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Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas Recipe

J. Kenji López-Alt
Published: Last Updated:
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas Recipe

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

While fajitas are more commonly made with skirt steak, flank steak makes a fantastic filling as well. It may seem out of place in a Mexican (or Meximerican) recipe, but soy sauce is actually quite a common fajita marinade ingredient. I mix mine with oregano, ground ancho chile (or if I'm lazy, chili powder), cumin, garlic, and sugar, oil, and lime juice. You can go all out and serve it restaurant-style with grilled peppers and onions, but that's just gilding the lily—well-cooked meat doesn't need much more than a squeeze of lime, some chopped onions and cilantro, and s bit of fresh salsa.

Read more: How to Marinate and Grill Flank Steaks

  • Yield:serves 6 to 8
  • Active time: 30 minutes
  • Total time:at least 1 1/2 hours
  • Rated: 4.6666666666667

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dried ground ancho chile (or 1 tablespoon chili powder)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • four cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 1/2 pounds flank steak (about 1 whole flank steak)
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 12 to 16 flour tortillas, warmed
  • 2 whole limes, cut into wedges
  • Salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole for serving

Directions

  1. 1.

    Combine soy sauce, ground chile, cumin, oregano, lime juice, sugar, garlic, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves in a medium bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly. Place flank steak inside a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag with marinade. Press out air, seal bag, and allow meat to marinate, turning occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to 12.

  2. 2.

    Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Ignite a large chimney full of coals and wait until they're covered in grey ash. Spread evenly over 1/2 of grate, leaving the other half empty. Put the cooking grate in place, cover, and allow grill to preheat for 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grates clean, then place flank steak over hot side of grill. cook until well charred, about 3 minutes. Flip steak and continue to cook until second side is well charred, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer steak to cooler side of grill, cover, and cook until the center of the steak registers 125°F on an intant-read thermometer for medium-rare, or 135° for medium, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow steak to rest for at least 5 minutes.

  3. 3.

    Slice steak thinly across the grain, then cut each slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve immediately with warm tortillas, diced onions, chopped cilantro, lemon wedges, and salsa as desired.

This Recipe Appears In
How to Marinate and Grill Flank Steaks The Best Inexpensive Steak For The Grill Part 4: Flap Meat (Sirloin Tip)

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