Easy Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 06/22/22
Easy Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
963 Calories
38g Fat
99g Carbs
53g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 963
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 1266mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 99g 36%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 53g
Vitamin C 34mg 168%
Calcium 109mg 8%
Iron 10mg 57%
Potassium 867mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Tex-Mex classic is a delicious alternative for feeding large families in a casual and nutritious way. Warm tortillas, juicy steak, and sweet peppers and onions make this beloved dish an easy alternative for a weeknight dinner. Besides, each guest can customize their fajitas to taste by adding hot sauce, fresh herbs, pickled onions, crumbled queso fresco, avocado slices, or any other topping you can think of that suits the meat flavor profile—think pico de gallo, jalapeños, grilled mushrooms, or a touch of sour cream. Get ahead of the "dinner game" by making the marinade in midafternoon, leaving the steak to soak up the flavors until dinnertime—a minimum of 2 hours and maximum of 4 hours of time is recommended.

Use rump, flank, or the favorite, skirt steak, to make these fajitas. In fact, the word fajita in Spanish means “little strips” and comes from the word “faja”—“belt,” “strip,” or “girdle,” referring to the strips of meat, usually skirt, originally used for this dish. This recipe works just as well with chicken, pork, turkey, tofu, tempeh, or just vegetables if you want to keep it meat free. For a gluten-free alternative, use corn, cassava, almond, or chickpea flour tortillas.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds skirt steak

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, ground

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 assorted colored bell peppers, thinly sliced

  • 1 large sweet onion, or red onion; thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For Serving:

  • 12 (7- to 8-inch) flour tortillas, or corn tortillas, warmed

Steps to Make It

Marinate the Meat

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Trim the skirt steak and cut it into large pieces that will fit on a grill or in a ridged grill pan.

    Trim the skirt steak and cut it into large pieces


    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. In a small dish, mash the minced garlic with 1 teaspoon of salt to create a paste.

    Mash the minced garlic with salt

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. In a large, heavy-duty freezer bag, combine the garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil. Seal and shake to combine.

    Garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil in a plastic bag

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Place the skirt steak, bell peppers, onion, and chopped cilantro in the bag. Squeeze out the air, and turn to coat the meat, distributing vegetables evenly.

    Place the skirt steak, bell peppers, onion, and chopped cilantro into the bag with the marinade

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or a maximum of 4, allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat.

    Leave meat and vegetables to marinade in the bag

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Cook the Vegetables and Grill the Steak

  1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Remove the skirt steak from the marinade and place it on a platter, shaking off the liquid and reserving the marinade with the vegetables.

    Marinaded vegetables in a bowl and meat on a plate

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat to the smoking point. Drain the vegetables and cilantro, and sauté them until slightly charred and softened but not mushy. Set aside.

    Peppers cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Grill the skirt steak over high heat until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side.

    Grill the skirt steak over high heat until medium-rare

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Assemble and Serve

  1. Slice meat into strips against the grain.

    Slice meat into strips against the grain

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Serve immediately with warm tortillas, seared vegetables, and any other toppings of your choice.

    Easy Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas on a plate

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

How to Serve Fajitas

  • When serving fajitas, diners traditionally place strips of meat with grilled vegetables, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream into the tortilla and fold it up taco or burrito-style. When serving, you can assemble in the kitchen or place all items on the table separately so each person can build their own to taste.


Can I make the fajitas on the stove?

If you do not have a gas or charcoal grill, you may use a cast-iron or heavy grill pan on the stovetop. After cooking your vegetables, keep the skillet very hot, add the meat, and sear it 2 to 3 minutes per side, until medium-rare.

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