This steak fajita marinade is a blend of olive oil, lime juice and plenty of spices, all mixed together to make the ultimate flavoring blend. It adds so much flavor to steak and vegetables to make easy and delicious fajitas.
Mexican food is always a favorite in my house, and I constantly find myself making recipes such as chicken enchilada casserole, chipotle barbacoa, chicken taquitos and steak fajitas.
I happen to love fajitas; they’re easy to make, packed with flavor, and the whole family can customize them to their own tastes. This steak fajita marinade is my go-to for perfect fajitas each and every time. Looking for more great marinade recipes? Don’t miss my teriyaki marinade or BBQ chicken marinade!
Table of Contents
Steak Fajita Marinade Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need olive oil, water, lime juice, sugar, salt, cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, soy sauce and pepper.
How Do You Make Steak Fajitas?
Place all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or resealable bag. Stir well to combine, then add steak and veggies to the bowl or bag. Cover the bowl or seal the bag, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 8 hours for maximum tenderness. Remove the steak and vegetables from the bag and grill or pan sear as desired. Let the steak rest, then cut it into thin slices and serve with the veggies.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- This recipe works best with whole steaks. I do not recommend slicing the beef before it goes into the marinade.
- You can use whatever fajita vegetables you like in the marinade. I typically do a combination of onion, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers and poblano peppers.
- I recommend marinating the meat for 6-8 hours for the best results.
- Be sure to let the steak rest after it’s cooked, then cut it against the grain into thin slices.
- This recipe makes enough marinade to coat one pound of steak and 2 cups of sliced vegetables.
- Serve plenty of toppings on the side such as black beans, charro beans, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, or diced avocado, Mexican rice, diced tomatoes or fresh cilantro. Don’t forget the corn tortillas or flour tortillas!
Quick Tip
Do not leave your meat in the marinade for more than 8 hours. The acid from the lime juice can start to alter the texture of the meat after that time period.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to tenderize steak for fajitas is to coat it in a marinade that contains citrus. The acid from the citrus juice will help to break down the meat a bit and make it more tender.
I prefer to use quick cooking, flavorful cuts of beef for fajitas such as skirt steak, flank steak and sirloin.
You should cook whole steaks for fajitas, then cut it into slices once it’s reached your desired temperature.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can certainly customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Fresh Herbs: Feel free to add a handful of herbs such as chopped cilantro leaves or sliced green onions. You can also add dried herbs such as dried oregano.
- Hot & Spicy: If you prefer a spicy marinade, add a few dashes of hot sauce or minced canned chipotle peppers to taste.
- Citrus: While lime juice is a classic pairing with Mexican food, you can add some lemon or orange juice to the mix for a different flavor. Even pineapple juice is a great option!
- Protein: This marinade also works with other types of protein such as shrimp, chicken breast or pork tenderloin.
Once you try this steak fajita marinade, you’ll find yourself making it on a regular basis for a dinner that the whole family will love.
More Great Mexican Recipes
Mexican Casserole
1 hr 5 mins
Vegetarian Fajitas
25 mins
Carne Guisada Recipe
2 hrs 45 mins
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
11 mins
Cheese Enchiladas Recipe
55 mins
Love This Recipe?
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Steak Fajita Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder use mild chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or resealable bag, then stir to thoroughly combine.
- Add 1 pound of steak and 2 cups of sliced vegetables to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the bag.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
- Cook steak and vegetables as desired. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices and serve.
Notes
- This recipe works best with whole steaks. I do not recommend slicing the steak before it goes into the marinade.
- You can use whatever fajita vegetables you like in the marinade. I typically do a combination of onion, red and yellow bell peppers and poblano peppers.
- I recommend marinating the meat for 6-8 hours for the best results.
THIS > Fajita marinade adds a burst of delicious seasoning to the meat, making every bite a fiesta of flavors!
This marinade was awesome!! It really did pack so much flavor into our fajitas! Made this for dinner tonight and it was great!
Fajitas are my all time favorite and I will definitely be using this recipe again! So simple and full of flavor!
I absolutely love this seasoning. I used it to make chicken fajitas and it was just amazing! Thank you for the great recipe!
Delicious marinade! Thanks for the great recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.