Sizzling Steak Fajitas Recipe
Fun fact about fajitas: while chicken ones are quite common and there are numerous variants made with everything from cauliflower to venison, a true fajita should really be made with steak, which is exactly what we're doing here. The name itself comes from the Spanish word for skirt steak, and the dish was said to have been created by ranch workers who received this then-cheap meat in payment for their services (via What's Cooking America). While recipe developer Catherine Brookes uses rump steak in her fajitas, she says, "You could absolutely use sirloin, filet or whatever you prefer." This, of course, includes skirt steak, even if it's no longer quite so affordable as it was in days of yore.
Brookes describes these steak fajitas as "the perfect weeknight meal," explaining that they are "quick to make with simple ingredients and can easily be customized with your favorite toppings." Among her suggestions are salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges, while you may also like pico de gallo, cotija cheese, or chopped avocados. You could even give your fajitas a fusion spin with some kimchi, gochujang, or sriracha.
Assemble the ingredients for the steak fajitas
For the actual fajitas themselves, you'll be using steak, while an onion and two types of bell pepper (yellow and red) are used as the accompanying vegetables. For cooking, you'll need some olive oil, while the seasoning mix is a combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. To serve your fajitas in the typical manner, you're also going to need some flour tortillas.
Prepare the steak and vegetables
Peel the onion, then slice it. Now wash your hands and wipe your teary eyes, then slice the bell peppers up into strips as well (not forgetting to remove the core, the seeds, and the produce sticker). Once you're done with the vegetables, turn to the steak and chop that up into strips, too.
Fry the steak and vegetables
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, then fry the steak for about 5 minutes until it browns. Remove it from the pan and pour in the rest of the oil, then turn the heat down to medium and fry the peppers and onions for about 10 minutes until they soften up. Stir the vegetables as they cook so they don't scorch or stick to the pan.
Once the vegetables are done, put the steak back in the pan along with the spices, adding as much salt and pepper as you think the fajitas need. Stir everything up and cook the mixture for a few more minutes.
Wrap the fajitas in tortillas
Wrap your fajitas in tortillas and top them however you wish. If you don't want to go the fajita wrapping route, though, you could use the meat and vegetables to top a rice bowl or even go low-carb with a bed of lettuce. Brookes also suggests you could "potentially use leftover meat in curries or stews," although leftover fajitas (minus the tortillas) can also be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for longer storage.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces steak, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry the steak strips for about 5 minutes until browned. Remove the steak from the pan.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, then lower the heat to medium and stir-fry the onion and peppers for about 10 minutes until softened.
- Return the steak to the pan along with the spices and salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir the pan contents and cook the mixture for about 3 more minutes.
- Wrap the steak and vegetables in flour tortillas and top them as desired.
| Calories per Serving | 596 |
| Total Fat | 28.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 52.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 59.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.5 g |
| Sodium | 820.5 mg |
| Protein | 26.7 g |
