By a very large margin, flank steak fajitas are my favorite Mexican food to cook on the grill. Read the description and you will soon see why. Try it, and you’ll agree.
This is another recipe that my wife, Patti, was essential in creating. She is a genius at combining flavors to create a mouth-watering taste. This is no exception.
What Makes this Fajita Marinade Great
This flank steak fajita marinade has been refined over many attempts and now I think it is absolutely perfect. Of course you can change it to add more or less spice; more or less sugar – that’s up to your taste buds to determine. Another great starting point, if you want to make chicken fajitas, could also be this Chili Lime Marinade from my friend Sharon.
This marinade the combination of Southwest flavors (chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder) with the brightness of the lemon juice. Using jalapenos along with the seeds brings enough heat that your mouth is going to pay attention!
When you combine these Southwest flavors with the natural “1-2 Punch” of beef soaked in Worcestershire sauce you are going to be making some seriously awesome steak!
The big bonus of this marinade is that there is no added sugar. The lack of sugar means you can sear the flank steak directly over high heat without worrying about the surface scorching from burnt sugar.
How to Grill Flank Steak Fajitas
The key to nailing this, beyond the marinade of course, is searing it to perfection. Similar to any other beef steak, if you overcook it, you’re in store for dry, tasteless meat.
I use Kingsford Competition Briquets for maximum heat when searing my flank steak. I had my grill near 500 degrees. Get that fire blazing, add a handful of wood (or smoke box for gas grill users) and slap that sucker on the grill. Hit it high and hard and fast. (For a Low and Slow approach see this recipe for Smoked Flank Steak!)
Below are two different techniques for grilling flank steak over high heat.
Whichever one you choose the key is to monitor the internal temperature with a digital thermometer and take it off the grill when it reaches an internal temperature of 135-140F. You really want the flank steak at about medium. It’s a tough cut of meat and will dry out quickly if you go much longer.
Grilling Method #1
Place the steak directly over the hot charcoal and when you’re seeing some blood trickling out the top, maybe some juices – after approximately 5 – 8 minutes – flip that bad boy.
Another 5 – 8 minutes on that side and you should be done.
The exact times are going to vary depending upon how much charcoal you used, how thick the flank steak is, etc.
Grilling Method #2
This method is more active than the first method and results in a more uniformly cooked steak. This method produces a steak that is Medium Rare almost all the way through the steak with very little overcooked grey meat on the surface.
Place the steak directly over the hot charcoal and let it cook for 90 seconds. Flip the steak every 90 seconds until it hits an internal temperature of 135-140F.
This might sound like a lot of flipping but in reality, a 12 minute cook will only require 8 flips.
Serve the Fajitas
Let the grilled flank steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
It is critical that you slice flank steak against the grain, as thinly as possible, in order to have tender meat for the fajitas.
Put together your fajita with some grilled Mexican style veggies! They are critically important for these to be extraordinarily good. We also added some shredded cheese, sliced jalapeno sour cream, plated with our Mexican rice and they really were extraordinary.
When it comes to what type of tortillas to use you will have a difficult decision to make. Corn tortillas bring a ton of flavor to this dish but can fall apart pretty easy. Flour tortillas do not bring a lot of flavor to the party but they are pliable and hold together much better.
What other toppings would you put on your grilled fajitas?
Flank Steak Fajita Marinade
Ingredients
For Flank Steak Fajita Marinade
- 1 Flank Steak
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1/3 c Olive Oil
- 3 tbs Worchestire Sauce
- 1 tbs Chili Powder
- 1 tbs Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Blended Chili Pepper mix or Ground Chipotle add 1/2 tsp for more heat
- 1/2 Juiced Lemon
- 1/2 Jalepeno - finely chopped with seeds
Extras To Make Fajitas
- Tortillas
- Grilled Mexican Veggies
- Cheddar Cheese or Mexican Cheese Mix
- Sour Cream
- - could also add guacamole salsa, lettuce, refried beans or other preferred toppings.
Instructions
- Marinate the flank steak for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Sear flank steak over extremely high heat - at least 400 degrees - for about 5 minutes per side until medium doneness.
- Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice against the grain into thin strips.
- Put into tortillas with your preferred toppings!