Fajita Marinade

Why you’ll love this fajita marinade recipe

Why settle for bland steak fajitas, chicken fajitas, or shrimp fajitas when this marinade guarantees melt-in-your-mouth and flavor-packed meat every time?

• It uses easy, everyday ingredients. Like a chicken thigh marinade or lamb chop marinade, this is a quick and easy marinade made from ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
• It’s better than store-bought. Making this marinade with fresh ingredients is the best way to upgrade the chicken, shrimp, or steak for your fajitas. I recommend swapping the store-bought seasoning packets for ground seasonings to achieve the most balanced and authentic-tasting marinade.
• It is very versatile. It’s a delicious multi-purpose meat marinade with shrimp, chicken, and steak. Plus, you can make it as mild or hot as you want!

Ingredients needed

These ingredients stay the same whether you’re making chicken, steak, or shrimp fajitas. This is what you’ll need:

• Sugar. This helps balance the acidity and tenderize the meat, as well as forms a caramelized crust around the outside.
• Fajita seasonings. You need a fragrant mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper.
• Olive oil. This adds fat and flavor to the meat, as well as helps make every bite tender and juicy.
• Lime juice. The citric acid will tenderize the meat and brighten up every flavor of the dish.
• Water. It thins the ingredients into a smooth, wet marinade.

How to make fajita marinade

It will take you no time at all to make this easy marinade. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Mix the fajita seasonings. Stir the sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, dried oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
2. Combine with wet ingredients. Add the olive oil, lime juice, and water to the bowl and whisk well.

You’re then free to use the marinade on any fajita meat (or tofu for vegetarian fajitas) you like.

Steak fajitas

The best cut of beef for steak fajitas is skirt and flank steak. Sirloin, flat iron, and Denver steak also work.

1. Add the steak strips to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic, and place it in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the marinated steak strips in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping and adding the sliced bell peppers and onions.
3. Continue cooking until the steak reaches your desired doneness and the veggies are tender.

Chicken fajitas

You will need sliced chicken breasts or thighs and sliced peppers and onions to make chicken fajitas.

1. Add the chicken strips to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in the skillet, adding the peppers and onions in the last 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink and the veggies are tender.

Shrimp fajitas

Use peeled and deveined shrimp and sliced peppers and onions to make easy shrimp fajitas.

1. Add the shrimp to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 10 to 30 minutes.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated shrimp with the peppers and onions until the shrimp is pink and the veggies are tender.

Flavor variations

• Mild fajitas. This fajita marinade isn’t super spicy, but you can omit the cayenne pepper and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of orange juice or pineapple juice to cool it off.
• Spicy fajitas. Use more cayenne or add chili powder, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce for a more piquant marinade. Or switch out the dry fajita seasonings with taco seasoning for extra spice.

Storage instructions

To store: Combine the dry fajita seasonings with the wet ingredients and keep the mixture in a sealed jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

To freeze: Pour the unused fajita marinade into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Let it thaw in the fridge before using it.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Slice the meat first. It’s much easier than having to slice the chicken or steak after it is soaked in the marinade. To make slicing the meat even easier, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes beforehand.
• Marinate in a resealable bag. This way, you avoid a mess and there aren’t any dishes to clean in the end.
• Bring the marinated meat to room temperature before cooking. This will help the meat cook more evenly and prevent it from sticking to the pan.

Frequently asked questions