Steak Fajitas on a Plancha: How Mexicans Do It

How I encountered steak fajitas was undoubtedly a love-at-first-sight scenario.

It was at a Mexican restaurant. 

When the fajitas were delivered to our table on a sizzling platter, the dish’s captivating visuals and aroma immediately caught my attention.

Since that moment, I’ve experimented with various steak fajita recipes to recreate the authentic flavors I tasted at the restaurant. 

In this post, I’m excited to share the most successful steak fajitas recipe I’ve perfected!

🧑‍🍳 Core Components of Steak Fajitas

Here’s a brief overview of what steak fajitas are composed of: 

Steak: Of course, the main character of this dish is none other than steak. I love using outside skirt steak, but you may use other cuts, such as flank and flat iron steak.

Vegetables: One of the highlights of fajitas is its vibrant colors. So, you also want to choose vibrant-colored vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. To keep it simple, I usually just use a combination of different-colored bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

Steak Seasoning or Marinade: Some marinate their steak, but I prefer just using my own dry rub mix to season the meat for fajitas. There’s really no right or wrong way to do it; it all just depends on your preferences.

Tortillas: Soft and pliable flour tortillas are perfect for wrapping the flavorful steak and veggies of fajitas. 

💯 How to Failproof Your Steak Fajitas

Let me share some tips that’ll make it pretty much impossible to fail in cooking this Mexican steak fajitas goodness! 

Don’t Overfill the Tortillas: When loading your warm tortillas with fajitas, do one or two test wraps first to gauge just how much filling is perfect for each tortilla.

Cook on High Heat: Steak releases a lot of moisture when it’s cooking. So, to achieve a good sear, use high heat to quickly evaporate the moisture.

Avoid Overcooking the Steak: Steak fajitas taste best when the steak is rare or medium-rare. 

Always Slice Against the Grain: If you’re slicing the steak yourself, make sure to slice against the grain. This shortens the meat’s muscle fibers, making the meat flavorful and easier to chew.

Create a DIY Fajitas Station: This one’s more of a presentation tip. Instead of pre-assembling fajitas, consider setting up a fajitas station with tortillas, steak fillings, and garnishes so everyone can build their own customized fajitas.

Authentic Mexican Steak Fajitas on a Griddle

Yield: 4 to 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Fire up your griddle! These Mexican steak fajitas are sure to satisfy your meat cravings and are the perfect eye candy for the table or outdoor barbecue gathering.

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Ingredients

For the Steak:

• 2 pounds of outside skirt steak (sliced into ½-inch strips)
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (for cooking)

For the Vegetables:

• 1 red bell pepper (deseeded and sliced into thin strips)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (deseeded and sliced into thin strips)
• 1 green bell pepper (deseeded and sliced into thin strips)
• 1 medium yellow onion (sliced)
• 2-3 medium tomatoes (diced)

Optional Garnishes:

• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour cream

Instructions

1. If you haven’t done so already, pat the skirt steak dry with paper towels, then slice it into ½-inch strips. 
2. In a small ramekin, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder to create the seasoning mixture.
3. Preheat your griddle on medium-high heat.
4. When the griddle’s nice and hot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the surface and spread it around. 
5. After about a minute, spread the steak strips evenly across the griddle to sear. 
6. Let it sit for one minute. Then, once you see some browning on the steak, start moving it around to brown all sides for about 2 minutes.
7. Push the steak to one side of the griddle and add the sliced onions to the empty side. Cook the onions and the steak alike for about 2-3 minutes without mixing them (yet).
8. Once the onions are soft, combine them with the steak. Then, add the sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, and green) and diced tomatoes. 
9. Stir everything together and allow the vegetables to cook for 2-4 more minutes until they are slightly tender but still vibrant in color. Don’t overcook, as you still want the veggies to retain some crunch.
10. Turn off the heat once everything is mixed and cooked to your liking. Serve the fajitas immediately with warm tortillas and optional garnishes like sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.

Notes

Image credit to ©thestayathomechef.

Featured image credit to ©_chefjoose_.