Who doesn't love Chili's steak fajitas? They're a Tex-Mex classic! Now you can make them at home with this Chili's steak fajita recipe using flank steak. It's a quick and easy dinner with restaurant quality taste!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Looking for an easy, weeknight-friendly meal that will please the whole family? Try Chili's steak fajitas. This dish is simple to make and can be tailored to your liking, whether you're a fan of spice or not.
The best way to make them at home is with a cast iron skillet. This gives the steak fajitas that perfect crispy texture on the outside and they stay juicy and delicious on the inside.
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Ingredients
Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.
- Flank steak - (you can also use London Broil or Chuck steak)
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
- Liquid smoke
- Soy sauce - You will use soy sauce to make the marinade as well as when cooking the fajitas. We'll give you the amounts in the recipe card below.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fajita Seasoning - Try our homemade Mexican Fajita Seasoning Mix!
- Garlic, fresh - crushed
- Cayenne pepper
- Onion
- Green Bell pepper
- Yellow Bell pepper
- Red Bell pepper
- Water
- Whole Wheat Tortillas - our homemade tortilla recipe is quick and easy to make!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Replicate Chili's Fajitas
Make restaurant quality fajitas right at home with this Chili's Steak Fajitas copycat recipe. The freshly made marinade is the key to these delicious fajitas.
Slice the onion and peppers
- You will make the marinade first the night before so the meat can absorb the flavors. The next day, you will process with the rest of the recipe.
- Place thinly sliced beef in a sealed container with the marinade and refrigerate for an hour to overnight.
- Slice the bell peppers and onion into slices about ½" wide.
Sear The Meat
- First drain the marinade off, and pat the steak dry. Heat your grill, pan, or broiler.
- Season the steak with salt & pepper. To prevent over cooked meat, sear it first quickly on both sides. Then, slice it in thin slices across the grain.
Toss with the steak strips
- Saute the onions, garlic, and the bell pepper until softened. Transfer to a bowl. Toss with the steak slices and season to taste.
- Serve on flour tortillas with Easy Pico de Gallo and our 4-ingredient Guacamole recipes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these delicious, replicated steak fajitas with hot, soft Whole Wheat Tortillas, some Easy Pico De Gallo, 4-Ingredient Guacamole, and Cilantro Lime Coleslaw for a full meal!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Substitutions and Variations
You can change the meat and make a variety of other popular Chili's fajitas!
- Chicken - Marinate four large chicken breasts. Drain the marinade and pat the meat dry. Slice and sear on the cast iron grill skillet. Toss with the bell peppers and onions and serve the same as the steak fajitas recipe.
- Shrimp - Marinate 2 lbs of peel raw shrimp. Drain the marinade off and pat them dry. Saute the shrimp until pink and set aside until the bell peppers and onions are cooked. Toss together and serve.
- Steak & Shrimp - Add some peeled raw shrimp to the steak when it is marinating. Drain the marinade, pat the steak and the shrimp dry. Sear and cook the steak first, adding the shrimp the last 3 to 4 minutes.
Equipment
This cast iron grill skillet is ideal, as it allows your steak to get a crisp seared edge and up out of it's liquid that get released when the meat cells shrink and squeeze out their juices.
Be sure to drain the marinade off the steak, and to pat it dry with paper towels before throwing it on the oiled, hot skillet.
Storage
Steak fajitas store well in the refrigerator. The bell peppers and onions don't hold up as nicely as when first cooked, but they retain their flavor.
It's better to just freeze the meat and cook fresh vegetables when ready to serve the left over steak, shrimp, or chicken fajita leftovers.
Tips for Success
Slice the vegetables and bag them in a zip lock bag the night before. Make the marinade and marinate the meat the evening before also. The next day searing and cooking the meat and vegetables will be a snap!
Frequently Asked Questions
Shrimp cook very quickly and turn into rubber when over cooked. If making the Chili's Steak & Shrimp Fajitas, add the shrimp to the skillet when the steak is almost ready.
For convenience, I recommend mixing the marinade and meat the night before. That way you use your sleep time to marinate. If you forget, just try to let the meat marinate at least 30 minutes.
Yes, be sure to marinate it after trimming the tough gristle and fat band off of it. Round steak will benefit from longer marinating.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Chili's Steak Fajitas
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 - 3 lbs Flank Steak (or Chuck, or London Broil)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Fajitas
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 16 Flour tortillas
Instructions
For the Marinade
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag, vacuum seal bag, or shallow plastic tub with a lid.3 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 cloves garlic, minced, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the steak to the bag and seal. Set in a bowl to ensure no leaking and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but over night is even better.2 - 3 lbs Flank Steak
Making the Fajitas
- Preheat a cast iron grill skillet on medium - high. One with ridges and grooves. This will let any liquid drain away from the meat and give a sear edge to the steak.
- Saute the onions and peppers with 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking. Add the lime juice, soy sauce, and the water. Cook for about 5 minutes. Salt to taste and transfer to a plate or bowl.1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon water, salt to taste
- Remove the steak from the marinade. Pat it dry with paper towels. Season with salt & pepper.salt to taste, pepper to taste
- In the empty skillet, add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat to medium - high. Add the steak that you patted dry earlier. Sear on both sides for about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and slice thinly on the cross grain.1 large onion, sliced, 1 red bell pepper, sliced, 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced, 1 green bell pepper, sliced, 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Add back to the skillet, but turn the heat off. Add the sauteed onions and bell peppers. Toss to mix well and serve. Use a heat proof trivet if placing the skillet on the table or counter.
- Serve with hot steamed flour tortillas, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo to create a Fajita meal.
Rachel says
When do you use the 1/3 cup of marinade that you say to set aside?
Kelly Bloom says
Thank you for catching that! You won't need to reserve any marinade. I deleted that from the recipe. When I was making it I was concerned the meat would cook up and need more moisture, but they don't. I meant to remove that sentence and forgot to. Just marinate the meat, and then cook it in the skillet.