The Best 30-Minute Skillet Steak Fajitas with Essential Citrus-Chili Marinade
Capture that authentic, sizzling flavor tonight with this restaurant style steak fajitas recipe perfect for busy evenings. This guide details the essential steak fajita marinade secrets to ensure your flank steak fajitas recipe is incredibly tender and juicy every time. It is a fantastic, quick weeknight steak dinner that tastes gourmet.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet Searing
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs flank steak or skirt steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 large bell peppers (any color), sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon additional olive oil (for cooking)
- Warm flour or corn tortillas, for serving
- Optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and minced garlic. This is your best steak fajita marinade.
- Add the sliced steak to the marinade, toss to coat completely. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours, to tenderize the meat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. This creates the sizzling steak dinner effect.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Add the steak to the hot skillet in a single layer (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan). Sear for 2-3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Remove the steak from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the sliced bell peppers and onion to the same skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp and slightly charred.
- Return the cooked steak to the skillet with the vegetables. Toss everything together for 1 minute to reheat the steak and combine the flavors.
- Serve immediately with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings for a fast dinner idea.
Notes
- For the best sear and authentic restaurant style fajitas, make sure your skillet is very hot before adding the steak. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- If you prefer grilling, marinate the steak as directed and grill over medium-high heat until cooked to your desired doneness, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- This citrus marinade works exceptionally well to make flank steak fajitas tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (without tortillas)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 95