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These easy steak fajitas are made with sirloin steak. Ready in about 30 minutes, they are wonderfully flavorful and surprisingly easy to make.
You don't have to serve them in tortillas! They're excellent by themselves or in lettuce wraps.
I adore Mexican food. The flavors are so bold! I enjoy recipes such as jalapeno poppers, keto nachos, and slow cooker carnitas.
These fajitas are exceptionally good. The spice mix is delicious! Plus, this is such an easy recipe. It's ready fast, making it the perfect choice for a weeknight dinner.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Steak Fajitas Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Mexican Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below:
- Seasoning mix: Salt and pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Bell peppers: It's fun to use different colors.
- Onion: Thinly sliced. You can use yellow or white onion.
- Top sirloin steak: You can buy top sirloin and slice it yourself or buy beef strips such as those sold by Whole Foods or Wild Fork Foods (pictured below).
- Oil: Avocado oil is perfect for this recipe since it has a high smoke point.
Variations
- An excellent way to vary this recipe is by adding more spices. Good options include cumin and dried thyme. I like to add ½ teaspoon of each.
- Instead of using avocado oil as your cooking oil, you can use olive oil or ghee.
Steak Fajitas Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Your first step is to mix the spices together in a small bowl. You can do as I do in the video and mix them in two separate bowls. Half will season the veggies, and the other half will season the meat. (Photo 1).
- Cook the vegetables with half the spices until tender, then remove them to a plate. (Photos 2-4).
- In the same skillet, cook the beef strips with the remaining spices. (Photo 5).
- Add the vegetables back and cook everything together until heated through. (Photo 6).
Expert Tip
You can make your life easy - as I do in the video below - by using a package of frozen sliced bell peppers. They add extra liquid to the dish, but I haven't found that to be an issue. If using them, you can add a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking to thicken those liquids.
The only caveat: frozen peppers won't look as pretty as fresh peppers. See how colorful the fresh peppers are in the photos? Frozen peppers are not as colorful when cooked, as the video demonstrates.
Recipe FAQs
What cut of steak is best for fajitas?
Traditionally you would use skirt steak or flank steak. However, both of these cuts are tough, so they should be marinated before cooking.
To make this a quick and easy recipe, I prefer to use top sirloin, which is tender enough to allow me to cook it without marinating it first.
It's important to use top sirloin and not bottom sirloin, which is a tough cut of beef.
How do you make the fajita meat tender?
Marinating the steak helps to tenderize it. But if you use top sirloin strips, you can skip the marinade.
Simply season the beef and the vegetables, saute them quickly, and the fajitas will turn out just as delicious and flavorful as if you've made the dish with marinated beef.
If you're willing to use beef tenderloin in this recipe, it will turn out even more tender. But it's obviously an expensive cut of beef, and most would feel it's better served as steak.
Do you cut fajita meat before cooking?
I do. Pre-slicing the meat allows the seasoning to coat it well, resulting in a highly flavorful dish. It also allows for faster cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Steak fajitas are traditionally served with flour tortillas. But you can also serve them on a bed of cauliflower rice, sauteed spinach, shredded lettuce, or use lettuce wraps.
These fajitas are lovely when simply served on a plate and eaten with a fork and a knife. That's how I usually serve them.
You can top them with tasty toppings such as guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
More Mexican Recipes
- Chicken Fajitas
- Pork Rind Keto Nachos
- Keto Taco Salad
- Keto Tacos
Recipe Card
4.99 from 234 votes
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Steak Fajitas Recipe
These steak fajitas, made with top sirloin, are incredibly flavorful and surprisingly easy to make.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 420kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
Seasoning mix:
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Fajitas:
- 3 large bell peppers cut into thin strips (or 1 lb. frozen sliced bell peppers)
- 1 large onion thinly sliced (8 oz)
- 2 lb. top sirloin steak cut into thin strips; not bottom sirloin
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Optional, for thickening the juices:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch if using frozen peppers
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients. You can mix them in two separate bowls - half will season the veggies, and the second half will season the meat.
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, and half the spices. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a plate.
Add the steak slices and the remaining spices to the same skillet. Stir-fry just until no longer raw, 3-4 minutes. The beef doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point. It will finish cooking when you add back the vegetables.
Return the vegetables to the skillet. Stir-fry everything together until heated through, 1-2 more minutes.
At this point, if you have a lot of liquids in the skillet (this happens when using frozen peppers) and you'd like to thicken them, you can reduce the heat to medium and stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 ½ tablespoons of cold water). Keep cooking until the liquids thicken, about 1 more minute. But this is optional and unnecessary if using fresh peppers.
Video
Notes
- The nutrition info doesn't include cornstarch or toppings.
- Traditionally, you would use a skirt or flank steak, but those require marinating. To make this a quick and easy recipe, I prefer to use top sirloin (not bottom sirloin), which is tender enough to allow me to cook it without marinating it first.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 750mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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More Meat Recipes
- Beef Shanks
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Vicki Hughes
Great recipe. Came out just right.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked it, Vicki!
Reply
Theresa Clark
This is exactly what I was after. Authentic and delicious, plus easy.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm delighted you enjoyed this recipe, Theresa!
Reply
Carson
Literally the best steak fajita recipe. I tried making a different recipe just to try it, and it was nowhere near as good as this recipe! It makes a lot, so not sure how it says four servings, it’s more like 8-10 servings.Also, I would recommend adding another 1-2 peppers for a total of 4-5 peppers. I also add in a cut-up jalapeño pepper.
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
So glad you like this recipe, Carson! Adding a jalapeño pepper sounds like an excellent idea.
