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Fajitas with steak and veggies served with tortillas, cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
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Chili's Copycat Steak Fajitas

Marinated skirt steak seared hot and served with sauteed peppers, onions, and all the classic fajita toppings.
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword Grilled, one-pot, Party Food, Spicy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 520kcal
Author Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

Steak

  • 2 pounds inside skirt steak
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

Peppers and Onions

  • 1 large sweet yellow onion
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced ½-inch
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced ½-inch
  • 1 orange bell pepper sliced ½-inch
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil vegetable or avocado (Divided use)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire added to vegetables while cooking
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice added at end of vegetable cook

For Serving

  • ½ cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup pico de gallo
  • flour tortillas

Instructions

  • Marinate the Steak: In a bowl or large zip-top bag, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lime juice, chopped garlic, and brown sugar. Whisk or stir until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
  • Add the skirt steak to the marinade, turning to coat it evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor. Turn the steak halfway through marinating if possible.
  • Prepare the Peppers and Onions: Slice the onion and bell peppers into ½-inch strips.
  • In a separate bowl or zip-top bag, combine the neutral oil, water, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the sliced onion and peppers, then toss until evenly coated. Let the vegetables marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
  • Cook the Steak: Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking so it can warm up a bit. Remove it from the marinade and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Discard the used marinade.
  • Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot and nearly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the steak in the skillet and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until a dark crust forms. Do not move the steak while it is searing.
  • Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice it thinly against the grain before serving.
  • Cook the Peppers and Onions: While the steak rests, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly charred around the edges. Discard the vegetable marinade.
  • Finish the vegetables with 1 teaspoon of lime juice and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
  • Serve the Fajitas: For sizzling service, heat a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until very hot. Carefully add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet. It will steam immediately. Add the sliced steak and cooked peppers and onions to the hot skillet and serve right away on a heat-proof trivet.
  • Warm the flour tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 30 seconds.
  • Serve the steak, peppers, and onions with warm tortillas, shredded Colby-Jack cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and lime wedges.

Recipe Tips

  • Before marinating, trim any visible fat and silvery gristle from the skirt steak so the marinade can penetrate the meat directly. Skirt steak has long, visible muscle fibers running in one direction, so take note of that grain before it goes into the marinade. After cooking, you'll slice against those fibers rather than parallel to them, which is what keeps the finished steak tender instead of stringy. 
  • Keep the steak at medium-rare. Skirt steak has looser muscle fibers than cuts like ribeye, and pushing it past medium turns it chewy fast.
  • Let the cast-iron skillet get properly hot and slightly smoking before the steak goes in. A cooler pan means the beef steams instead of searing, and you lose the browned crust.
  • The splash of water in the sizzle-platter step creates the audible sizzle and steam Chili's is known for, but it's purely presentation. Skip it and the dish tastes the same.
  • Resting the steak both before cooking (to room temperature) and after cooking (on the cutting board) matters just as much as the sear itself for a juicy result.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 1193mg | Potassium: 763mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1637IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 5mg
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