Fajitas are one of the most popular dishes in many Tex-Mex restaurants for a reason. Their steaming and sizzling action based aromas are a thing to revere. And they are notoriously difficult to make at home and never the same with take out. With this recipe we can show you how to make Easy No Grill Steak Fajitas year round!
What’s the trick and how can it be easy?
Easy steak fajitas can be made without a grill and still have amazing flavor with a trick substitute. We make a marinade that emulates the smokiness the steak would pick up from charcoal or gas fired grates. We even serve them on a sizzling skillet! The only precaution is that it may make your house smell amazing so plan accordingly!
What do I need to make Easy No Grill Steak Fajitas?
We use a typical lineup of ingredients just as chefs do in most professional kitchens. We will also show you how to make the marinade here. Other than that, you will need a cast iron skillet to get really hot and make the sizzling magic happen!
- Steak. We like to us skirt steak here, but flank steak, flap meat, boneless short rib or chuck flap tender, even ribey and NY strip work well. Hanger steak or onglet steak is another great option but can be difficult to find outside of commercial meat packer vendors.
- Tortillas. We recommend small flour tortillas, but corn may be a preference depending on your tastes.
- Peppers and onions. We like to use a mix. We highly recommend adding some sliced poblano as it can also help pick up the smoky sear and make the grill-like effect even better indoors.
- Sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. These easy add- ons can make the DIY experience interactive and entertaining. Limes, chopped cilantro, and pico de gallo are clearly winners also.
- Chiles. You can add a couple of whole jalapenos or serranos to the pan when searing the peppers and onions to get a nice little charred pepper for snacking if you’re brave. Or just use pickled chiles as a condiment.
Other cooking tips for indoor fajitas
- Probably the most important part of the cooking process is getting a good sear. This is true not only for the steak itself but also the veggies. One major focus in restaurants is getting young cooks to resist the urge to keep flipping the steak and tossing the pan of veggies. Leave them alone! Getting a “hard sear” as chefs say is a thing of beauty and concentrates the caramelization and leads to a more moist finished product. For the peppers and onions, to get that perfect little crust of blackened skin you have to leave them alone and allow for a sear that won’t occur with constant stirring.
- Allow the steak to marinade as long as possible. The longer you can let it soak, the more outdoor flavor you will get. Preferably overnight.
- Get the skillet really hot. Cast iron works so well because it is heavy bottomed and holds heat well causing a great hard sear. This takes some time for the steel to heat, so let it go and don’t rush the process.
- Don’t be afraid of salt, and use a seasoning vinegar to finish the veggies just before serving. Vinegar from pickled chiles works great for this. Not only will this give more flavor, but it can take an al dente pepper and onion mix and provide the steam needed to gently soften them for better eating. Plus it looks cool to serve steaming!
- Let the meat rest. When you’re done searing, and before adding the steam to the skillet, take the steak out and rest on a cutting board. Skirt steak, hanger steak, flank steak, and similar cuts are “bloody” cuts as chefs say. They are more likely to lose all their inner juices right after cooking if you don’t allow them to rest before slicing. Also, skirt steak is very easy to see where the grain direction lies. Make sure to cut across the grain for a more tender cut. You can cut short-wise into manageable pieces then slice again to get a cross grain cut, or cut on the diagonal.
Easy No Grill Steak Fajitas
These steak fajitas take the pain out of outdoor grilling!
Equipment
1 small sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Skirt Steak trimmed of excess skin. Leave some fat.
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 3 each Belle peppers various colors. Preferably with one or more poblanos.
- 1 each White onion or yellow Spanish onion
- 3 ounces White vinegar you can use the vinegar for pickled chiles for added flavor
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
- 8 each Flour tortillas warmed in a dry skillet if possible, then wrapped in a kitchen towel to keep warm. Or use corn tortillas if desired.
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp Chipotle canned chipotle in adobo
- 8 ounces Plum tomato
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
- 1 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 ounce Water
- .5 tsp Oregano dried or fresh
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. You can trim the skirt steak to remove excess silver skin and membrane, but leave some fat. You can also cut into manageable pieces for the skillet if it is too long.
- Cut the peppers and onions into thick slices, about 3/4 inch each.
- In a small sauce pan, slowly roast the garlic with the 2 tbsp canola oil until golden brown.
- Chop the tomato and add while still hot to fry. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Blend the tomato- garlic with vinegar, salt, and oregano until smooth.
- When cooled cover the steak and massage on all sides. This step can be done one or two days in advance to promote a better marinade and save time.
- Get the cast iron ripping hot. Add one tbsp of the canola oil. Season the steak with the salt and pepper. Sear over very high heat. You will want to add an overhead vent if able. Flip once the steak has been caramelized on the first side. Continue to cook over very high heat. An almost burned look with crispy edges is perfect. When cooked to desired temp, remove to a cutting board to rest. It can come down to room temp without worry since it will be added back to the skillet later.
- Add the other tbsp of canola oil to the skillet and dump the peppers and onions into the pan. DO NOT STIR. Allow them to sit and get a hard sear to caramelize the outer edges. Cook over very high heat. Once they have a sear, you can stir once to make sure they have all had some contact with the pan.
- Slice the steak, and add back to the pan with the heat still on high. Just before serving, turn off the heat and add the vinegar to the skillet to steam the veggies and steak. Serve with warm tortillas and condiments as desired. Buen provecho!
Nutrition
Serving: 8ozCalories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 38gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1294mgPotassium: 646mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 517IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
