Steak Fajitas Recipe

This steak fajitas are made with a citrus and spice marinated flank steak, seared in a cast iron skillet and served with roasted peppers and onions in warm flour tortillas. This is one of my family’s favorite meals to make at home.

One of my favorite parts about going to a Mexican restaurant as a kid was watching the server bring out fajitas on that smoking hot cast iron plate. I have been chasing that moment in my own kitchen ever since. If you love Mexican food like we do, you should also try my birria tacos recipe or my Mexican street corn recipe.

Steak Fajitas

Fajitas originated in the ranch lands of West Texas and Northern Mexico, where vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) were often paid in less desirable cuts of beef, including skirt steak. They would marinate and grill the tough cuts over open fires, then slice them thin and serve them in tortillas. The word “fajita” comes from the Spanish “faja,” meaning belt or strip, which describes the cut of meat. Fajitas grew into a Tex-Mex restaurant staple by the 1980s, and the sizzling cast iron presentation became iconic in American dining.

The technique I use for these fajitas is a little different from what most people do. I cook the steak whole instead of slicing it into strips first, which lets me control the internal temperature and keep it at a true medium-rare. I do not like well-done steak unless I am braising something, and cooking fajita meat as strips in a screaming hot pan almost always pushes it past where I want it. So I sear the whole flank steak for a few minutes on the first side without touching it, turn the heat down, move it around the pan for a minute to brown up the gray spots, flip it, and cook for a couple more minutes.

Then I rest it with a squeeze of lime juice and slice it thin against the grain right before serving. The peppers and onions go in the same pan over high heat for just a few minutes so they get a little char but stay crisp. I use red and yellow bell peppers with poblano peppers instead of green bell peppers because the flavor is so much better in my opinion. I heat up tortillas, put out homemade guacamole and fresh salsa, that’s fajita night at our house!

Ingredients and Substitutions

My recipe is built around a citrus-spice marinade and high-heat searing. These are all the ingredients I use to make this easy steak fajitas recipe:

• Flank Steak – This is the traditional cut for fajitas. It comes from the abdominal area of the cow and has am intense beefy flavor. Skirt steak works as a substitute and is actually the original fajita cut. I look for a deep red color with no holes or discoloration and a little intramuscular fat.
• Mexican Spice Blend – I use my own Mexican spice blend made with salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic granules, onion granules, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Any good fajita seasoning will work.
• Citrus – The zest and juice of one lime and one lemon. The acid tenderizes the meat and the zest adds bright, fresh flavor to the marinade. I also squeeze fresh lime juice over the steak when it comes off the pan and again over the finished peppers.
• Oil – I use olive oil for both the marinade and the cooking. Avocado oil works just as well and has a higher smoke point if you prefer it.
• Bell Peppers – I use a mix of red and yellow bell peppers along with poblano peppers.
• Onion – I julienne a large yellow onion to keep the slices uniform with the peppers. White, sweet, or red onion all work.
• Flour Tortillas – The standard for fajitas. I warm them in a dry skillet or directly over a gas burner for a few seconds per side. Corn tortillas work if you prefer them.

How to Make Steak Fajitas from Scratch

Make the marinade: I whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and 4 to 5 tablespoons of my Mexican spice blend in a bowl. I taste it to make sure it is very flavorful and adjust if needed.

Marinate the steak: I transfer the marinade and the whole flank steak to a zip-top bag, mix it around until the steak is thoroughly coated, and place it in the refrigerator. I marinate for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 48 hours for maximum flavor.

Add oil: I add olive oil to a large 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear the steak: I add the steak immediately without waiting for the oil to heat up. I cook for 3 minutes without touching it.

Brown: I turn the heat down to medium and move the steak around the pan for 1 minute to brown up any gray areas.

Flip: Then I flip it and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes until it reaches medium-rare.

Rest the steak: I remove the steak from the pan and squeeze the juice of half a lime over it. I let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes so the juices redistribute.

Cook the peppers and onions: I discard the oil from the pan, return it to the cooktop over high heat, and add fresh olive oil. Once it begins to smoke lightly, I add the peppers and onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned but still crisp. I season with salt, pepper, and the juice of the remaining half lime.

Slice : I slice the steak thin on a bias and against the grain.

Serve: I serve it alongside the roasted peppers and onions, warm flour tortillas, and garnishes like sour cream, and avocado crema.

Serving Suggestions

Fajita night at our house is always a build-your-own situation. I place the sliced steak, the peppers and onions, and a stack of warm tortillas, and my fam assembles their own. My homemade refried beans go on the side along with a bowl of fresh pico de gallo. My daughter loads hers up with so much guacamole that the tortilla barely closes, and that is the right approach.

When I am cooking for a crowd, I double the steak and make it a full spread with a taco salad on the side and a pot of Cuban black beans. The whole table turns into a buffet and everyone just keeps going back. Nobody leaves the kitchen until every last piece of steak is gone.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This is best eaten right after cooking. If I need to hold the steak, I keep it warm in a pan covered in the oven at 200 degrees for up to 30 minutes before serving.

How to Store: I cover and keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The steak freezes well, covered, for up to 3 months. The peppers and onions do not freeze well, so I keep those separate. I thaw frozen steak in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: I add a small amount of oil to a large frying pan over high heat. As soon as it begins to smoke, I add the steak, peppers, and onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until hot. Reheating will push the steak past its original internal temperature, so I keep the reheat time short.

More Beef Recipes

• Reverse Sear Steak
• Cowboy Burger
• T-Bone Steak
• Carne Asada
• Braciole