The BEST Chicken or Steak Fajitas

I know you’ve all been posed the question (and I have no idea where or when, but somehow I have had to answer it many times thus far in my relatively short life): “If you had to pick one thing to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?” And while I would hate to be required to pick just one thing, this meal would be one of my top contenders. People use the word “Best” a little too often in recipe titles, but I genuinely believe this is the best fajita marinade! It has the perfect combination of ingredients for the tangy, savory, well seasoned fajitas. You can use steak or chicken, or a combination of both- it’s great on pretty much anything! We love to pair this meal with things like homemade Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Black Beans and Rice, and tortilla chips. It also works really well in a bowl-style meal, where you pile everything over rice.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken or Steak – You can use your choice of meat; boneless chicken breasts work great, as do chicken thighs or tenders. Steak is also awesome–flank steak and sirloin are both fantastic cuts for this recipe. We often do both chicken and steak.
• Bell Peppers – Use red, yellow, or orange, or a combination of all 3. Avoid green bell peppers as they aren’t as sweet.
• Onions –  Sweet onions, white onions, and purple onions all work just fine, I love using purple because of the pop of color!

For the Marinade:

• Lime Juice – Avoid bottled lime juice as it tends to be bitter. Fresh lime is best, or True Lime Crystallized lime powder works great as well.
• Oil- This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but avocado oil works as well. Just a little bit helps coat the meat and prevents sticking.
• Garlic – I recommend fresh garlic, but you can use dry in a pinch.
• White Vinegar – of all the vinegar choices, white is your best bet in this recipe.
• Soy Sauce – This might seem like a strange component for fajitas, but just a little bit of soy sauce adds the perfect flavor.
• Liquid Smoke -If you’re not familiar with liquid smoke, you can find it near the BBQ sauces.  It’s definitely one of the key flavor components in this recipe.
• Seasonings: Salt and Pepper, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder

How to Make Fajitas

1. Start by making the marinade my mixing up all of the ingredients. TIP: I love to set aside a few tablespoons to drizzle over the finished grilled meat. I’ll often double the marinade to have extra.
2. You’ll want to cut your vegetables depending on how you plan to cook them. Generally, my go-to method is to use a grill basket. It sits directly on your grill like a pan and allows you to cook small vegetables without them falling through the grates. If you’re using a grill basket, you can slice your vegetables into thin slices. If you don’t have a grill basket, you’ll want to cut your onions into thick slices and cut your peppers into quarters. Place a skewer through the onion slices so they stay together on the grill and place the peppers directly on the grill as you see in the photo above. Lastly, if I’m making a large batch of fajitas, sometimes choose to do the onions and peppers in the oven, while I grill my meat. Toss them in a little oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and spread them out on a large baking sheet. Roast at 425° (use convection mode if you have it) until they’re soft and slightly charred.
3. You can certainly toss your meat and your vegetables in the same marinade, but if you’re trying to squeeze in as much protein into the marinade as you can, they I suggest just keeping your vegetables separate. They don’t need nearly as much marinade, just a little splash is fine. I sometimes don’t even marinate the vegetables- I’ll just coat them with a little oil and salt and pepper before cooking. Regardless, place your meat in the marinade. Make sure everything is coated well, and then marinate in the fridge for at least 4-8 hours
4. Preheat your grill and then cook your meat and your vegetables. The vegetables may cook faster than the meat, so have a plate ready to remove them when done and cover loosely with foil. You can also use a grill pan indoors.
5. Once everything is cooked, you’ll slice the meat and serve it with tortillas and other toppings!

These Recipes Pair Great with Fajitas!

Quick and Easy Black Beans

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Guacamole

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Pico de Gallo

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Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

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Cafe Rio Copycat Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (Lime Cilantro Ranch)

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Brazilian Lemonade

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Other Topping Suggestions

• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Crumbled Cotija or Queso Fresco
• If it’s not really grill season at your house, consider my Sheet Pan Fajitas or Easy Slowcooker Fajitas with Chili-Lime Cream as well!

More Recipes

If it’s not grill season at your house, you might enjoy one of these recipes as well!

Oven Baked

Sheet Pan Fajitas

These sheet pan fajitas require minimal prep and produce an amazingly flavorful pan full of tender chicken and roasted veggies….

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Slowcooker Steak Fajitas with Chili-Lime Cream

I have the best recipe for you guys today, I am so excited about it! Okay, now today’s recipe….

Soups & Stews

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This easy tortilla soup has been a staple at both of our houses and was in dire need of a makeover…

The BEST Chicken or Steak Fajitas

5 from 25 votes

This homemade fajita marinade will knock your socks off. This is truly one of our favorite meals!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

ServingsServings5 people

Print Rate

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Equipment

• Grill Basket

Ingredients

Filling

• 1-1 ½ pounds chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs or steak (sirloin or flank steak)
• 2-3 red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers sliced or halved
• 1 onion, large sliced into ½" thick slices

Marinade

• ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
• ⅓ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon chili powder or chipotle chili powder chipotle chili powder will have heat and smoke
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Serving

• tortillas
• sour cream
• green onions
• cilantro
• tomatoes, diced salsa, or pico de gallo
• avocados, diced or guacamole
• black beans
• cheese, shredded

Instructions

Marinade

• In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Optionally, you may reserve 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in an airtight container and store in fridge to drizzle over finished meat.
• Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Place vegetables in another.
• With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Grill

• Preheat outdoor grill (our preference) to medium heat. When the grill is hot, lighly oil grates and place everything on at the same time in a single layer. Cook until desired doneness is reached, flipping once (about 7 minutes per side for chicken breasts, 3-4 minutes per side for chicken thighs, or see this tutorial for How to Grill the Perfect Steak).

  Using a digital thermometer, cook chicken breasts until it reaches 165° in the thickest portion, and immediately remove and cover. If using chicken thighs, aim for between 170-175° for improved flavor and texture.

  You may need to remove the vegetables before the meat is done; just transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
• When the meat is done, transfer to a plate and allow to stand for a few minutes, tented with foil, then slice the meat. Drizzle reserved marinade over finished meat and veggies and serve.

Indoor Instructions

• Heat a large skillet or grill pan to medium heat. Cook the peppers and onions first and then remove from pan, covering loosely with foil.  Cook chicken or steak on each side until cooked through and remove from pan and allow to rest, tented with foil, for a few minutes before slicing. Drizzle reserved marinade over finished meat and veggies and serve.

Toppings & Sides:

• After you've sliced the meat, toss the meat and vegetables with reserved marinade and serve along side any or all of the following:
• Flour Tortillas
• Black Beans
• Lime-Cilantro Rice
• Pico de Gallo
• Salsa
• Diced avocado
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Shredded cheese or crumbled cotija cheese

Notes

• If you’re not familiar with liquid smoke, you can find it near the BBQ sauces.  Don’t make this without it! It’s definitely one of the key components. It makes things smoky and super flavorful. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more if you’d like a smokier flavor. 
• Nutritional information was calculated without the use of toppings.
• If you’re making a large batch, or don’t have room for both your meat and your vegetables on your grill, you may consider roasting the peppers and onions.  Simply toss in a little oil, sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Cook in a preheated 425° oven until softened and slightly charred, about 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 636mg, Potassium: 543mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1346IU, Vitamin C: 54mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Main Courses

Cuisine: BBQ, Latin

Keyword: Beef Fajitas, Chicken Fajitas

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Sara Wells

Cost: 20

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