Grilled Beef Fajitas
I love this time of year when I can grill outdoors leaving the cleanup to a burning fire with virtually no mess inside – making entertaining easy!
If you’ve got friends coming over why serve the traditional burgers, chicken and hot dogs you always do when you can grill Beef Fajitas? Fajitas a Tex-Mex cuisine, is casual like your typical fare, only more fun to play with. Set up a table spread with plenty of fixings for everyone to create their own dish.
I like mine with grilled balsamic onions, black beans, guacamole, plain Greek yogurt, and salsa. Place these ingredients on a store bought or homemade tortilla wrapped up, and enjoy a flavorful meal!
Typically beef fajitas are prepared with flank or skirt steak. Though it’s extremely flavorful, it is one of the tougher cuts of beef. Since we would be grilling this, it’s important not to overcook it. The trick is grilling it over a very hot grill for a short time, and allowing it to rest for approximately 5 minutes, then slicing it very thin, against the grain. This is especially important; otherwise the muscle fibers will be chewy.
It’s common to marinate flank steak, which adds flavor and can help prevent it from drying out on the grill, but it won’t tenderize it.
Although everyone I know loves flank steak my family prefers I make our beef fajitas with a boneless sirloin steak, eliminating the issue of being chewy.
The recipe below has few ingredients in the marinade, but creates outstanding flavor. Paired with balsamic grilled onions your guests will finish every last bit – so you might consider doubling this recipe.
Grilled Beef Fajitas
Ingredients:
- 2 large onions, peeled, cut into wedges
- 2 ½ tsps. Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 ½ tsp. sea salt – divided
- 3 tbsp. olive oil – divided
- 2 ½ lbs. boneless sirloin, flank or skirt steak
- 2 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Flour tortillas
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Black Beans
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Guacamole
- Salsa
Directions:
- Stir together lime juice, 2 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a small bowl.
- Add steak to marinade and toss to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to several hours to marinate in the refrigerator.
- Toss onions with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Grill onions in a grill basket approximately 20 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, chop onions into 1-inch pieces. Toss with vinegar and ½ tsp salt.
- Remove meat from marinade, and pat dry. Add freshly ground pepper. Grill steak 3-5 minutes per side (medium – medium/rare). Allow to rest 5 minutes, and then thinly slice on the diagonal.
- Place tortillas directly on grill, turning once, until puffed and slightly browned.
- Serve steak, with grilled onions, and optional toppings if desired, in warmed tortillas.