Marinated Skirt Steak Fajitas
Submitted by mets31
Marinated skirt steak fajitas: juicy, charred Tex-Mex beef marinated in lime, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro, then grilled hot and sliced across the grain. Authentic, fast, and built for weeknights.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minSkirt steak is the right cut for fajitas, full stop. It has an intensely beefy flavor, loose marbling that stays tender when cooked hot and fast, and a naturally grainy texture that grabs marinade better than most cuts. This recipe treats it right.
The marinade is a food-processor blitz: lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro pureed into a green sauce that coats the steak for 30 minutes. Longer isn’t better. The acid in the lime juice starts to cure the meat past that point, turning it grey and mealy at the edges.
Grill hot and fast, 2 to 3 minutes per side, pull off, rest 5 to 8 minutes, then slice thin across the grain. Cutting across the grain is non-negotiable for skirt; slicing with the grain makes it tough as leather.
Serve with warm flour tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and grilled onions and peppers if you want to go full Tex-Mex.
Chef Tips
- Trim any silver skin from the steak before marinating; it won’t soften during cooking.
- Dry the steak with paper towels after marinating but before grilling. Wet meat steams, doesn’t sear.
- Charcoal is better than gas here. The smoke is what makes fajitas taste like restaurant fajitas.
- Warm tortillas on the grill for the last 30 seconds of the steak’s cook.
Variations
- Use flank steak if skirt isn’t available; treat the same way.
- Add a tablespoon of Mexican oregano to the marinade for traditional flavor.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and flaky sea salt for extra punch.
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor or blender combine the lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and cilantro leaves and process until pureed.
Alternatively, combine the lime juice and oil in a bowl.
Finely chop together the garlic, cumin, jalapeno and cilantro and whisk into the juice and oil mixture.
Pour the mixture over the steak and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat charcoal grill or stovetop grill pan.
Season the steak with salt and pepper.
Grill the steak for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked to desired degree of doneness.
Transfer the steak to a cutting surface and allow to stand for 5 to 8 minutes.
Cut steak across the grain into thin slices or chop into ½-inch pieces.
Serve immediately with warm tortillas and accompaniments.
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