Skirt Steak Fajitas

Is it just me, or does skirt steak look delicious in a cast iron skillet sautéing among those vegetables?

And when cooked properly, i.e., in a cast iron skillet, they are juicy, tender, and a popular choice among fajita enthusiasts!

With this recipe, anyone can prepare delicious skirt steak for fajitas, even if it’s your first time. So let’s get to work!

What is a skirt steak?

Skirt steak is a tougher cut of beef found directly below the ribs. This cut is usually nicely marbled with fat, delivering a great taste with the right kind of cooking.

Skirt steak is also the cut originally used for fajitas — it was part of the beef trimmings given to the Mexican cowboys during Texas cattle roundups.

These vaqueros turned this tougher cut into the now-famous Tex-Mex delight.

For the best results, be sure to choose a high-quality steak, preferably from a local rancher.

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How to prepare cast iron skirt steak

Assemble your ingredients and supplies

• 2 skirt steaks, approximately 2 pounds
• salt and pepper
• a tablespoon of olive oil
• chopped vegetables for fajitas: bell pepper, onion, sweet peppers, jalapeno
• a container with a lid to fit both the marinade and steaks
• a wooden spoon
• a 12″ cast iron skillet
• metal tongs

For the marinade

• 2 cups of orange juice
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers

Prepare the skirt steak marinade

Select a container with a lid that will fit the almost three cups of marinade plus the two skirt steaks.

Add the marinade ingredients to the container: orange juice, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, fresh minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, and crushed red peppers. Stir well.

Marinate the steak for 6 to 12 hours.

Carefully place the steaks into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

Get the steaks ready for cooking.

When you are ready to prepare your meal, bring the skirt steaks to room temperature. Be sure to pat the steaks dry before cooking — if they are wet, the hot oil with spatter and, yikes, that can hurt!

Preheat a 12″ skillet over high heat with the cooking oil.

Generously salt and pepper the steaks, then gently place the steaks into the skillet.

Cook steaks quickly in a hot cast iron skillet.

Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip the steaks and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Check internal temperature with an instant thermometer.

Allow the steaks to rest for 5 minutes, then slice the meat by cutting diagonally across the grain.

Braise your fajita vegetables in the same skillet.

In that same skillet with all those steak pan drippings, you can now quickly cook your fajita vegetables. I like to cut up a bell pepper, an onion, 2 or 3 sweet peppers, and a jalapeno.

But you can ramp up or down the heat with your pepper selection to suit your family’s preferences.

You may need to add some cooking oil if the pan needs more.

Cook lightly over medium heat until done, stirring frequently to get the pan flavors through the vegetables.

You can add a tad of water or beef broth to the pan at the end to get all the tasty bits off the skillet.

Serve immediately.

What to serve with skirt steak fajitas

This recipe includes the typical Tex-Mex vegetables cooked up quickly in the same cast iron skillet you used to cook the steak. All the pan juices get mixed into the vegetables, making them the perfect side.

My family also loves this served with salsa, guacamole, tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Yum!

FAQs

What’s the best steak for fajitas? I like to use the skirt steak cut, which is actually the first cut used for fajitas, but I’ve also had good results with flat iron and flank steak.

How long should you marinate skirt steak? I like to marinate them for between 6 and 12 hours. This is because the meat retains the delicious flavors from the marinade.

I usually set the steak to marinate in the morning while making breakfast; then, it’s ready for cooking for our evening meal.

What is the best cooking method for skirt steak? Like most steaks, I recommend cooking skirt steak fast over high, even heat, which makes the cast iron skillet the perfect cooking tool.

How do you cook skirt steak so it’s tender? The acidic marinade in this recipe is key to creating a tender skirt steak. The orange and lime juices combine to create a unique, delicious flavor that gives great results!

What can I make with the leftovers? Leftovers store great in the fridge for about 4 days, though they rarely make it that long. I love this skirt steak thinly sliced on a sandwich for a quick lunch.

Key takeaways

If you’re looking for authentic Tex-Mex, try this skirt steak recipe for your next fajita night.

This dish creates a great beefy flavor with this quick-cooking on high-heat recipe. Cheaper cuts can deliver excellent results!

Did this fajitas recipe inspire you to try skirt steak for the first time? Let me know! I love learning to use every cut we get when we order a whole side of beef. How about you?

Try one of these next for more beefy goodness:

• Marinated bottom round steak
• Cast iron beef tri tip recipe with a peppercorn rub
• Tender dutch oven round steak
• Blue cheese crumble steak