These Easy Steak Fajitas are juicy, tender, flavorful and way better than the ones at your favorite Mexican restaurant! Served with a healthy dose of peppers and onions, these fajitas are gluten free, low carb and paleo.
Let’s talk about how steak fajitas are the one dish that John and I always agree on 100 percent of the time.
What should we eat for dinner? Steak fajitas? YES. We have a flank steak in the fridge. Wanna make fajitas? YES. Steak fajita salad. Steak fajita tacos. Steak fajita rice bowls. Steak fajitas with an egg on top. We like it all!
That’s pretty much our weekly conversation verbatim. We’re clearly fanatics.
How to make steak fajitas
The secret to getting the meat irresistibly flavorful and juicy is marinating the steak for at least 2 hours up to 8 hours. This helps tenderize the meat and infuse all the good flavors that are in the actual marinade. I know the marinating process requires planning, but the end result is so worth it.
Once finished, remove the meat from the marinade and place on a surface covered with paper towels. Pat the steak until completely dry and generously season with coarse sea salt and crushed black pepper.
Using coarse sea salt is very important. It helps to further tenderize and break down the fibers of the meat, making the steak super juicy and melt in your mouth delicious. So don’t be afraid of salting the steak – it helps bring out all the great flavors!
To cook the flank steak, heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add in a bit of oil and cook each side of the steak for about 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick it is.
John is a master at using the finger test to check for doneness, whereas I prefer to use a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting one. They’re inexpensive and take all the guesswork out of knowing whether something has reached a certain temperature or not.
This is the meat thermometer that I have {affiliate link} and I use it all the time. It’s oven safe, which means if you’re making a roast or something that is cooked in the oven, you can just stick the thermometer in at the beginning, close the oven door, set the final temperature you want the protein to cook to and it will beep when it reaches that temperature. It’s seriously my favorite kitchen gadget ever!
The next step is cooking the peppers and onions. I like the natural sweetness and flavors of peppers and onions as they are, so I sauteed them in the same skillet as the meat with a bit of olive oil and a generous pinch or two of sea salt until softened.
If you’re looking to add a little more flavor to them, you could reserve a tablespoon or two of the marinade before you use it for the meat, and add it to the skillet when you’re ready to cook the veggies.
All that’s left to do is eat up the goods and enjoy!
I served up my steak fajitas on some warm homemade flour tortillas with guacamole, sour cream, cilantro and some fresh lime juice. So good!
These Easy Steak Fajitas are juicy, tender, flavorful and way better than the ones at your favorite Mexican restaurant! Served with a healthy dose of peppers and onions, these fajitas are gluten free and low carb.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 pounds flank steak (or skirt steak)
- coarse sea salt and black pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 2 medium white onions, sliced
- 1 large large poblano pepper, sliced into strips
- 3 large bell peppers, sliced into strips
- 1 pinch salt
- guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, lettuce cups
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In a large resealable plastic bag (or a large mixing bowl) add all the ingredients except the coarse sea salt and black pepper and toss to combine.
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Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours up to 8 hours.
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Remove the meat from the marinade, transfer to a clean large surface or cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season both sides of the steak with coarse sea salt and black pepper.
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the steak to the skillet and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick the steak is and how "done" you want it to be. I recommend using a meat thermometer for this step if you have one.
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Remove the steak from the skillet, transfer to a cutting board to let it rest and lightly cover with aluminum foil.
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While the meat is resting, add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the skillet. Add the onions, peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the veggies are soft.
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Uncover the steak and slice it against the grain and at an angle into thin slices. Serve along with the fajita veggies in tortillas, on a salad or in lettuce cups and enjoy!
Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
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