Restaurant Quality Steak Fajitas
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This steak fajitas recipe makes weeknight dinner taste restaurant quality, thanks to a secret ingredient and our amazing marinade. Once the meat has marinated, it just a few minutes to cook on the stovetop.
P.S. We have a delicious Baked Fajita Casserole that you will LOVE if you like fajitas and comforting casseroles.
Why These Steak Fajitas Are the BEST
- Thanks to an easy yet complex-tasting marinade, the strips of steak turn out smokey, lime-infused, with a hint of heat in the background. They are perfectly seasoned and moist.
- The onions and bell peppers (thanks to a secret ingredient) turn out a little sweet which balances out the acid from the lime juice.
- When served on warm tortillas, these steak fajitas taste like restaurant quality…especially if you squeeze some lime and add a little chopped cilantro over the top!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This recipe is truly stellar and 5+ stars! I’ve made the fresh and freezer versions multiple times now with chicken and steak. The meat and veggies cook up beautifully both ways and the flavor is phenomenal! Leftover meat and veggies are amazing heated really quickly in a skillet. A go-to recipe for me!”
– Whitney
Ingredients Needed
You are going to be SO proud of this meal when you’re done. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make our steak fajitas.
Fajita Marinade Ingredients:
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Lime zest of 2 limes
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder (sub: minced garlic)
- Red pepper flakes
Other Ingredients:
- Steak (recommended: ribeye, sirloin, culotte)
- Yellow or red onion
- Sugar (secret ingredient!)
- Fajita-size flour tortillas (GF option: corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas)
- Optional fajita toppings (see ideas below)
What Toppings for Fajitas?
One of the best parts of fajitas is the wide array of topping options. Everyone can truly customize their own fajitas using these ideas:
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro (or fresh parsley)
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Queso fresco – A soft, moist, crumbly Mexican cheese like feta.
- Cotija cheese – A harder Mexican cheese that’s similar to Parmesan.
- Shredded lettuce – A crisp variety like iceburg is best.
- Chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo
How to Make Steak Fajitas
Let’s run through a bird’s eye view of how this recipe goes down, but you can find the exact measurements in the printable recipe below.
Step 1: Make the Marinade
Slice your steak thinly. Then, add all the marinade ingredients to a gallon-sized storage bag. Use your hands to massage the bag from the bottom and combine the marinade. Add the steak to the marinade, seal, and toss until the meat is evenly coated.
Step 2: Marinate the Steak
Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours, turning and/or massaging occasionally.
Step 3: Saute the Peppers and Onions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully add the peppers and onions to the hot pan and saute until softened and charred, 5-7 minutes for fresh veggies or 7-9 minutes for frozen veggies. Season lightly with salt and pepper and the sugar (this is a key ingredient!) as they cook. Remove to a serving platter.
Step 4: Saute the Steak
Add a little more oil to the pan. Once it’s shimmery, saute the steak in two batches until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy!
Squeeze half a lime over all the meat and veggies. Top with chopped cilantro, if desired. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Serve the meat and veggies on the tortillas with lime wedges and your favorite Tex-Mex toppings.
Best Sides for Steak Fajitas
While fajitas are a “one-plate wonder”, in my opinion, it can’t hurt to have a side dish or two along with it. This is especially true if you’re serving a crowd. Here are a few favorites:
How to Freeze Fajitas as a Meal Kit
As with so many of our recipes, we’ve figured out the best way to freeze this meal. That way you can use your time wisely in the kitchen. Simply double the meal, so you can eat one fresh and freeze another for later. Here’s how to make this a meal kit to throw in the freezer.
Freeze For Later: Freeze the marinated steak bag, alongside a bag of frozen peppers and onions. You can also freeze flour tortillas (not corn or gluten-free tortillas, though), along with this meal kit.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the bag of steak marinade using one of these safe methods, but do NOT thaw the peppers and onions. Follow Steps 3-5 in the recipe.
Be sure to check out our 100+ Best Freezer Meals.
2 Tips for Restaurant Quality Fajitas
Following these two tips will make a HUGE difference in the outcome of this recipe.
Add Sugar to the Veggies
I was shocked at how much this made a difference in the flavor of this recipe. Just a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, in addition to a little salt and pepper, helped the sautéed bell peppers and onions caramelize and accentuated their natural sweetness. Delicious!
Use a Cast Iron Pan
If you have one, I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet like this one for this recipe. It maintains even heat and helps to char the meat and veggies as they quickly saute in a little oil.
FAQs
In addition to the two expert tips above, here’s some more advice to make sure your fajitas turn out perfectly.
How do I cut onions for fajitas?
To cut an onion for fajitas, slice off the top and bottom of the onion and then cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the papery skin and lay each half flat. Then, slice very thinly across the grain. Pull apart the pieces.
How do I cut peppers for fajitas?
Stand the pepper on end. Slice around the core from the top to the bottom in about 3 or 4 pieces. Lay those pieces inside up and slice into 1/4-inch slices.
What cut of steak is best for steak fajitas?
While developing this recipe, I picked the brain of Jeff, the long-time head butcher at my local Hy-Vee grocery store. He told me that for pre-sliced, marinated steak fajitas, the best beef is a tender steak that has marbling in it. He recommended rib eye, sirloin, and culotte cuts and said to absolutely ask your local butcher to slice them fajita thin for you!
Jeff mentioned that a tougher cut of meat like flank, skirt, or flat iron steak will work if you marinate it for a while and then grill or pan-sear it whole, slicing it against the grain only after it’s cooked and rested. Try using this cooking method if you decided to use one of those steaks, instead of slicing it before cooking.
More Steak Recipes to Try
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Restaurant Quality Steak Fajitas
This steak fajitas recipe makes a great go-to weeknight dinner that tastes like restaurant quality (thanks in part to a secret ingredient). They’re quick to assemble, easily customized to your taste preferences, and a meal that all ages enjoy. Save this one!
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (sub: olive oil)
- Zest of 1 lime (reserve the lime for juicing at the end)
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed in hand
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (sub: minced garlic)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Other Fajita Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (sub: olive oil)
- 1 1/2 lbs tender steak, sliced across the grain into thin strips* (recommended: ribeye, sirloin, culotte) (sub: chicken breasts)
- 2–3 bell peppers, sliced 1/4-inch thick** (your choice of colors)
- 1 large yellow or red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick**
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 10–12 fajita-size flour tortillas (GF option: corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas)
- Optional Toppings: lime wedges, chopped cilantro, salsa, guacamole or avocado chunks, sour cream (DF option: omit sour cream)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
1. Make the Marinade: Add all of the marinade ingredients to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Use your hands to massage the bag from the bottom and combine the marinade. Then, add the steak, seal, and toss until the meat is evenly coated. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
2. Marinate the Steak: Place the steak bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours, turning and/or massaging occasionally.
3. Stir Fry the Veggies: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully add the peppers and onions to the hot pan and saute until softened and charred, 5-7 minutes for fresh veggies or 7-9 minutes for frozen veggies. Season lightly with salt and pepper and the sugar (a key ingredient!) as they cook. Remove to a platter.
4. Stir Fry the Steak: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Once it’s shimmery, saute the steak in two batches until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove to the serving platter with the veggies.
5. Serve: Squeeze half a lime over all the meat and veggies. Top with chopped cilantro, if desired. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Serve the meat and veggies on the tortillas with lime wedges and your favorite Tex-Mex toppings.
Freeze For Later: Freeze the marinated steak bag, alongside frozen peppers and onions. Two options for the frozen peppers and onions: 1) Buy a 20-22 ounce bag of frozen sliced peppers and onions, or 2) line up the fresh onion and pepper slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Place in the freezer until solid and then toss the frozen veggies in a freezer bag. You can also freeze flour tortillas (not corn or gluten-free tortillas, though), along with this meal kit.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the bag of steak marinade using one of these safe methods, but do NOT thaw the peppers and onions. Follow Steps 3-5 in the recipe.
Notes/Tips
*Don’t hesitate to ask your butcher to slice the meat for the fajitas to save you time!
**Shortcut: Replace with 20-22 ounces of frozen pepper and onion blend from the freezer section.
What’s the Heat Level of This Recipe? Overall this recipe isn’t very spicy at all, so all ages can enjoy these. If you’d like more heat, simply add in more red pepper flakes to the marinade.
Where We Get Our Meat: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. The steak is grass-fed and grass-finished. Read about how this service works and our honest review here.
Freezing Steak: Read here about how long steak lasts in the freezer and tips freezing and thawing the right way.
Photos and videos by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
This was so easy to prep ahead during nap time to then eat later on. So glad we gave this one a try!
Yay! We love this one and it’s easy to make a few at a time and freeze as well. Thanks for leaving a review Tricia!
Wow these are amazing. And SO easy! Can’t wait to make them again.
One of my personal favorites as well right now!