This simple Steak Fajita recipe is quick, easy, and oh so flavorful. Our version of this Tex-Mex favorite uses a fresh and tangy beef fajita marinade with a spicy kick. Best of all, once marinated, you can have the most amazingly tender, juicy, and delicious Steak Fajitas on the table in just 30 minutes!
The majority of time spent making fajitas is just waiting while the steak hangs out in this citrusy, spicy marinade. It is ideal to marinade your steak overnight, but in a pinch you can for as little as 4 hours.
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Easy Steak Fajitas
These Steak Fajitas are always a winner, whether it’s a casual weeknight or a weekend get-together with friends. We keep ours classic, searing the beef on a hot iron skillet along with bell peppers and onions. The secret is our easy Steak Fajita marinade that adds flavor and keep the meat super tender and juicy.
We love to serve Steak Fajitas family-style, with the steak and veggies on one plate, warmed tortillas on another, and toppings in separate bowls. The presentation is bright, colorful, and super fun. This way, everyone can pick and choose the toppings they love most.
This is also the perfect “everyone needs to be in different places at the same time” meal that can be eaten on the fly. Just pre-fill the tortillas for each person, and voila - you’ve got a healthy, satisfying meal on the go.
Steak Fajitas Marinade Recipe
Steak Fajita Marinade
- Orange Juice - fresh squeezed or from the bottle
- Lime Juice - fresh squeezed is best
- Avocado Oil - or sub any cooking oil
- Garlic - fresh minced
- Cumin
- Onion Powder
- Jalapeno - chopped
- Cilantro - fresh chopped
Steak Fajitas
- Steak - you can use skirt steak, tri tip steak, sirloin steak, or your favorite cut
- Avocado Oil - you will need some for searing the steak and some for the veggies.
- Garlic Salt - you can also substitute half salt and half garlic powder.
- Peppers: I like to use a combination of red, yellow, orange, and green peppers so that there are lots of colors in my fajitas.
- Red Onion - this can be sliced.
- Flour Tortillas - flour tortillas are the traditional way to eat fajitas, but you could substitute corn tortillas if needed.
Toppings Ideas
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese (Fiesta blend, or your favorite type)
- Shredded Lettuce
- Easy Homemade Salsa (or store-bought)
- Guacamole
- Sauteed Veggies
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Fresh Pico
How To Cook Steak Fajitas
- Remove your steak from the fridge and pull out of the ziplock bag.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and add your cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add about half of the steak, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You'll probably need to cook the meat in 2 batches. Season with garlic salt on both sides while cooking.
- Saute the steak on each side for about 3 minutes, or until the desired doneness is reached. You can use a meat thermometer to determine the doneness of the meat (medium is an internal temperature of about 130-135 degrees).
- Once cooked, remove the steak from the pan and let rest in a dish or on a cutting board tented with aluminum foil for 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining meat.
- While the meat is resting, add a couple more tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add the sliced bell peppers and onion. Season with garlic salt and let them sear for 1 minute before stirring, then stir every 90 seconds or so as the vegetables sear. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until slightly tender.
- Cut the steak into thin strips against the grain of the meat. Serve in a warm tortilla with the sautéed veggies and your favorite fajita toppings. Enjoy!
Simple Steak Fajita Recipe Tips and Tricks
- A cast iron skillet works best because of the way they conduct and hold heat, so if you have one, use it. If not, a regular skillet will work, or you can also grill your steak.
- If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use corn tortillas!
- Make sure your fajita meat cut is against the grain! Cut your steak perpendicular to the grain of the meat. It helps to break up some of the tissue in the meat, making it even more tender.
- These taste great reheated, so make a little extra and serve throughout the week over rice, in a salad, or even with eggs for breakfast.
- Ziplock bags work great for marinating meat. Just add in your meat and marinade, and squeeze out any excess air. Pop it in the fridge and let it do its thing!
Frequently Asked Questions
The most traditional cuts of steak for fajitas are skirt steak (very tender) and flank steak fajitas (slightly leaner, and best cooked to more of a medium-rare). But there really isn’t a bad steak option for fajitas.
Some of the more budget-friendly yet still can be the best steak for fajitas:
- Sirloin fajitas - more inexpensive and still nice and tender when thinly sliced.
- Tri-tip steak fajitas - cut from the bottom sirloin, tri-tip is full of flavor and stays juicy.
- Round steak fajitas - inexpensive and lean; it’s best to marinate this slightly longer.
If you're wondering how much fajita meat per person, here's a little guideline I like to keep in mind. Keep in mind that this is measured in raw meat.
-¼ lb per person if you're feeding kids or light eaters
-⅓ lb per person if you're feeding average adults
Bell peppers and onions are the traditional veggies in fajitas, but you can use up whatever you have around. Try sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or if you like things spicy, slice a few extra jalapeños from your marinade and toss them in the skillet.
Warming tortillas is simple! Just before serving, place tortillas on a paper towel in the microwave and cook on high for about 20 seconds. You can also warm them individually over your stovetop burner for 5-10 seconds per side, depending on how cooked you like them.
Wrap them loosely in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
What to serve with Beef Fajitas
- Lime Rice
- Homemade Spanish Rice
- Fiesta Corn Dip Appetizer
- Homemade Fresh Salsa
- Homemade Chipotle Copycat Black Beans
- White Pepperjack Queso Dip
- Homemade Refried Beans Recipe
- Homemade Guacamole Recipe
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover Steak Fajitas in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat on the Stovetop - heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, then toss in the steak and veggies that you want to reheat. If you have any leftover (and unused) marinade, add a couple tablespoons of that, too. Heat, tossing occasionally, until warmed through.
- To reheat in the Microwave - transfer your steak and veggies to a microwave safe container and reheat on high for about 30 seconds at a time until heated through.
Simple Steak Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs Steak skirt steak, tri tip steak, sirloin steak or your favorite cut
Steak Fajita Marinade
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 1 large Lime juiced
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil or any cooking oil
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ large Jalapeno chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
Steak Fajitas
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil for steak
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt for steak
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado OIl for vegetables
- ½ large Red Bell Pepper sliced
- ½ large Yellow Bell Pepper sliced
- ½ large Orange Bell Pepper sliced
- ½ large Green Bell Pepper sliced
- ½ large Red Onion sliced
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt for vegetables
Toppings
- Flour Tortillas
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Lettuce shredded
- Salsa
- Guacamole
Instructions
How to Make Marinade for Steak Fajitas
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, lime juice, cooking oil, minced garlic, cumin, onion powder, chopped jalapeno and chopped cilantro and mix well.
- In a large ziplock bag, add the steak and pour in the marinade. Zip the bag and put in the fridge for 4-24 hours. It's best to marinate overnight, but as little as 4 hours will work.
Cooking Fajitas
- Remove your steak from the fridge and pull out of the ziplock bag.
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add your cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add about half of the steak, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You'll probably need to cook the meat in 2 batches. Season with garlic salt on both sides while cooking.
- Saute the steak on each side for about 3 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached. You can use a meat thermometer to determine the doneness of the meat.
- Once cooked, remove the steak from the pan and let rest in a dish tented with aluminum foil for 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining meat.
- While the meat is resting, add a couple more tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add the sliced onions and bell peppers. Season with garlic salt and let them sear for 1 minute before stirring, then stir every 90 seconds or so as the vegetables sear. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until slightly tender.
To Serve
- Cut the steak into thin slices against the grain of the meat. Serve in a warm tortilla with the sautéed veggies and your favorite fajita toppings. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Beef Entrees We Love
- Easy and Authentic Carne Asada
- Chipotle Carne Asada
- Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Asian Beef Kabobs
- Chili Lime Steak Bites
- Pan Seared Steak
- Homemade Beef Stew
- Beef Tacos
- more Beef Recipes
- More Dinner Recipes
These quick and easy Steak Fajitas are always a winner, whether it’s a casual weeknight or a weekend get-together with friends. Our recipe for this Tex-Mex classic uses a fresh and tangy marinade to make the most amazingly tender, juicy and delicious Steak Fajitas in no time!
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