These leftover steak fajitas are even better than the ones that come out sizzling at your favourite Mexican restaurant. I swear. My favourite thing to do with leftover steak is make these fajitas. In fact, whenever my husband grills, I ask him to grill an extra steak so we have enough leftover to make fajitas the next day.
You can make these by cooking strips of steak in your pan, then removing them to a plate to rest while you cook the veggies, but the flavour won’t be as good. The delicious smokiness imparted to the steak through the grilling process really elevates these fajitas. I’m telling you–next time you grill, throw extra meat on so you can make these the next day. Thank me later.
I truly can’t take credit for these fajitas, because all the flavour comes from the grill. I’m not the grill master of the house. That’s my husband. He rubs the meat with salt and pepper and lets it sit at room temperature for about an hour before smoking it in a charcoal grill.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. It really lets the ingredients shine through. I think as Americans we have a tendency to season the crap out of everything. Something I learned from my Argentinian side of the family is to choose great quality ingredients, and let their flavours shine through, only enhancing them with a bit of salt and pepper and your cooking method. I embraced that philosophy when making this dish.
To make these fajitas, start by preparing your veggies. If you’re a Type-A-extra-prepared-kinda-person, julienne all your veggies and the steak to start, keeping everything separated. If not, start by peeling and thinly slicing your onions.
Preheat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. I prefer to use cast iron as it retains heat well and doesn’t have any of the nasty chemicals you’ll find in nonstick cookware.
Once a drop of water in your pan sizzles and evaporates, add a drizzle of olive oil and toss with the prepared onions. Turn the heat down to medium.
While the onions cook, deseed and julienne the bell peppers. Make sure to stir the onions occasionally so they cook evenly and don’t burn, although I like a few caramelized, almost burnt, pieces.
Once the onions are soft and translucent, toss in the bell peppers and stir fry. Cook for a few minutes, until just beginning to soften. Then add in your steak pieces.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze over the juice of one lime. Stir to combine, and continue cooking until the steak is warmed through. Then carry your sizzling cast iron skillet to the table. For the best fajita you’ve had, you’ll want to make your own tortillas. You only need 4 simple ingredients and a bit of extra time. Trust me, it’s worth it.
We love to eat these heaped on homemade tortillas spread with cream cheese and a squeeze of lime. They’re truly delicious. Cooking the onions first allows them to caramelize, which adds a slightly sweet, delicious flavour to the smokey steak. If you give these a try, please let me know what you think! Leave a comment here. And as always, tag me on Instagram if you give them a try. I’ love to see your food photos!
Leftover Steak Fajitas
Ingredients
Fajitas
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 lbs grilled steak
- 3-4 3-4 bell peppers or 16 snacking peppers
- 2 sweet onions
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 tsp cumin optional
To Serve
- Tortilla shells
- Cream cheese or unflavored greek yogurt
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the onions.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot (a splash of water sizzles), add onion and toss with oil. Reduce heat to medium low.
- While the onions are cooking, julienne the bell peppers. Add to skillet and toss. Continue cooking until peppers are just soft.
- While peppers and onions are cooking, thinly slice the steak. Once peppers are soft, add steak to skillet. Add cumin and salt and pepper-to taste. Toss to combine. Increase heat to medium high and cook until the steak is warmed through. Turn off heat and add lime juice.
- Serve with warm flour tortillas. Spread tortilla with cream cheese, top with fajita mixture, squeeze a bit of lime, roll up and enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover grilled steak is key here, as the flavor from grilling makes all the difference in this dish.
- For the best fajita you’ve had, you’ll want to make your own tortillas. You only need 4 simple ingredients and a bit of extra time. Trust me, it’s worth it.
- For a lower calorie option, you can substitute the cream cheese for unflavored greek yogurt. This is also a gut friendly option, as greek yogurt is bursting with probiotics!
- I find that adding cumin isn’t necessary due to all the delicious flavour from the grilled steaks. However if you love cumin, or are cooking the meat in the skillet, definitely add cumin!
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