Description
While I’ll never turn down sizzling skillet or sheet pan fajitas, the secret to the best summertime fajitas dinner is, hands down, the grill. Grilling steak right alongside fajita veggies creates irresistible smoky, caramelized, charred flavor. This Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas recipe is my go-to. (As a bonus, it’s simple, quick, & there are hardly any dishes to wash at the end of the night! 🙌🏼)
The skirt steak quickly soaks up a zesty fajitas marinade made with a simple-yet-flavorful line-up of freshly squeezed citrus juice & fragrant spices. Feel free to prep this at dinnertime or let it soak for up to 2 days in the fridge. It’ll be flavorful no matter what!
If you don’t have a grill basket, no worries, because grilling the veggies directly on the grill grates is ideal – doing so creates amazing char. To ensure the fajitas veggies don’t fall through the grill grates as they cook, it’s crucial to prep them properly! Slice bell peppers into large, flat planks, & cut the onions into wedges with the root end in tact.
Aside from its ease & its flavor, the beauty of this recipe is its versatility. You can stuff the grilled steak fajitas into tortillas, burritos, or serve them in a rice bowl with beans & all of your other favorite fajita night fixings. Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for some inspiration to get you started.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds skirt steak (see Recipe Notes, below)
- 2 large bell peppers, sliced from stem into 3–4 flat planks
- 1 large red onion, peeled & sliced into 1/16ths with root end in tact
- 1 large, juicy orange, juiced (approx. 1/3 cup juice)
- 2 large, juicy limes, juiced (approx. 1/4 cup juice)
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or high smoke point oil of choice, divided
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: corn tortillas, smashed avocado or guacamole, queso fresco or cheese of choice, salsa of choice, freshly chopped cilantro, lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Marinate the skirt steak: To a large bowl, shallow baking dish, or zip-top bag, combine the orange juice, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil, agave nectar, ancho chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, & dried oregano. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Whisk to combine well. Place the skirt steak in the marinade, tossing to coat the steak well. Set aside as you preheat the grill or seal/cover & marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Grill prep: Preheat the grill for high direct heat grilling, 550-600 degrees F. Once preheated, clean the cooking surface by firmly brushing a wire brush over the grates. This is a great time to prep the fajitas veggies for grilling as well – place the bell peppers & onions in a mixing bowl or on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Toss to coat. Set aside for grilling.
- Grill the skirt steak & fajitas vegetables: Place the marinated skirt steak on the grill grates, draining & discarding any excess marinade. Arrange the vegetables around the skirt steak. Close the grill lid. Grill the steak 2-4 minutes per side for preferred doneness – about 3 minutes per side yields a nice medium-rare. Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. Transfer the grilled skirt steak & fajitas veggies to a plate or small baking sheet. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before carving.
- Serving: Once cool enough to handle, slice the grilled skirt steak & fajitas veggies into strips. When slicing skirt steak, it’s very important to slice against the grain. Cut the steak into 4-inch sections, rotate each section 90 degrees, then slice at a 45 degree angle against the grain. (Refer to blog post, above, for more guidance.) Serve immediately as desired. We love serving these grilled skirt steak fajitas in tortillas with a little smashed avocado & salsa of choice. It’s also great stuffed in a burrito, served on a burrito bowl with rice & beans, or served in lettuce cups alongside rice & beans. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Skirt steak: Skirt steak is a thin, narrow cut that comes from the cattle’s underside or belly, an area also known as its “plate.” While it’s a tougher cut with lots of connective tissue, it’s insanely flavorful & grills beautifully – perfect for grilled steak fajitas! (Fun fact! It’s said that fajitas or tacos al carbon were originally made with skirt steak. 🤓)
- Sourcing Tips: Ever since learning about the amazing quality of New Zealand grass-fed beef, it’s what I look for at the grocery store. New Zealand’s temperate climate makes it one of the best places in the world for pasture-raised farming, which results in beef that is richer in flavor & leaner in texture than most domestically raised beef. It’s absolutely worth looking out for! Learn more & find New Zealand grass-fed beef at a store near you! If you cannot find skirt steak at your grocery store, sirloin flap steak & hangar steak are the best substitutes, while flank steak also works well.
- Ancho chili powder: Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers with nice mild-medium heat & great flavor. Ancho chili (chile) powder is just that – a powder of finely ground ancho chile peppers. I love Simply Organic Ancho Chili Powder, which is certified organic & has wonderful flavor – I keep it stocked in my spice rack at all times, as it’s great for adding extra flavor & mild heat to Mexican-inspired dishes. If you do not have ancho chile powder on hand, you can substitute with “chili powder” for this particular recipe. Standard “chili powder” here in the U.S. is most often a blend of ground chiles & spices like oregano, cumin, & garlic – so it’s not a perfect substitute for pure chile powders all the time, but all of these flavors work well in this grilled steak fajitas recipe.
- Skirt steak: Skirt steak is a thin, narrow cut that comes from the cattle’s underside or belly, an area also known as its “plate.” While it’s a tougher cut with lots of connective tissue, it’s insanely flavorful & grills beautifully – perfect for grilled steak fajitas! (Fun fact! It’s said that fajitas or tacos al carbon were originally made with skirt steak. 🤓)
- Storage & Reheating: Store leftover grilled steak fajitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, then serve as desired.
- 10-15 Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this grilled steak fajitas recipe comes from prepping the steak & fajita veggies. Prep them in advance to cut down on active prep required at dinnertime – it takes 10-15 minutes, tops:
- Chop the fajitas veggies according to the Ingredients List, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (<5 minutes active prep)
- Prepare the steak fajitas marinade according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Up to 2 days before you’d like to make steak fajitas for dinner, all you have to do is toss the skirt steak into the marinade – easy! Marinate for at least 10-15 minutes at room temperature while the grill preheats or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up 2 days. (10 minutes active prep)