Fajita Marinade for Chicken and Steak

Name: Fajita Marinade for Chicken and Steak
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 large limes, strained of seeds; ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely minced or grated; 1 tablespoon (8 g) chili powder; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 2 teaspoons (5 g) smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano; 1 tablespoon (12 g) light brown sugar, packed; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce; 1½ teaspoons (5 g) kosher salt, fine-grained Morton style; use 2 teaspoons (7 g) if using Diamond Crystal; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) cayenne pepper (optional); 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped, tender stems included; 1 pound (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry; 1 pound (450 g) skirt steak or flank steak, trimmed of silver skin and cut across into 2 or 3 pieces that fit your pan; 2 large (400 g) bell peppers, assorted colors, stemmed, seeded and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) strips; 1 large (250 g) large yellow onion, halved and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) wedges; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) avocado oil or other high-heat oil, divided: 1 tablespoon per batch

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, smoky lime-and-garlic marinade that works for both chicken and steak. It's seasoned with chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. This recipe includes the full method for searing the meat with peppers and onions, so you get sizzling fajitas.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 2 hr 10 min
Total: 3 hr
Makes: About ¾ cup (180 ml) marinade, enough for 2 lb (900 g) meat. Serves 6 as fajitas.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the marinade
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 large limes, strained of seeds
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
1 tablespoon (8 g) chili powder
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano
1 tablespoon (12 g) light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
1½ teaspoons (5 g) kosher salt, fine-grained Morton style; use 2 teaspoons (7 g) if using Diamond Crystal
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped, tender stems included
For the fajitas
1 pound (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry
1 pound (450 g) skirt steak or flank steak, trimmed of silver skin and cut across into 2 or 3 pieces that fit your pan
2 large (400 g) bell peppers, assorted colors, stemmed, seeded and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) strips
1 large (250 g) large yellow onion, halved and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) wedges
3 tablespoons (45 ml) avocado oil or other high-heat oil, divided: 1 tablespoon per batch

Equipment (8)

Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
2 gallon-size (3.8 L) zip-top bags or 2 shallow containers with lids
12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet or heavy skillet
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer
Cutting board and sharp knife
Rimmed plate or baking sheet for holding cooked food

Steps

Before you start

Squeeze fresh limes (about 2 large) for ¼ cup (60 ml) juice. Bottled juice tastes flat and harsh.
Marinate chicken for 2 to 4 hours and steak for 2 to 6 hours. The lime juice makes the meat mushy if it sits longer.
Use two separate zip-top bags or containers so raw chicken juices never touch the steak. Use separate tongs and cutting boards for each.
Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so it sears rather than steams.

1
Whisk the marinade
- In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, brown sugar, soy sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, cilantro and the cayenne if using.
- Whisk for about 30 seconds until the mixture looks cloudy and slightly thick, with the sugar and salt dissolved.
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Ready when: Salt and sugar dissolved, marinade looks evenly blended and thick.
Tip: Oil and lime juice separate quickly, so give the marinade a quick re-whisk just before you pour it.
2
Bag the meat
- Pour half of the marinade (about ⅓ cup / 80 ml) into one zip-top bag and add the chicken thighs.
- Pour the remaining half into a second bag and add the steak pieces.
- Press out the air, seal and massage each bag so every surface of the meat is coated.
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Ready when: Meat is fully coated with no dry spots.
Tip: Label the bags or put the chicken on a separate shelf. Wash your hands after handling raw chicken.
3
Marinate in fridge
- Lay the bags flat on a plate or tray in the refrigerator.
- Marinate for 2 hours.
- You can go up to 4 hours for the chicken and up to 6 hours for the steak.
- Flip the bags once halfway through.
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Ready when: Meat looks deeply colored and smells strongly of lime and spice.
Tip: Don't exceed the times. Lime juice starts to break down the surface of the meat and makes it mushy.
4
Prep the vegetables
- Slice the bell peppers and onion.
- Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- Lift each piece out of its bag and let the excess marinade drip off.
- Discard the used marinade.
- Do not reuse it or boil it as a sauce.
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Ready when: Vegetables evenly cut into ½-inch strips; meat looks only lightly coated, not dripping.
Tip: Excess marinade on the meat burns and makes steam, which stops a good sear.
5
Char peppers and onion
- Heat the skillet over high heat for 3 minutes until very hot.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil, then the peppers and onion.
- Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring only every minute or so, until they have charred spots and are crisp-tender.
- Move them to a plate and tent with foil.
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Ready when: Edges are charred, vegetables bend but still have a little crunch.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan. Work in two batches if the vegetables are piled more than 2 layers deep.
6
Sear the chicken
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-high.
- Add the chicken in a single layer.
- Cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes until deeply browned, flip and cook another 5 to 6 minutes.
- Check the thickest part with a thermometer.
- Move to a cutting board.
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Ready when: Deep brown crust on both sides and 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
Tip: If the marinade sugars blacken or smoke heavily, lower the heat slightly.
7
Sear the steak
- Wipe the pan if it is very dark, then heat it over high for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the steak.
- Skirt steak takes 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Flank steak takes 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Cook to 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium.
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Ready when: Dark crust on both sides; thermometer reads 130–140°F (54–60°C), and the temperature climbs about 5°F as it rests.
Tip: Cook in batches if the steak pieces touch. Crowding steams the meat.
8
Rest the meat
- Let the chicken and steak rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil.
- Juices settle back into the meat during this time.
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Ready when: No pool of juice runs out when you press the meat lightly.
Tip: Slicing too early leaves the meat dry and the board wet.
9
Slice and serve
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain at a slight angle.
- Slice the chicken into ½-inch (1.25 cm) strips.
- Pile the meat and the peppers and onion on a hot platter and serve right away with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.
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Ready when: Steak slices are short, tender strands, not long, chewy fibers.
Tip: Look for the lines running along the steak, then cut across them, not parallel.

Good to know

Tips

Use a very hot, heavy pan. Cast iron gives the best char and holds heat well when cold meat hits it.
Slice steak against the grain. Even a perfectly cooked skirt steak is chewy if sliced with the grain.
Never reuse marinade that has touched raw meat as a sauce. If you want a sauce, set aside a few tablespoons of fresh marinade before adding the meat and simmer it for 3 minutes.
Pat chicken dry first and let excess marinade drip off the meat, so it browns instead of steaming.

Make ahead

"Whisk the marinade up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Re-whisk before using. You can also freeze the meat in its marinade bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge. The thawing time counts toward marinating time, so don't marinate it longer after it thaws."

Storage & reheating

"Cooked fajita meat and vegetables keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of water or oil until hot. Freeze cooked meat for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge. Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Uncooked marinade (before it touches raw meat) keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days."

Substitutions

fresh lime juice → Fresh orange juice (2 tablespoons) plus fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons). Gives a slightly sweeter, less sharp flavor but still tenderizes.
smoked paprika → Regular sweet paprika. You lose the smokiness; add a pinch more cumin to compensate.
soy sauce → Worcestershire sauce. Same quantity; adds savory depth.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side to 165°F (74°C). Breasts dry out faster, so marinate no longer than 4 hours.