INGREDIENTS
1 pound skirt flank, sirloin, or hanger steak sliced into ½ inch strips
3 red bell peppers medium-sized, cut into ½ inch thick strips
1 medium brown onion cut into ½ inch thick strips
Steak Fajita Seasonings/Marinade
4 tablespoon cooking oil i use canola or avocado oil (higher smoke point)
1 ½ tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed for best flavor
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
4 gluten-free if using flour tortillas, corn tortillas or hard taco shells
1 bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
½-1 cup sour cream or creme Fraiche thick yogurt for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl whisk all fajita seasoning/marinade ingredients. (Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade for the veggies.) Add steak strips and toss to coat with the marinade. In a separate, small bowl toss the cut veggies with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Alternatively, sealable plastic bags can be used here as well.
In a nonstick skillet/pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, and once heated cook the veggies until softened but still crisp. About 5 minutes.
Set aside. Wipe the skillet if needed, add more oil and cook the steak strips for 5-6 minutes. They will cook very fast as they are small and cut into strips.
Return the veggies to the pan and combine everything. Taste for seasoning, drizzle with lime juice to taste right before serving.
Warm the taco shells or tortillas one by one in a separate dry pan until they begin to char (this will happen very fast, about 30 seconds per side on medium-high heat). Wrap them in foil to keep warm until ready to use.
Serve the steak fajita in taco shells with sour cream, lime wedges, fresh sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, more cayenne and freshly cracked black pepper, avocados, shredded cheese.
NOTES
Steak – What kind of beef to choose for fajita? For healthy choices always choose lean meat. Generally of fajitas, skirt steak, flank steak, or sirloin are all great options here. For easy handling and cutting thin strips, flank steak is perfect. For larger and wider strips choose sirloin steak, however, you’ll need to trim the fat off and the cooking time will need to be adjusted (depends on the thickness of the steak).
Regardlessly, what piece of steak you’ll choose I recommend cooking it medium rare. Here’s my chart for beef cooking temperatures:I recommend having a kitchen thermometer on hand as everyone’s stovetops are different. Medium rare: 145 Fahrenheit (soft and pink center)Medium: 160 Fahrenheit (soft but with less pink or lighter pink in the center)Well Done: 170 Fahrenheit (chewy, firm, and no pink center)
Vegetables are usually served still crisp in fajitas however if you like it more on the softer side, saute for longer or cut even thinner strips (will cook faster).
I recommend making a double batch of the fajita seasoning/marinade and adding it later to the skillet with fajita veggies and steak. Or another option is to reserve half of the marinade and reheat it in a small saucepot and serve separately as a dip sauce on the side. That’s how I usually make it as I’m a genuine anything-with-extra-sauce lover. Or what I sometimes do is add a ¼ cup water to the skillet and simmer until liquid is reduced a bit. It just makes things juicier and softer.
Freezing, storing, reheating instructions – Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The marinade can be made a week in advance and stored the same way separately from anything. Once cooked, the steak fajita mix can be frozen but not recommended. The steak will not have the right texture and flavor once frozen. Raw steaks on the other side, if handled properly and fresh can be frozen for many months in advance.
