Steak Fajitas

Skirt steak marinated in lime, garlic, cumin and chili powder, seared hot, sliced thin and served sizzling with charred peppers and onions and warm flour tortillas. Serves 4 to 6.

Sizzling skillet of sliced skirt steak fajitas with peppers and onions, tortillas, guacamole and pico de gallo
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 20 min
  • Marinate 2 hr
  • Total 2 hr 40 min
  • Yield 4 to 6 servings

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe

Fajitas began on Texas ranches, where vaqueros grilled the skirt steak, a cut they were often given as part of their pay, over open fires. Restaurants made them famous by serving them on a sizzling cast-iron platter.

A short marinade of lime juice, garlic and spices flavors the steak. Cook it over very high heat, slice it thin across the grain, and wrap it in warm flour tortillas with peppers, onions and your favorite toppings.

Ingredients

Steak and marinade

  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for the vegetables
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Vegetables and serving

  • 2 bell peppers, different colors, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 8 to 12 flour tortillas, warmed
  • Guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and shredded cheese

Instructions

  1. Marinate. Whisk the lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Coat the steak and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
  2. Heat the pan or grill. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking, or heat a grill to high.
  3. Cook the steak. Lift the steak from the marinade and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until well charred and 130°F for medium-rare. Rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Cook the vegetables. Toss the peppers and onion with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt and cook in the hot skillet for 6 to 8 minutes, until charred at the edges and crisp-tender.
  5. Slice and serve. Slice the steak thinly across the grain. Serve with the peppers and onions, warm tortillas and toppings.

Tips

  • Skirt steak has a strong grain; slice it across, not with, the grain or it will be chewy.
  • Do not marinate longer than 4 hours; the lime juice starts to soften the meat.

Questions about this recipe

What cut is best for fajitas?
Skirt steak is traditional; flank steak works too.
How do I warm flour tortillas?
Heat them one at a time in a dry skillet for 20 seconds per side, or wrap a stack in foil and warm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

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