The Best Steak Fajita Recipe

Steak fajitas are the ideal dinner to make this week. Made with the perfect steak fajita marinade, whip this up the night before for a quick dinner the next day.

Overhead photo of Steak Fajitas in a cast iron skillet. - 4

This steak fajita recipe is a huge hit with my whole family. It starts with my fajita seasoning that we turn into a delicious marinade. By marinating the meat the night before with the vegetables, we ensure that the meat is tender and the vegetables are packed with flavor.

My favorite part about this recipe is that once the marinade is done and the vegetables are cut, there is so little time to this recipe. That means that you can do most of the heavy lifting the night before and have a quick meal ready right after you get home from work.

EXCELLENT!!! Really incredible flavor, so tender as well. Most definitely will be making this again and again.

Photo of a bag of vegetables with a hand pouring marinade into bag for Steak Fajitas recipe. - 5

How to Make Steak Fajitas

This is a brief overview of how easy this fajita recipe is to make. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Make the steak fajita marinade. Combine the olive oil, lime juice, and seasonings in a measuring cup and mix until well combined.
Add the marinade to the meat and vegetables. In a reusable container or a plastic bag that seals well, combine the meat and vegetables. Then pour the marinade over it.
Marinate the mixture. Marinate the meat for at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Read more about marinating meat below.
Cook the meat and the vegetables. In preheated cast iron skillet with oil, cook the meat until it is 135 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately five minutes on each side. Remove the meat to let it rest, and then cook the vegetables in the same skillet in batches.
Slice the meat and make the fajitas. Be sure to slice the meat thin and against the grain. Combine the meat slices with the cooked vegetables in tortillas for serving.

Overhead photo of vegetables and marinade in a bag for Steak Fajitas recipe. - 6

Steak Fajita Marinade

These steak fajitas get their amazing flavor from the marinade. It is based on my fajita seasoning . You could make a big batch of that and replace the chili powder, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder with two tablespoons of fajita seasoning.

Olive Oil: I like to use olive oil for marinades because of its delicate and delicious flavor. When you cook the meat, we will use vegetable oil to tolerate the heat.
Lime Juice: Every good marinade needs an acid in it. This helps break down the meat a little so that the flavor of the marinade can get into the steak.
Chili Powder: This is made from ground chili peppers. Although, it actually brings very little heat to the recipe and primarily brings a great flavor.
Salt: I like to use kosher salt in my marinades, but if you only have table salt, you should cut the amount in half.
Paprika: I typically keep regular paprika on hand, but I have so many readers who swear by smoked paprika. Both will work well in this recipe.
Oregano: This might not be the first spice you think of when you think of fajitas, but I love the flavor it brings to the party.
Garlic Powder: This is a must in this recipe. I like using the powder in this because we don’t risk burning the garlic in the high heat when we cook the meat.
Onion Powder: Though we are serving our fajitas with red onions, the onion powder is perfect for the flavor profile here.

Overhead photo of steak being cut for Steak Fajitas recipe. - 7

Marinating Flank Steak

As mentioned above, we marinate the steak with the vegetables for between 6 and 24 hours. Marinating for between 6 hours and 24 hours will add flavor and tenderize the meat. It is key to this recipe. Contrary to popular belief, there really is no meat that should be marinated for more than 24 hours. When meat is marinated too long, it starts to break down the fibers in the meat and you end up with mushy meat.

Overhead photo of Steak Fajitas served in tortilla shells. - 8

Leftovers

Leftover beef fajitas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. I recommend warming the leftovers over really low heat, covered, on the stovetop.

Alliteratively, keep the leftovers cold, chop them into bite sized pieces and add them to a bed of lettuce. Top them with salsa and sour cream for a delicious fajita salad.

Overhead photo of Steak Fajitas served in tortilla shells. - 9

What to Serve with Steak Fajitas

If you want to round out your dinner table, here are a few recipes that would go great with these.

Guacamole: My homemade guac is amazing on these delicious fajitas.
Salsa or Pico de Gallo: Both come together in just minutes are perfect with fajitas or tortilla chips.
Crock Pot Pinto Beans: Made with simple and easy-to-find ingredients, this is a fantastic side dish (or filling for burritos!).
Spanish Rice: Similar to what you would get from restaurants in the U.S., this rice dish comes together fast and is delicious.
Cilantro Lime Rice: So easy to make and the perfect flavor.
Cucumber Avocado Salad: This is a great way to add more vegetables to your dinner and the flavors pair perfectly with these fajitas.

If you make this Steak Fajita recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know.

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Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound flank steak or skirt steak see note 1
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
1 small red onion cut into strips
corn or flour tortillas for serving

Instructions

In a measuring cup mix together the oil, lime juice, chili powder, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder to make the fajita marinade. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Add the steak and the cut up vegetables to a plastic bag. Pour the marinade from step one over the steak and vegetables and seal the bag mixing it up. Put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. We will marinate the steak whole and slice it thin after cooking it. 1 pound flank steak or skirt steak, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 small red onion
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat (see note 2). Add 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Remove the flank steak from the plastic bag (leaving the vegetables to sit longer in the marinade) and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the steak registers 135 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer .
Remove the steak from the skillet and cover with foil, letting it rest while you cook the vegetables.
Add half the vegetables to the skillet and cook for 6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Repeat with the other half of the vegetables. (Be sure to pull the vegetables out of the marinade and discard the remaining marinade.)
Slice the steak very thin and against the grain. Combine pieces of steak and slices of cooked vegetables in tortilla shells topped with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

You can get either flank steak or skirt steak to make this recipe. They come from similar parts of the cow and perform very similarly in recipes. Both cuts need to be marinated and for optimal tenderness, slice the meat thin and against the grain or muscle fibers.
The recipe is written assuming that you have one skillet to work with. I have an indoor cast iron stove top grill . Though I have made it every way under the sun, my preference is to grill my steak on that while cooking my vegetables in the cast iron skillet .

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Steak Fajitas

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