Fajitas are such an easy dish and this one is so flavorful that you will make it again and again. The marinade has orange juice and lime juice and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I use flank steak because it's lean. The key to keeping your steak juicy is to make sure that you cut it against the grain.
This is one of the first recipes I made when I started doing cooking demonstrations in corporate settings. I really liked it because it was easy and delicious. And if you don't count the marinading time, it's really quick.
Flank steak is a really lean cut of beef. It's more lean than skirt steak so it's good for a low fat diet. Because it's so lean, make sure you don't overcook your steak and cut against the grain to keep the steak moist.
Marinade the steak for only a couple of hours. You don't want the acid in the orange and lime juice to start to breakdown the meat. Just like with any meat, bring your meat to room temperature before you grill it because you don't want to shock your meat. Introduce it to the heat in a loving and nurturing way. LOL
In this recipe, I use a simple seasoning to grill the peppers and onions. It's only salt and pepper and lime juice. It's lovely to taste the flavors of the vegetables and let them complement this yummy and uber-flavorful steak.
Cutting against the grain of the meat is the only way to make this dish yummy. If you cut along the grain of the meat it will result in tough and chewy results. In the pictures below the grains of the meat and running horizontally (left to right). Cutting against the grain is cutting perpendicular (top to bottom).
This recipe brings a lot of flavor. There is the smokey flavor through the chipotle peppers and a hint of spice with the peppers and adobo sauce. Then the citrus tastes are underlining and when you combine it all together, it's pure magic.
Chipotle Steak Fajitas
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
Juice of 1 Orange
Juice of 2 Limes
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
3 Chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
1 tsp Adobo sauce
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Dash of black pepper
1 1/2 lb Flank steak
1 tsp Salt
3 Bell Peppers, one of each color
1 Medium onion
Juice of 1 Lime
Directions
1. Blend juice of orange and 2 limes, olive oil, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cilantro, cumin, brown sugar and pepper in a blender until smooth consistency.
2. Place flank steak into a resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and massage marinade all over steak. Allow steak to marinate in refrigerator 2 - 4 hours.
3. Bring steak out of refrigeration about an hour before cooking to allow to get to room temperature.
4. Wipe off excess marinade and season steak with salt.
5. Preheat grill to high heat or 500 degrees. Grill steak 4 - 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and allow to rest 10 - 15 minutes on a cutting board. Slice against the grain to serve (See notes above).
6. While steak is resting, spray grill non-stick spray on a grill pan. Heat pan on grill and add sliced bell peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stir frequently, until just begginning to wilt. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime on peppers and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from grill pan to serving platter.
7. Serve steak and peppers with warm tortillas, guacamole (find recipe here) and sour cream. Enjoy!