade that he always raved about! Well, he was out of town and I made them on the day he was coming home and he LOVED them! I cooked them on the grill, but not ALL the way as I knew they were going to warm in their juices in the oven for a while until he got home. I marinaded the meat in straight pineapple first for a bout 2 hours (to make sure it was tender) and then switched the meat to the marinade. I used sirloin strips as they had no skirt steak out here in the country where I now live!
The best steak fajitas. This is my new go to recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Looks great. I’m making this for tomorrow !
This was really great! Will make again for a group.
Outstanding recipe for fajitas. I marinated skirt steak, then grilled over charcoal. Let rest for 5-10 minutes then slice against the grain into strips. Delicious!!
My favorite pinned recipe ever!
Figured I should probably comment finally.
I make it all the time and the family loves it. Usually do a strip steak. We skip the cilantro and still amazing.
Also works great with chicken.
Thank you.
This was great! Left out the red pepper flakes due to some sensitive palates in our house. Still tons of flavor. I put a little bit of the marinade aside and marinated the peppers and onions a bit before cooking them.
Delicious tasty goodness! Even the non steak eaters in the house love it. Awesome recipe, thanks for putting it up online.
Just made this marinade up. Steak resting in the refrigerator. Comments look promising! Can’t wait to make the fajitas later.
Made this tonight! SPOT ON! The only thing different is I grilled the steaks….they marinated for almost 24 hrs. I will definitely make it again. I am my own worst critic, and I was, along with my wife, greatly impressed!!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi – just a little confused with the oil portions. 3 tablespoons of olive oil for the marinade and then is it 1 tablespoon of high heat oil (canola?) butter I cook the steak and then another 1 for the veggies?
The fajitas ingredient section only references 1 tablespoon but the instructions in step 3 read to use the remaining tablespoon of oil….nowhere above that does it reference the first tablespoon of oil.