Restaurant Style Steak Fajitas w/ Marinated Peppers & Onions
Cue the smoke, these deserve a grand entrance.
I have such a hard time with end-of-season cooking. I know there is all this talk about not rushing things and living in the moment which I agree with and want to do, but I am also *so* excited for fall cooking because it is my absolute favorite.
Alas, I am forcing myself to stick with summer-ish (or at least transitional because there is no reason you can’t make these year-round) recipes a bit more until it’s officially time for fall.
For me, steak fajitas scream tex-mex-restaurant-patio-with-your-friends-and-a-pitcher-of-margs on a hot day. In fact, if we go to a TexMex restaurant and you don’t want to split fajitas (preferably the combo of beef/chicken) for two I’m immediately annoyed. IDC.
I haven’t gotten to experience this, this summer, so I decided to make fajitas and some spicy margs at home. I’m usually a flank steak over skirt steak kinda gal, but I think that’s because I wasn’t cooking the skirt steak well and after some trial and error I can confirm that this skirt steak was perfect. I know you’re going to love it!
This is such a lovely chill summer afternoon/evening playlist. I’ve been playing it a lot recently and thoroughly enjoying it!
A marg is the only answer here when it comes to a drink pairing. Made this hot honey version earlier this week and loved it!
Hot Honey Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz 100% Blue Agave Tequila
1 oz Triple Sec
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce Hot Honey
Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions:
Rub lime along the rim of the glass. Dip the rim in salt on a plate.
In a shaker with ice, mix 2 oz tequila, 1 oz triple sec, ¾ oz lime juice, and ½ oz hot honey. Shake well to combine and chill.
Strain into the prepared glass. For on the rocks, pour over ice; for straight up, serve in a martini glass.
Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy! Cheers!
Restaurant Style Steak Fajitas w/ Marinated Peppers & Onions
Ingredients
1.5 lb Skirt Steak
2 Bell Peppers (I used red and orange — choose your favorite), thinly sliced
1/2 Large Red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Flour or Corn Tortillas
Steak Marinade
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Fresh Squeezed Limes
2 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced
1 tsp salt
To Serve (Optional)
Shredded Mexican cheese
Avocado and/or guacamole
Melted Butter
Sour Cream
Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Marinate the steak:
Cut the skirt steak in half or into thirds so that the pieces will fit in your skillet when you’re ready to cook it.
In a large Ziploc bag or shallow dish, combine all marinade ingredients. Add the steak, ensuring it’s fully coated. Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours for maximum flavor.
Cook the steak:
Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the steak pieces. They should sizzle immediately when they hit the pan. (Reserve some of the marinade for the vegetables later.)
Cook the steak to medium or medium-well (until an instant-read thermometer reads 145-155°F), about 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Skirt steak is best cooked to medium to medium-well to avoid chewiness.
Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
Cook the veggies:
In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved marinade and gently scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze, incorporating all the browned bits for extra flavor.
Cook the vegetables until tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan.
Serve:
Warm the tortillas and serve with sliced steak, cooked vegetables, and your choice of toppings like cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. For extra richness, brush the tortillas with melted butter before serving.
I generally like my steaks medium rare but skirt steak is much better enjoyed medium well… trust me on this one
After the steak has rested, slice it against the grain. For skirt steak, this means first cutting it into a few shorter pieces (like the size you would want in your tortilla), as it is often quite long. Once you have smaller sections, look for the direction of the muscle fibers/lines (the grain) running through the meat. You’ll want to cut perpendicular to those lines to make sure you're slicing against the grain. This technique shortens the muscle fibers, resulting in more tender, easier-to-chew slices.
Thanks so much for being here. Love you — mean it.
Cheers,
Jessie