There are nights when I want to cook… and nights when I want food to magically appear. Fajita tacos live perfectly in between. They’re my fallback meal, my crowd-pleaser, my “I didn’t plan dinner but I still want it to be good” recipe. They’re loud. They sizzle. They make the house smell amazing. And somehow, no matter how many times I make them, people still act surprised by how good they are. I’ll take the compliment.

This is how I make fajita tacos when I want something fun, flavorful, and just a little messy.

What will you need?

• ribeye steak
• salt
• beef tallow or lard
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chili powder
• brown sugar
• red bell pepper, julienned
• yellow bell pepper, julienned
• green bell pepper, julienned
• white onion, cut into slices
• corn tortillas, warmed for serving
• avocados, smashed with salt and lime, for serving
• Pico de gallo, (pg. xx) for serving
• Lime, for serving

How to make it

Season all sides of the steak with ½ tsp of salt. Use more salt if needed. Place on a wire rack and in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to overnight. This is called a dry brine and will result in a more tender and juicy steak. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat a large skillet up on medium-high and add in the beef tallow. Once the pan starts to smoke, lay in the steak. Flip every minute until a crust forms on both sides. This will take about 5-6 minutes. Turn the steak on its side and sear each side for about 1 minute to render the fat.

Place the steak on a wire rack. Whisk together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and brown sugar. Dust all sides of the steak with the spices, leaving about 2 tsp left over for later. Place the steak in a 275˚F oven until it reaches your desired internal temperature. I prefer medium for this (140˚F). An instant read thermometer or probe is recommended. Remove the steak from the oven and let rest while you sauté the peppers and onion.  

Heat the same pan you seared the steak in to medium and add in the bell peppers, onion, ½ tsp of salt, and 2 tsp of the remaining spice mix. Sauté until the veggies start to char and soften. About 7 minutes.

Slice the rested steak into ½ inch slices.

To serve, add warmed tortillas to a plate and spread some of the smashed avocado over. Add in some of the sautéed peppers and onions followed by some slices of steak. Top with pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime.

Fajita Tacos

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: intermediate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ribeye steak

• 1 tsp salt, divided

• 2 tbsp beef tallow or lard

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 2 tsp brown sugar

• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

• 1 green bell pepper, julienned

• 1 white onion, cut into slices

• 6-8 corn tortillas, warmed for serving

• 1-2 avocados, smashed with salt and lime, for serving

• Pico de gallo, for serving

• Lime, for serving

Directions

• Season all sides of the steak with ½ tsp of salt. Use more salt if needed. Place on a wire rack and in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to overnight. This is called a dry brine and will result in a more tender and juicy steak. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Heat a large skillet up on medium-high and add in the beef tallow. Once the pan starts to smoke, lay in the steak. Flip every minute until a crust forms on both sides. This will take about 5-6 minutes. Turn the steak on its side and sear each side for about 1 minute to render the fat.
• Place the steak on a wire rack. Whisk together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and brown sugar. Dust all sides of the steak with the spices, leaving about 2 tsp left over for later. Place the steak in a 275˚F oven until it reaches your desired internal temperature. I prefer medium for this (140˚F). An instant read thermometer or probe is recommended. Remove the steak from the oven and let rest while you sauté the peppers and onion.  
• Heat the same pan you seared the steak in to medium and add in the bell peppers, onion, ½ tsp of salt, and 2 tsp of the remaining spice mix. Sauté until the veggies start to char and soften. About 7 minutes.
• Slice the rested steak into ½ inch slices.
• To serve, add warmed tortillas to a plate and spread some of the smashed avocado over. Add in some of the sautéed peppers and onions followed by some slices of steak. Top with pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime.