While restaurant fajitas are indeed a sizzling sight to behold, you're paying top dollar for that presentation. Whether you find yourself ordering steak, chicken, or the combo platter, Fajita Tacos is a recipe that pays to get under your belt. Rest assured, you can easily recreate everything you love about your favorite Mexican Restaurant's rendition in the convenience of your own home.
Below, you'll find the simplest cooking methods for both Steak and Chicken Fajita Tacos, plus those signature veggies to go on top! It's the perfect quick-fix weeknight dinner solution and great for casual entertaining!
Love Mexican food? Bookmark these dreamy Shrimp Tacos topped with a creamy chipotle sauce and our authentic Tacos al Carbon for your recipe line up!
WHAT IS A FAJITA TACO?
Fajita Tacos are tacos filled with grilled or pan-seared meat. They can be made with beef, chicken, or shrimp, wrapped in flour (or corn) tortillas, and come with a side of cooked peppers and onions.
If you love a good taco as much as we do, you are definitely going to want to try our baked tacos next!
HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM?
Here, you'll find recipes for both Beef and Chicken Fajita Tacos, both of which are quick to make and conveniently cook on the stovetop. You'll also find a recipe for sauteed peppers and onions to top off your protein of choice!
- Make the marinade.
- Add steak or chicken, as well as the marinade to a gallon-sized zip top bag and refrigerate for 1-8 hours. (If you prefer ground beef, make our taco meat recipe that comes together in under 15 minutes!)
- Pat the protein dry, rub with oil, and season.
- If using steak, sear it for about 5 minutes on the first side, flip and sear 4 minutes more. If using chicken, sear for about 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for about 3 minutes more.
- Remove the protein, add veggies to pan along with a little more oil, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
- Slice the meat, add it to the tortillas, and top with desired toppings.
For more Tex-Mex goodness, try our shrimp fajitas!
CAN YOU USE TACO SEASONING FOR FAJITAS?
The answer depends on the type of fajitas you're making.
- Use a marinade for beef.
- Use a marinade or taco seasoning (a.k.a. fajita seasoning) for chicken.
Beef has a much stronger flavor profile than chicken, and to penetrate it with that signature Tex-Mex flavor, you'll want to use a marinade.
Chicken, on the other hand, takes just fine to either a marinade or taco seasoning. Both taco seasoning and fajita seasoning use the same ingredients and are essentially the exact same thing.
Using taco seasoning to add flavor to chicken is a quicker and simpler route than using a marinade. In fact, we use this seasoning on our easy for Tacos de Pollo, and they always turn out fantastic.
However, a marinade results in deeply flavorful chicken. The call is yours, but rest assured -- they'll taste delicious either way.
DON'T FORGET THE PEPPERS AND ONIONS
If you want to recreate an authentic Mexican restaurant experience at home, add a little extra oil to the pan once the meat comes out and throw in some sliced peppers and onions. For a colorful combination, use a mix of red and green bell peppers, as well as a white or yellow onion.
MORE TOPPING IDEAS:
You'll almost always find grated Cheddar cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream served with Fajita Tacos. But, if you want to take taco night to the next level, check out these options below! For more delicious dinner ideas, check out these Dinner Recipes next!
Velveeta Cheese Dip Recipe
Salsa Fresca
Chipotle Sauce
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Authentic Chimichurri Sauce | Recipe
6 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas
- Homemade Beef Chimichangas
- Steak Quesadillas
- Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- Beef Empanadas
- Chicken Flautas
Fajita Tacos (with Steak or Chicken)
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice about 6-8 limes
- 2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems (about 1 bunch of cilantro)
- 2 jalapeños roughly chopped (seeds intact)
- ½ white onion roughly chopped
- 5 large cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt + 1 ½ teaspoon, separated
- 1 tablespoon black pepper + 1 teaspoon, separated
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup canola or avocado oil + 4 tablespoons, separated
- 2 pounds sirloin steak or 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
FOR THE FAJITA VEGGIES
- ½ white onion cut into ¼" strips
- ½ red bell pepper cut into ¼" strips
- ½ green bell pepper cut into ¼" strips
Instructions
FOR THE MARINADE:
- Add the lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños, white onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin, as well as a ¼ cup of water to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Slowly drizzle in a ¼ cup of oil, whisking with the tines of a fork to combine.
- Place the steak or chicken in a gallon-sized ziptop bag, pour over the marinade, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Do not combine 2 different proteins in one bag.
- Remove the protein from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub all over to adhere, and set aside until ready to use.
FOR STEAK:
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a large, skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once the oil has come to temperature, sear the steak for 4 - 5 minutes on the first side, turn and sear for 3 - 4 minutes more. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Then, slice the beef as thin as possible (cutting against the grain) and set aside.
FOR CHICKEN:
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil has come to temperature, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes. Turn each thigh and cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until fully cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cooking in batches if necessary. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes, then slice the chicken as thin as possible (cutting against the grain) and set aside.
COOK THE VEGGIES:
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and peppers. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and black pepper, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
ASSEMBLE THE TACOS:
- Add your protein of choice to a tortilla, top with veggies, and other taco toppings, if desired.
Nutrition
Jessica says
Made these for Taco Tuesday last night and they were an instant hit! My toddler asked for more today for lunch, but there weren't leftovers.
Renee Goerger says
These have become a Tuesday staple at my house. They're so, so good!