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Fajitas Tips
- Preheat the grill before beginning to cook.
- If grilling shrimp, fish, or vegetables, use a grill basket to prevent the food from falling through the grate.
- If you don't have a grill, you can sauté the meat on the stove top.
- Match marinade flavors to the meat. Use a stronger flavored marinade for beef, a lighter one for shrimp.
- Mix different colored peppers for an attractive presentation.
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A fajita consists of meat or chicken, topped with vegetables and condiments, rolled up in a flour tortilla. Originally developed by Mexican cowboys as a way to use up tough cuts of meat, the term fajita now generally refers to any food prepared in this manner.
Traditional fajitas are made with skirt steak, a tough cut of beef that was marinated to tenderize it, grilled, and sliced very thinly. They were allegedly created by vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, who would roll the meat up in tortillas for a simple meal on the trail. Fajitas are still a great way to use inexpensive cuts of tough meat, but can also be made with chicken, shrimp, or even tofu.
If you've enjoyed fajitas in a Mexican restaurant, and would like to make them at home, this page can help! Read on to learn how to make fajitas in your own kitchen. -
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How to Make Fajitas
According to chef Jason Hill, a great marinade is key to making delicious fajitas. In this video, he walks you through how t ... read moreAccording to chef Jason Hill, a great marinade is key to making delicious fajitas. In this video, he walks you through how to make a marinade sure to make your fajitas tasty, and then he walks you through how to make the fajitas themselves. This marinade will work for either chicken or steak. You should be prepared to allow the marinade to chill for about an hour before using it on any kind of meat.
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Step 1: What You'll Need for Fajitas
Ingredients- For each person, plan on:
- 4-8 ounces of meat (or tofu)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup of marinade
- 2-4 tortillas
- 1/2-1 green or red pepper
- 1/2-1 onion
- Cooking oil
- Shredded cheese
- Condiments such as pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomato
Equipment- Sealable bag to marinate the meat
- Grill and tongs to cook the meat
- Aluminum foil to warm the tortillas.
- Frying pan and spoon to sauté the onions and peppers
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Step 2: How to Make Fajitas
- Combine the meat and the marinade the night before. The length of time you'll need to marinate depends on what you're using.
- If using fish or shrimp, you'll only need to marinate it for 30 minutes to an hour for flavor.
- A tough cut of beef should be marinated at least 24 hours, in order to tenderize it.
- Sauté the onions and peppers in oil until soft.
- Warm the tortillas by wrapping them in foil and placing them off to the side of the grill while you are cooking the meat.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and grill until done. Discard the marinade.
- Slice the meat thinly, across the grain, and toss with the peppers and onions.
- Allow your guests to assemble their own fajitas, placing a scoop of meat mixture on the tortillas, and topping with cheese, condiments, and vegetables as desired, before rolling it up.
- Combine the meat and the marinade the night before. The length of time you'll need to marinate depends on what you're using.
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Step 3: Fun Things to Do with Fajitas
Fajitas are fun to make and eat, and more than that, you can make an entire event around them. Use fajitas as your main dish at a celebratory Cinco De Mayo party or a Mexican themed summer beach blowout. Add other Mexican dishes such as rice and beans, flautas and chimichangas. For drinks, think about serving margaritas (both virgin and non-virgin) and Mojitos.
Allowing your guests to assemble their own fajitas as suggested in Step 2 adds an extra touch of fun to the meal. -
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