We love Mexican food. It's fresh, easy, and budget-friendly. For these Fajitas, I like to use flank steak, but skirt or hangar steak (or even a london broil sliced in half horizontally) will be delicious. If you are so inclined, use boneless, skinless chicken. Be sure to slice the meat across the grain for tender Fajitas. The results will be fantastic! The key to making them irresistible is cooking the onions and peppers in a cast iron skillet.* Not only does it make your house smell incredible, the cast iron imparts a flavor no other pan can replicate. After you're done with the onions and peppers, just toss the meat into the same pan. Easy, flavorful, and delicious. Yum!
Marinade for Fajitas
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tsp. lime zest (about 1 lime)
Juice from one lime
~1/4 cup chopped red or sweet white onion, like Vidalia
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place the marinade in a ziplock bag with ~1-2 lbs flank steak (or whatever meat you choose). Marinate in the fridge for a few hours (overnight is great) or, in a pinch, on the counter for about an hour, turning occasionally.
Before cooking, wipe off excess marinade** and spray the meat with oil.
Cook the flank steak in a cast iron pan for 3-5 minutes per side, to the doneness preferred. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices across the grain. Serve with cooked veggies and warmed tortillas.
* Of course, grilling is perfectly acceptable, too. We eat these year round, so I just make them in a cast iron skillet so I don't freeze during the winter. :)
** I usually pour some of the leftover marinade onto the onions & peppers and reheat them to temperature while the meat is resting. Don't waste any flavor!!
Recipe adapted from Apron Strings