Quick Skillet Fajitas, aka Fajitas Stir Fry. Stir fry spice-rubbed beef strips, then peppers and onions, and combine them all to make great weeknight fajitas. (The stir fry technique works great for fajitas; the only thing we're changing are the spices.)
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My son has been asking to learn more about cooking while he's home from college this summer. When I taught him the quick hoisin chicken stir fry recipe from a few weeks ago, I told him stir fry was a basic technique, and he could make any stir fry by switching up the protein, vegetables, and seasonings. I said "you can make fajitas with the same technique", and his eyes lit up. "How?"
So, this is how to make fajitas the same way you would make a stir fry. It's basically a stir fry, just with Tex-Mex spices. The trick to this recipe, if there is one, is to get everything ready ahead of time - a stir fry goes quickly, so you should have all your meat and veggies prepped and ready to go before you start heating the pan.
Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Chicken (or other proteins): This recipe will work with almost any protein. Boneless Skinless Chicken (I like chicken thighs, or easy-to-use stir fry cut chicken breast), pork (pork tenderloin is particularly good in this recipe), and turkey (boneless skinless breast meat) all work the same as beef in this recipe, as long as they are cut into ½-inch thick strips.
- Different beef cuts: Fajita means skirt steak in Spanish, so it is the traditional meat. But, almost every Tex-Mex restaurant I've been to uses flank steak instead, so that's my default for this recipe. Sirloin is also a good choice, as are flat iron steaks, and bottom round.
- Stir Fry Beef is a shortcut: If your grocery store sells pre-cut stir fry beef strips, it's a quick and easy substitute. (It's what you see in the pictures).
- Peppers and Onions: I love peppers and onions; they're the backbone of fajitas. I use red bell peppers because I like the pop of red in my pictures, but any color of bell pepper will work. Also, any onion will work - white, yellow, sweet, red - use what you have on hand.
- Heat levels and the jalapeños: If you want to cut the heat entirely, skip the jalapeños. If you want to cut back on the heat, seed the jalapeños before cutting them into strips. If you want to increase the heat, use more jalapeños, or substitute (hotter) serrano peppers. I'd go with 4 serranos instead of the jalapeños, because serranos are smaller.
- Pineapple and soy sauce in the marinade: Soy and pineapple is a trick I learned in The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh. Tex-Mex restaurants use pineapple to soften flank steak - pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein. And, they use soy sauce to add salt and umami flavor to the beef. Try it - it's not as weird as it sounds.
How to make Skillet Fajitas using the stir fry method (in pictures)
Dry rub (or marinate) the beef and prep the vegetables
Toss the beef with the spice blend, or with the marinade, and let it sit while you prep the vegetables. Slice all the vegetables so everything is ready before you start cooking.
Stir fry the beef in 2 batches
Stir fry half the beef, until it is browning around the edges, then the other half of the beef. (You don't want to crowd the pan.) Set the cooked beef aside on a platter.
Stir fry the vegetables
Stir fry the onions, peppers, and jalapenos.
Everything in the pan
Add the beef to the vegetables in the pan, drizzle with lime juice, toss together, and reheat for a minute. Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
A 12-inch fry pan (nonstick works best for me, or well-seasoned carbon steel), or a 14-inch wok (I prefer carbon steel woks.)
Tips and Tricks
- Prep everything ahead of time: Normally I multi-task my food prep when I'm making dinner, but stir-frying goes too quickly. Make sure to have the beef and vegetables all chopped up and ready to go before turning on the burner.
- Wok vs nonstick fry pan: A wok may seem like a strange way to cook fajitas, but it is great for this - large and wide. A large skillet also works; I usually use nonstick, but I'm also trying carbon steel to decrease my dependence on nonstick cookware.
- Dry rub vs marinade: Both work well with this recipe. And yes, in Mexican restaurants, they use soy sauce (to add extra umami flavor to the beef) and pineapple juice (it has an enzyme that tenderizes the meat).
What to Serve with Quick Skillet Fajitas
This can be a one pot meal - just add tortillas. But, to make it fancier, I set out a bunch of toppings: sour cream, shredded lettuce, and salsa I consider mandatory. For extra credit, include guacamole, pickled or sliced jalapeños, sliced onions or pickled red onions, and a selection of hot sauces for people to add to their fajitas.
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Quick Skillet Fajitas - Stir Fry Technique
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings of fajitas 1x
Description
Quick Skillet Fajitas, aka Fajitas Stir Fry. Stir fry spice-rubbed beef strips, then peppers and onions, and combine them all to make great weeknight fajitas.
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or Kosher salt)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
OR Marinade
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
Fajitas
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak, sirloin, or bottom round, cut into ½ inch by 2-inch strips (aka "stir fry beef")
- 1 small onion, sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into ½-inch thick strips
- 2 jalapeños, stem removed, sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch thick strips
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (1 tablespoon per frying session)
- Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Accompaniments
- Tortillas
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Lettuce
Instructions
- Marinate or dry rub the beef:
Dry rub: Spread the beef out in the bottom of a large bowl (or on a cutting board). Mix the dry rub ingredients, sprinkle them over the beef, then toss the beef in the bowl until it is evenly coated with the rub. You can start the stir fry immediately, or let it sit until you are ready.
OR
Marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, pineapple juice, vegetable oil, and cornstarch until the lumps of starch dissolve. Add the sliced beef and sprinkle with the ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt. Let the beef sit in the marinade until you are ready to stir fry - up to half an hour ahead if you have the time - stirring the beef occasionally to coat it with marinade.
- Prep the vegetables: Slice the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños, and put in a bowl. Smash the garlic, and put in a small bowl. Juice the lime, and put the juice in a small bowl.
- Stir fry the beef in 2 batches: Turn on the fan on the oven hood. If using a carbon steel wok, heat over high heat, then swirl in one tablespoon of the vegetable oil. If using a nonstick pan, put the oil in the pan and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add half of the beef to the wok or pan:
In a wok: toss to coat with oil, and then stir fry until it loses its pink color and browns a little on the edges, about 2 minutes.
In a pan: Spread the beef out in a single layer, and cook without moving until it browns on the bottom, about 1 minute, then flip and brown the beef on the other side, about 1 more minute.
Pour the beef from the pan onto a serving platter. Repeat with the rest of the beef: Return the pan to the heat, add the second tablespoon of vegetable oil, and let it heat for a few seconds. Add the second batch of beef to the pan:
In a wok: toss to coat with oil, and then stir fry until the beef loses its pink color and browns a little on the edges, about 2 minutes.
In a pan: Spread the beef out in a single layer, and cook without moving until it browns on the bottom, about 1 minute, then flip and brown the beef on the other side, about 1 more minute.
Pour the beef from the pan onto the serving platter with the rest of the beef.
- Stir fry the vegetables: Wipe out the pan with a wad of paper towels, put it back over the heat, and add the last tablespoon of oil. Let the oil heat until it starts shimmering, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic to the oil and fry for 30 seconds (you don't want the garlic to brown). Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno to the wok or pan:
In a wok: toss to coat with oil, and then stir fry until the peppers and onions brown on the edges, about 4 minutes.
In a pan: Spread the onions and peppers out in a single layer, and cook without moving until they brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the onions and peppers and brown on the other side, about 2 more minutes.
- Toss everything together and serve: Pour the platter of beef and any juices back into the wok or pan, and toss with the onions and peppers. Drizzle with the lime juice, then keep tossing and stirring for a minute to reheat the beef and mix up the beef with the onions and peppers. Pour everything from the wok or pan onto the serving platter, serve, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 fajitas
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 305.8 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 25.9 g
- Cholesterol: 67 mg
Scaling
The easiest way to scale this recipe is to double everything, and then use two skillets or woks side-by-side on the stovetop. Or, you can stir-fry in batches, but if you double the recipe the "combine everything" step at the end will overflow almost any wok or fry pan, so I'd combine everything on a large platter as it finishes cooking.
Storage
Leftover cooked fajita filling will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, or for a few months in the freezer in air-tight containers. (I put it into zip-top baggies and freeze it flat, or use 2-cup containers).
Related Posts
As I mentioned above, this recipe uses my stir fry technique, similar to my Quick Hoisin Chicken Stir Fry from a few days ago.
For another quick taco filling, try my Instant Pot Shredded Beef. Or for fancier tacos, try my Pressure Cooker Quick Pork Tacos, Instant Pot Carne Guisada Tacos, or Instant Pot Birria Tacos.
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes and my Index of all my recipes.
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