Beef Fajitas
Who doesn’t love fajitas?
When I think of fajitas, I think of being in my favorite Mexican restaurant and them bringing a sizzling pan of meat and veggies steaming to the table with a few lemon wedges to squeeze over the dish. Yummmmm......so of course, I’ve had to figure out how to make these at home. I do them a little differently, but it comes together really quickly and the result is out of this world! And, it’s a pretty budget-friendly dish as well. We have beef fajitas about every week or two. There’s usually enough left over for us both to have lunch the next day as well.
I absolutely love how versatile fajitas are to any eating style you may be following! If you have no dietary restrictions, you can have these with flour or corn tortillas. I love almond flour shells with them too! If you’re doing keto or paleo, try Siete almond flour shells. I order directly from Siete. The shells are shipped in an insulated cool pack. They are a family-owned company with a pretty cool health story of their own so check them out.
One of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy fajitas is to have a fajita bowl. Everything is better in a bowl, right?! 😊 It’s just like you’re building a taco or fajita on a shell, but you build it in a bowl and leave off the shell. Each person can build their own to suit their likes and dietary needs.
I always have rice cooked and ready to round out my macros at a meal. I like to switch it up and have brown rice, wild rice or my new obsession, black rice aka forbidden rice. If you’ve never tried it, order yourself some. Here’s a link to my favorite brown rice, wild rice and black rice. I also just open a can of black beans or pinto beans to sprinkle on top.
If you are following keto or paleo, just skip the rice and beans and pile up the peppers and onions. I found that it really kicked up the flavor a notch when I started adding a jalapeno to the mix. Sometimes I switch up the peppers just to have a different blend.
Alright, let’s get started. I like to use top sirloin steak, but you can use a fattier meat like ribeye if you prefer. When I’m just cooking for two, I either cook one large steak or two smaller ones. If the kids are coming over, I double it. I’d say the rule of thumb would be 1 steak for every 2 people.
First, make your spice blend. Please don’t be intimidated by all the ingredients. I need to be super careful about my spice blends because of hidden ingredients that either my husband or I am sensitive to. So, I’ve tweaked and adjusted my recipe to suit our taste and sensitivities. If you use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, you will have a nicely seasoned steak. If that’s still too much, just season the steak with salt. I promise this recipe will still be good.
Next, season the steaks with the spice rub blend. Reserve about a tablespoon of the spice blend for seasoning the peppers and onions. Let the steaks sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes so the spices can season the meat and the juices of the steak start flowing. If I’m doing a weekend meal prep, I’ll season the steaks and refrigerate a few days until I’m ready to cook it. Of course, if you marinate it a day or two the meat will be really flavorful. I’m not always the best planner, so most of the time, I season the meat and let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking. You can even season the meat and freeze it for later when you want to cook the meat. I’ve tried all these methods and they all work so feel free to experiment.
While your meat is marinating at room temperature, prep your garlic, onions and peppers. Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic in your food processor or garlic press. Slice your onions about ¼ to ½” thick. Slice your peppers about the same thickness as the onions.
Chop up a jalapeno pepper to go with your onion and pepper blend. Exercise a little caution when handling a jalapeno. The oil from the jalapeno can stick to your skin even after washing with soap so out of respect of some previous bad experiences, I handle the jalapeno a little differently. I wear gloves to wash and remove the seeds and then chop the jalapenos so they are in small cubes. This protects you from getting accidentally peppered from the oil and also the smaller chop distributes the heat throughout the dish. I find that sauteing the jalapenos sweetens them and takes out most of that heat so don’t be afraid to use them. They really add a lot to the dish!
Add your olive oil to the pan and allow it to heat to medium heat. Sauté garlic, onions and peppers in olive oil. Add garlic first and once it is sizzling, add the onions and jalapenos. Sauté about 2-3 minutes and then add in the bell peppers. Sprinkle on the reserved spice blend and continue to sauté until you have a nice sear and caramelization of the onions and peppers.
While you are sauteing the onions and peppers, put the steaks on a grill that has been preheated to 350 degrees. If you don’t have a grill or don’t want to go between the grill and the stove, you can sear your steak in a skillet. My husband loves to grill so he is in charge of the steaks. The trick is to cook the steak so it has a nice sear on the outside and is juicy and a little pink on the inside. Grill the steak until the internal temperature is 145 degrees. Even if you prefer your meat well done, just cook it until the internal temperature is 145 degrees.
Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes and then slice it thinly. If the peppers and onions are finished, I pull them off the burner and set to the side until the steaks are ready.
Once the steaks are sliced, add the meat to the peppers and onions and sauté until the steak is to your preferred doneness. We like it to have a little line of pink in the center but you can cook it as much or as little as you like.
We make our fajita bowls with rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo and cholula. This is a dinner that comes together quickly and is a huge hit. Enjoy!
Beef Fajitas
1-2 sirloin steaks seasoned on both sides with the spice blend (recipe follows)
1-2 medium onions
2 bell peppers (green and red, yellow or orange)
1 jalapeno pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T olive or avocado oil
6-8 flour or corn tortillas
Dry Seasoning:
1 T Chili powder
1-½ t Cumin
¼ t Red pepper flakes
¼ t Cayenne pepper
1 T Oregano
½ t dried Cilantro
1 t Onion Powder
½ t Garlic powder
Salt & Pepper
Toppings:
Rice
Black Beans
Black Olives
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese
Sour Cream
Pico de Gallo
Avocado
Directions:
Make your spice blend. (Reserve ½ to 1 Tablespoon for the peppers and onions)
Rub spice blend on steaks and let them set at room temperature for 30 minutes
Heat grill to 350 degrees
Mince garlic, cut up onions and peppers. Carefully seed and chop jalapeno (wear gloves).
Heat skillet with 1 T of olive or avocado oil. Add garlic and let brown, then add onions and jalapeno. Sauté 2 minutes then add bell peppers.
Put the meat on the grill until the inner temperature reads 145 degrees.
Sauté garlic, onions and peppers until you have a nice sear. I usually have my burner set on medium. Leave them undisturbed for a few minutes so they can caramelize and get a nice golden brown.
Chop up the toppings you prefer and have them ready to build your bowl or fajita shells.
If using flour shells, just warm in the microwave per the instructions on the package. If using corn shells, heat a small skillet with a small amount of olive oil and cook 5-10 seconds on each side. The trick here is to get the skillet nice and hot before you put in the shell so it cooks quickly.
Build your fajita or bowl to suit your taste and add the toppings you like.
Enjoy!