Fajita Marinade

This flavorful fajita marinade is perfect for grilling or roasting chicken and steak for fajitas, tacos and more.

Fajitas are a delicious Tex-Mex dish that are easier to make at home than you might think! For the best fajitas you have ever had, you have got to try out this fajita marinade!

This marinade works perfectly for either chicken or steak. Or you could get even more creative and try it with shrimp or veggies.

What Are Fajitas?

Fajitas (pronounced ‘fa-hee-tas’) were first introduced by workers who lived in Texas but were originally from Mexico.

At the time, these workers were poorly paid and given the cheaper cuts of steak  which they named ‘fajas’ (meaning 'belt').

As this steak was often quite tough, the workers would use lime to help tenderize it, then they would grill it.

In the 1970s, peppers and onions were introduced to the dish and what we now know as fajitas were born!

Cooking the Meat for Fajitas

Cooking fajitas for a crowd is always a good choice as you easily can prepare a lot of them in one go. It's also fun for everyone to assemble their fajitas and enjoy them together.

We prefer to cook both steak and chicken for fajitas so people have a choice.

The first step is to marinate  your meat using the simple recipe below. Once the meat is ready, start cooking the chicken first as it takes the longest.

To cook our chicken, we brown one side of the chicken and turn it over; then, we reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid.

This helps to keep the chicken juicy and tender. Set the chicken aside and cover it with foil once it is done and you can then move onto cooking the steak.

We use the same pan to cook the steak, then set it aside to rest with the chicken. Meanwhile, we fry up some onions and peppers, with a few sliced jalapeños thrown in for some added heat. 

What To Serve with Fajitas?

Now that you have the essential components cooked up and ready, it’s time to consider what to serve alongside your fajitas.

Sliced limes and grapefruits are good accompaniments and give guests the choice to add some extra flavor to their fajitas.

Sour cream is often a popular addition too, but we like to take this a step further by spicing it up with some ground cinnamon.

Cheese is a must in fajitas! We like to have a few varieties available, with grated cheddar and grated pepperjack our favorite options.

The one you prefer will depend on whether you want to keep your fajitas spicy or mild.

Salsa is also a standard accompaniment, but be sure to serve mild, spicy and hot salsas so your guests can top their fajitas to their preferences.

Guacamole helps bring out the flavors in the fajitas, so we love to add a hearty dollop of that too.

Finally, of course, you need to bring out some warm tortillas. Now you can arrange your spread and let everyone get building!