This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Fajitas are a family favorite in our house, and they’re made even better with wild game. These venison fajitas are delicious served with warm tortillas and all the fixings! Richly marinated venison steak pairs with cooked to perfection fajita veggies for a mouthwatering, flavorful meal.
If you know me, you know I love cooking in a cast iron skillet. It’s in the name of my blog, after all!
I use cast iron for any sautéing, searing, or pan frying I do. But I also love finding less common ways to use it, like in cast iron quiche, cast iron blondies, and even a deep dish chocolate chip cookie.
Well, I recently got a new cast iron skillet (the new Lodge USA skillet, for my fellow cast iron lovers), and I couldn’t wait to get started using it.
For my first time cooking in it, I wanted to make a meal that my entire family loves, and that I can serve straight out of the skillet.
My make-ahead fajitas texanas are always a hit served on a sizzling hot cast iron skillet, so I decided to use my fresh venison to make a new take on this family favorite.
That’s how we ended up eating these delicious venison fajitas, and they will certainly be added to our regular meal rotation!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: These fajitas take just a few simple ingredients and very little active cooking time. If you are new to cooking with venison, this is a great beginner’s recipe.
- Versatile: You can serve fajitas in so many different, equally delicious ways. You’ll never get sick of a good fajita night.
- Sweet and spicy marinade: Marinating the venison is such a game-changer for the texture and flavor of the meat, and this spiced pineapple juice marinade is purely delicious.
Ingredients
- Venison steak strips: Any venison steak will work! Skirt steak, flank steak, flat iron, or whatever you have to use up.
- Oil: You can use your favorite cooking oil. I usually use avocado oil.
- Pineapple juice: Gives the meat a sweet and tangy flavor and helps make it beautifully tender.
- Spices: We’ll make a simple homemade fajita spice mix with cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Fajita veggies: A colorful assortment of bell peppers and white onions, cut into strips, makes the perfect fajita mixture! You can use any colors of bell peppers you like.
How to Make Venison Fajitas
Step 1. In a small container, add 3 tbsp olive oil, pineapple juice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt, and ground pepper. Secure lid and shake well.
Step 2. Place steaks in a ziplock bag and cover with marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 3. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat w/ 1tbsp of oil. Cook peppers and onion until soft and slightly charred. Remove from heat.
Step 4. Remove the steak strips from the marinade and pat dry. In the same skillet, add the remaining tbsp of oil and sear on each side for about 2 minutes total, or until the meat is cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the veggies back in and stir well. Add salt to taste and serve!
Tips + Notes
- Try to cut your peppers, onions, and steak into uniformly sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Fajita veggies are best cooked on medium-high heat (don’t go lower) to give them a nice sear without overcooking the peppers. A little charring is normal and preferred!
- Make sure you pat the venison dry after taking it out of the marinade. This gives it a nice golden-brown sear rather than steaming the meat.
- Feel free to substitute the pineapple juice with an equal amount of orange juice or 3 tbsp of lime juice.
- Cut the steak against the grain for the best texture.
How to Serve Venison Fajitas
Venison fajitas are so versatile, and you can make the meal as simple or as complex as you have the time for. For a classic fajita meal, I like to serve them with warm flour tortillas, salsa, avocado, and sour cream. Cheese, beans, and fresh lime wedges are also welcome additions!
Fajitas also make wonderful bowls when served with rice, beans, and all the fixings. Choose a few from this list for a flavorful, fun meal:
- Salsa: red, green, or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Avocado: slices or guacamole
- Lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Green onions
- Sliced jalapeños
- Hot sauce
If you find yourself with leftover fajitas, try putting them on a quesadilla. It will be a lot like my venison quesadilla recipe, and with the precooked fajitas, it’ll only take 5-10 minutes to whip up!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can make this recipe with chicken, beef, or another wild game like moose or elk. You may need to adjust the cook time, but it’ll otherwise be the same recipe. I also have a beef skirt steak fajita recipe you may be interested in.
Yes! Venison tastes great in fajitas. The spices and fruit juice in the marinade pair perfectly with the rich, slightly gamey flavor of the meat.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave, being careful not to overcook them.
Related Recipes
- Ground Venison Tacos
- Quick and Easy Colorado Green Chili
- Beef Enchilada Dip Recipe
- One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet
- Cheesy 7 Layer Taco Skillet
If you tried these Venison Fajitas or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Venison Fajitas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb venison steak sliced into 1/2″ strips skirt, flank, flat iron, etc.
- 5 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice *see substitutions in notes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt plus more to season
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bell peppers sliced and deseeded
- 1 onion peeled and sliced (yellow or white)
Instructions
- In a small container, add 3 tbsp olive oil, pineapple juice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt, and ground pepper. Secure lid and shake well.
- Place steaks in a ziplock bag and cover with marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat w/ 1tbsp of oil. Cook peppers and onion until soft and slightly charred. Remove from heat.
- Remove the steak strips from the marinade and pat dry.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining tbsp of oil and sear on each side for about 2 minutes total, or until the meat is cooked through.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the veggies back in and stir well. Add salt to taste and serve!
Video
Notes
- *Feel free to substitute the pineapple juice with an equal amount of orange juice or 3 tbsp of lime juice.
- Try to cut your peppers, onions, and steak into uniformly sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Fajita veggies are best cooked on medium-high heat (don’t go lower) to give them a nice sear without overcooking the peppers. A little charring is normal and preferred!
- Make sure you pat the venison dry after taking it out of the marinade. This gives it a nice golden-brown sear rather than steaming the meat.
- Cut the steak against the grain for the best texture.
Oh my gosh this looks amazing! I have some venison skirt I’m going to try this with!
Oh perfect! Let me know how it turns out!