Authentic Steak Fajitas have become legendary in our house, and for good reason.

You’ll want to marinate the steak overnight. Before grilling, make sure you have the classic fajita accompaniments: best-ever guacamole, pico de gallo, easy refried beans, and homemade flour tortillas. These fajitas are the real deal!

A cast iron fajita skillet of steak fajitas with limes and green onions nearby.
HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC STEAK FAJITAS
We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves to truly put these steak fajitas over the top on the delicious meter.

We’ll go over them in detail, but we feel a good steak fajita is better than the sum of its parts. Stay with us…you’ll see what we mean.

Watch us who you how to make authentic steak fajitas at home!

How to Prepare Authentic Steak Fajitas
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEAT FOR STEAK FAJITAS
Skirt steak is the traditional (and original) cut of meat that was used when steak fajitas were first developed by Mexican ranchers in South and West Texas in the early 1930s. It was an inexpensive piece of meat that is high in flavor but not tender, at all.

As fajitas made the quantum leap from obscure campfire fare in South Texas to universal appeal in the 1970s and 80s, different types of meat began to appear on restaurant menus.

Though skirt steak was still most common, other tender were used as well, ranging from ribeye, sirloin to strip. When prepared properly, we still love the original…skirt.

Two large cuts of skirt steak on a butting board next to cut limes and scallions.

MARINATING THE MEAT IS ESSENTIAL
In order to break down the connective tissue in skirt steak, it is imperative to marinade the meat in a citrus-based marinade for hours, preferably over-night.

We use fresh lime juice as the basis for our marinade. Fresh aromatics such as scallions (green onions), garlic, cilantro and coriander deepen the flavor as it marinates.

EXPERT TIP: If you can, turn the meat over at least once while marinating. Maybe once before bedtime and then again the next morning. This will help to completely re-distribute the marinade and further help to tenderize the meat.

A pair of tongs lifting a cut of skirt steak up that has been marinating in a white dish.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THE FAJITA SEASONING
Authentic steak fajitas are nicely seasoned. You can certainly purchase decent fajita seasoning from most well-stocked markets, but when you make your own, you know EXACTLY what’s going onto your steak.

For our homemade fajita seasoning, we simply mix together:

Chili powder
Smoked paprika
Beef bouillon cube, crushed
Onion and garlic powders
Cayenne pepper
Cumin
Corn starch

HOW TO CARAMELIZE ONIONS
One of the key components of our authentic steak fajitas are caramelized onions.

Start these early. Simply take two large white, or yellow onions, and slice them. Don’t worry, two may seem like a lot, but they cook down considerably.

Cook them in a large skillet with oil for about 20 to 30 minutes, until very, very soft and turning a nearly dark golden brown.

EXPERT TIP: To bring out the umami taste in these onions, add a few splashes of low-sodium soy sauce while they are cooking. Trust us on this. The taste, matched against the sweetness of the caramelized onions is off the charts delicious.

A large skillet with a wooden spoon stirring caramelized onions

When you are ready to cook the meat, we recommend firing up your gas or charcoal grill to nice and hot. Alternatively, you can cook the meat in a large (preferably cast iron skillet).

Remove the meat from the marinade and you can generously sprinkle the fajitas seasoning all over the meat before you place on the grill, ors right after its heat the grates (or pan).

You want the meat to get a nice char on the outside, but stay pink on the inside. Internal temp of 140°F is a beautifully medium cooked steak. And the smell….um…

Two cuts of marinated skirt steak cooking on a gas grill for authentic steak fajitas.

HOW TO SLICE STEAK FAJITA MEAT
This is important for creating a tender bite of fajita, every time. Cut against the grain.

You will see the strands of meat that run the length of the steak, this is called ‘the grain.’ You want to cut the meat in the opposite direction of the grain.

You will probably need to cut the skirt steak in half, before slicing against the grain.

Authentic Steak Fajitas
These Authentic Steak Fajitas are the real deal. Be sure to use skirt steak, marinate it overnight, saute the onions until nicely caramelized, and use fresh flour tortillas with homemade pico de gallo. Just amazing.

Ingredients
▢1 ½ lbs skirt steak
▢Juice 3 limes you’ll need about ½ cup
▢2 scallions diced
▢3 cloves garli minced
▢3 tbsp cilantro fresh, choped
▢2 tsp vegetable oil
▢1 tsp red pepper flakes
▢¼ tsp coriander ground, optional
▢2 large onions sliced
▢3 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
▢1 tbsp soy sauce
FAJITA SEASONING
▢1 tbsp cornstarch
▢2 tsp chili powder
▢2 tbsp salt
▢1 tsp smoked paprika
▢1 beef bouillon cube crushed
▢1/2 tsp onion powder
▢1/2 tsp garlic powder
▢1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
▢¼ tsp cumin ground
THE FIXIN’S
▢10 flour tortillas warmed
▢Refried beans warmed
▢Sour cream
▢Guacamole
▢Shredded cheddar
▢Pico de gallo
▢Salsa
Instructions
Whisk together the lime juice, scallions, garlic, cilantro, oil, red pepper flakes, coriander.
Place the meat in a large dish, flat. Pour the marinade over the steak, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, flipping 1 or 2 times.
Heat the oil (or lard) in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions.
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occassionaly
Add the soy sauce and cook for another 20 minutes, caramelizing the onions. They should turn soft and and a nice brownish color. Set aside.
Mix together all ingredients of the fajita seasoning in a medium bowl.
Prepare a medium-hot grill.
Remove the steak from the marinade and liberally sprinkle the seasoning all over the meat.
Use tongs to place the seasoned meat over direct heat. Cook until lightly charred on the outside, but still pink on the inside. Approx. 4 minutes per side. Internal temperature should be between 135°F and 145°F.
Bring in the steak and cut into 1/4 inch strips against the grain.
Place your fajita pan (or sturdy skillet) on the stove over medium high heat to heat completely. About 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the caramelized onions to the hot pan (be careful…they will sizzle!)
Then place the meat on the onions. Bring to the table and squeeze fresh lime over the fajitas.
Serve with warmed tortillas and all the fixin’s.