The Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (2024)

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The best steak fajitas are the ones we make at home! These healthy steak fajitas can be served with zucchini noodles for extra veggies, and have a delicious teriyaki marinade recipe that makes them taste better than a restaurant.

The Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (1)

It might be because we live in Tucson where it’s easier to grill outside than heat up the house, but we love grilling and I love the super easy prep that fajitas need. I added zoodles (zucchini noodles) to my fajitas instead of tortillas a few weeks ago, and… YUM. This recipe makes the best steak fajitas we have had!

To make the zoodles, I use my food processor or a spiralizer.

The Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (2)

This recipe for Fajita Zoodles combines my love of Zoodles with my husband’s amazing fajita recipe that we have been making for years. The marinade ingredients might surprise you, but the ingredients are SO delicious together. Trust me on this one.

Table of Contents

What kind of meat is best for fajitas?

Something with a bit of fat but not a ton–we love a cut that we get from Costco called loin flap. Other great cuts are flank steak and skirt steak.

I cut the fat off the underside of whatever steak we use. I’ve never thought it was dry or unflavored by doing this, and would much rather trim the fat before we cook it than after it’s cooked.

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Ingredients in the Best Steak Fajitas with zoodles:

  • Steak (we use loin flap, flank steak, or skirt steak from Costco), about 1 pound
  • Like I said, we use different veggies–whatever you love. But our staples are: 1-2 multi-colored bell peppers, an onion, a zucchini, and a package of mushrooms, sliced.
  • Teriyaki Coconut Aminos (you can absolutely use regular teriyaki sauce here, but I highly recommend this coconut one!)
  • pineapple chunks
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Montreal Steak Seasoning for the veggies
  • About two tablespoons olive oil for the veggies

Optional:

As I mentioned, I think this steak fajita recipe is pretty darn perfect–but if you’re wanting more…

  • onion and garlic powder
  • freshly squeezed lime juice
  • cilantro

Instructions for our Steak Fajita Zoodles Recipe:

  1. Mix together pineapple chunks with the teriyaki coconut aminos. If you want to be extra (you do), you’ll want to add in some Worcestershire sauce with your marinade. Mix these ingredients in a small bowl or pour them right into a zipper bag and add the steak in.
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2. Slice the veggies that you’re not going to spiralize, then spiralize the veggies you need.

3. Add veggies and a bit of olive oil to a plastic bag. Again–you get extra points if you sprinkle some Montreal steak seasoning in with the veggies. Not sure why these tastes are so perfect together, but they are. Trust me on this one.

4. Grill your veggies for 8-10 minutes on high. Grill your steak on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, or until it’s done.

5. While the grill is going, saute your spiralized veggies in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, being very careful to not overcook them. Watch them while they cook, stirring often.

6. Slice the steak into thin slices, cutting into strips that go against the grain, and serve immediately.

You have some options here for everyone in your family. Another reason why this is the best steak fajita recipe is that you can make fajitas with it (served in small flour tortillas), fajita zoodle bowls (served with zoodles, veggies, and steak fajita meat), burritos (large flour tortillas with veggies and steak), or a steak fajita salad!

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Need to cook these steak fajitas on the stove?

No worries! Cook both the steak and veggies in separate skillets over medium high heat. As the veggies are finishing, move them to the side of your pan and add your zoodles in.

Pro cooking tips:

  • On the day that you buy the steak, cut it up and marinate it, then stick it in the freezer. Your steak will be ready to cook in an hour or so after removing it from the freezer and placing it in a sink full of cold water.
  • Spiralizing onions is delicious and I swear it makes the entire meal taste better.
  • If you’re cooking this on the stove, I’d cut your steak in even smaller slices.

Top these fajitas with:

  • sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • salsa
  • guacamole
  • queso

Special Diet Information

21 Day Fix:

This one is easy! Fill each container with what you’d like and count accordingly. I add a teaspoon because of the oil I use. My usual container count for this recipe is 2G (one for zoodles, one for fajita veggies), 1R (for meat) and 1 tsp for oil.

Looking for more 21 Day Fix Grill Recipes?

Weight Watchers:

This recipe is great for the Weight Watchers. It’s just 8 points for 1 serving of this recipe on Blue Plan, Green Plan, and Purple Plan Points. You can have as many veggies as you’d like! I figured these points using skirt steak. Different meats will have different points

Trim Healthy Mama:

This is a THM-S recipe. Stick to a small “garnish” amount of pineapple and this will be a perfect S!

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5 from 4 ratings

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Best Steak Fajitas Recipe with Zoodles

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

The best steak fajitas are the ones we make at home! These healthy steak fajitas can be served with zucchini noodles for extra veggies, and have a delicious teriyaki marinade recipe that makes them taste better than a restaurant.

Equipment

  • Food processor

  • Kitchen Knife

  • Cutting Board

Ingredients

  • 1 pound steak skirt or loin flap is best
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki coconut aminos
  • 1/2 cup diced pineapple
  • 1 zucchini large
  • 2 onion small
  • 1 tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning optional
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 bell peppers any color
  • 16 oz mushroom

Instructions

  • Marinate steak in Worcestershire, teriyaki aminos, and pineapple marinade for 1-24 hours. 1 pound steak, 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 cup teriyaki coconut aminos, 1/2 cup diced pineapple

  • Spiralize the zucchini (with the skin on) and 1 of the onions (with the skin off). 1 zucchini, 2 onion

  • Sauté spiraled veggies for 8-10 minutes on med-high, drizzled with olive oil and fresh garlic. 2 cloves garlic

  • Slice peppers, your remaining onion, and mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with Montreal Steak seasoning. 2 bell peppers, 16 oz mushroom, 1 tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning

  • Grill veggies (we use a grill basket) and steak

  • Slice steak thinly when it comes off the grill

  • Use your Zoodles as a base for your fajitas or add them in to your tortilla with the other fajita ingredients if you’d like!

Notes

For 21 Day Fix, count containers as you fill them.

Weight Watchers: 8 Blue Plan Points / 8 Green Plan Points / 8 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 482mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 3mg

Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum

The Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (8)

Becca Ludlum

Healthy recipe creator, self-confessed food snob, and certified Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. I create healthy recipes with minimally processed ingredients, but have never turned down a homemade brownie. ;)

The Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the best steak for fajitas? ›

Skirt steak is the traditional cut used for fajitas. It used to be inexpensive, but now it's not so cheap; oftentimes flank steak costs less. Either will be a good choice.

How do you cook fajita meat so it's tender? ›

Tricks to Tender Fajita Meat
  1. Cut the Beef Against the Grain. Slicing meat against the grain helps tenderize it. By looking closely at the steak, you'll be able to see the direction the grain is running. ...
  2. Marinade with an Acid. Acids like citrus juice or vinegar tenderize meat by breaking down its fibers.
Feb 2, 2024

Do you cut steak before marinating fajitas? ›

Fajita meat is marinated and grilled before it is cut into strips and served. The best way to get a tender slice of meat is to cut perpendicular to (across) the grain of the meat. Sometimes the grain is not straight across the whole piece of meat and can change direction several times, presenting a challenge.

What cut of meat do Mexican restaurants use for fajitas? ›

Fajita is a Tex–Mex, Texan–Mexican American or Tejano, diminutive term for little strips of meat cut from the beef skirt, the most common cut used to make fajitas.

What steak do most Mexican restaurants use? ›

In restaurants, skirt steak is the preferred cut for carne asada. But at home, you might notice that skirt steak is never as tender as it is in restaurants. That's because restaurants buy skirt steaks pre-marinated and tenderized using a special process from commercial meat processors.

How do you tenderize steak? ›

Prepare a bed of *coarse sea salt or kosher salt the size of your steak. Place the meat on the bed and completely cover it with kosher or coarse sea salt. You can rub it in or just let it sit for approximately **15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes for thicker cuts).

How do restaurants tenderize skirt steak? ›

7 Ways to Tenderize Steak
  1. Pounding. Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. ...
  2. Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. ...
  3. Marinating. ...
  4. Velveting. ...
  5. Slow Cooking. ...
  6. Enzymatic Application. ...
  7. Scoring.
Oct 18, 2022

When cooking fajitas do you cook meat or veggies first? ›

This recipe promises to be a one-pan dinner, but to ensure that the chicken's juices don't steam the vegetables — making them soggy — cook the vegetables first. Transfer them to a plate or cutting board, then cook the chicken in the same pan before bringing things together.

Can you use McCormick fajita seasoning as a marinade? ›

McCormick Culinary Fajita Marinade & Seasoning Mix's uniform texture is perfect for marinating protein and infusing signature flavor before grilling, broiling or roasting.

Do you wipe marinade off steak before cooking? ›

Remove Marinade Before Cooking: To prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat when sautéing or stir-frying, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking. Keep just a little marinade on the meat surface to maximize flavor.

What is fajita marinade made of? ›

1In a dish, mix together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat.

Which onion in fajitas? ›

Step 1: Choose the Right Onion

Red onions are known for their milder flavor and vibrant color, while yellow onions offer a natural sweetness that can pair well with spicier peppers. White onions have a more pungent flavor that can add intensity to your fajitas.

What makes restaurant fajitas so good? ›

The key to really good, flavorful fajitas is searing the meat and vegetables over high heat so they get a smoky, charred flavor. That said, be certain to not overcrowd the pan so the ingredients sear vs steam. Work in batches and make sure the oil is smoking hot before searing each batch of chicken and vegetables.

What is the most tender meat for fajitas? ›

Flank is a pretty tender meat. Definitely shouldn't be slow cooked. I would reserve that type of cooking for tough cuts like short rib, chuck or eye round. Unless you like well done flank steak.

What is the most tender cut of beef for fajitas? ›

Flank is a pretty tender meat. Definitely shouldn't be slow cooked. I would reserve that type of cooking for tough cuts like short rib, chuck or eye round. Unless you like well done flank steak.

What cut of meat is used traditionally for a fajita plate? ›

Steak Fajitas: While skirt steak is the traditional cut of meat used in fajitas, other cuts of steak can also be used, such as flank steak or sirloin steak. The steak is marinated in a mixture of lime juice, garlic, and spices, then grilled with onions and peppers.

What is skirt steak called in grocery store? ›

Typically, when you buy skirt steak at the grocery store, it'll be labeled as simply "skirt steak." It might also be labeled as "inside skirt" and "outside skirt," however, depending on where exactly in the diaphragm the meat came from.

References

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