Carne Asada-Style Fajitas
This Tex-Mex fajita recipe borrows the citrus, garlic, and cilantro marinade flavors associated with carne asada and applies them to skirt steak on the grill. It is a borderlands-inspired take, not a claim to any single authentic carne asada recipe or region. Marinate the steak up to a few hours, grill it hot and fast over live fire, and slice thin against the grain for tortillas loaded with fresh cilantro and lime.
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 15m
- Rest
- 8m
- Total
- 43m
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- moderate
Pexels contributor · Pexels LicenseA citrus-garlic-cilantro grilled skirt steak fajita, a Tex-Mex take inspired by carne asada flavors.
Ingredients
Showing ingredients for 4 servings in US customary units.
Steak & marinade
- 1½ lbSkirt steak, trimmedSearch
- 4 tbspLime juice, freshly squeezedAbout 3 limes.Search
- 2 tbspOrange juiceAdds sweetness typical of Tex-Mex citrus marinades and helps the surface brown.Search
- 4 clovesGarlic, mincedSearch
- ¼ cupFresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for servingSearch
- 3 tbspNeutral oilShop
- 1 tspGround cuminShop
- To tasteKosher saltTo taste.Shop
Peppers & onions
To serve
- 8Flour tortillas, warmed on the grillShop
Cook times are not scaled with servings — adjust pan size and cook in batches as needed. Salt and “to taste” items are intentionally left for your judgment.
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Step by step
How to make it
Marinate
Step 1. Whisk lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cilantro, oil, and cumin. Coat the steak and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours — longer than a quick lime bath, since the sweeter citrus-and-herb blend here is milder than a straight lime marinade and benefits from more time.
~60 min
Fire
Step 2. Build a hot, direct fire and scrape and oil the grates. You want an immediate sizzle when the steak lands.
~12 min
Grill the steak
Step 3. Grill the steak directly over the fire, 3–4 minutes per side, to 130–135°F for medium-rare. The oil and sugars in the marinade can drip and flare; slide the steak to a cooler zone if flames jump.
~7 min135°F
Rest
Step 4. Rest the steak 8 minutes on a board while the vegetables finish.
~8 min
Grill the vegetables
Step 5. Grill the pepper planks and onion rounds directly on the grates, 4–6 minutes per side, until blistered and softened.
~8 min
Slice & serve
Step 6. Slice the steak thin against the grain, cut the grilled vegetables into strips, and combine. Top with extra chopped cilantro and serve with warm tortillas and lime wedges.
Doneness & safety
Beef steak (whole cuts)145°F / 63°C
Cook whole-muscle beef (skirt, flank, sirloin) to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), then rest 3 minutes. Many cooks pull skirt/flank medium-rare to medium for tenderness; 145°F is the published minimum for whole cuts.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · reviewed 2026-07-04
Leftover storage
Refrigerate cooked fajita fillings within 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F ambient). Store at or below 40°F, use within 3–4 days, and reheat to 165°F.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · reviewed 2026-07-04
Marinating safely
Always marinate in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Discard used marinade or boil it before reusing as a sauce.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · reviewed 2026-07-04
🛒 Shop this recipe
Pantry & spices
Fresh ingredients
- skirt steakSearch →
- limesSearch →
- citrusSearch →
- garlicSearch →
- cilantroSearch →
- bell peppersSearch →
- onionSearch →
Fresh items open an Amazon search — availability varies by location.
Cookware & tools
- OXO Good Grips 16-inch Grilling Tongs · Good Grips 16" Grilling TongsFind →
- Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket · 7681Find →
- ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 · ThermoPop 2Find →
- John Boos Reversible Maple Cutting Board · RA03 (24 x 18 in)Find →
- Victorinox Fibrox 12-inch Granton Slicing Knife · 5.4233.30 (Fibrox 12" Granton)Find →
Already own these? Use what you have — no need to buy.
Recommendations are chosen to help you cook better fajitas; some Amazon links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Fix it
If the marinade goes too long
Because this marinade includes more oil and sugar (from the orange juice) than a plain lime soak, it can also promote more flare-ups on the grill. Keep the marinade time to 4 hours at most — beyond that the surface turns mushy from the acid — and manage flare-ups by keeping a cooler zone on the grill to shift the steak to if the drips ignite.
The call: Cap the marinade at 4 hours and keep a cool zone ready for flare-ups.
Substitutions
| Instead of | Use | Adjust | Expect | Avoid when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skirt steak | Flank steak | Use the same weight. Grill about a minute longer per side; slice equally thin against the grain. | Slightly leaner and firmer, still very good with this marinade. | — |
| Fresh cilantro | Fresh parsley | — | A milder, grassier herb note for those who find cilantro soapy. | — |
| Grill | Cast-iron skillet | Sear indoors over high heat, 2–3 minutes per side, then char the vegetables in the same pan. | Loses the live-fire smoke but keeps the marinade flavor. | — |
Technique
A Tex-Mex riff, not a claim to carne asada itself
Fajitas, as a strip-steak-in-a-tortilla dish, developed among Tex-Mex ranch hands in South Texas, while carne asada refers more broadly to grilled, marinated beef across Mexican and Mexican-American cooking, with wide regional variation in marinade and serving style. This recipe borrows carne asada’s familiar citrus, garlic, and cilantro marinade profile and applies it to a fajita format. Treat it as one Tex-Mex kitchen’s take on those flavors, not a definitive or singular carne asada recipe.
The call: Understand this as a citrus-marinade fajita inspired by carne asada flavors, not an authentic regional recipe.
The science
What the citrus and oil are each doing
Lime and orange juice denature proteins on the outer layer of the steak, which builds flavor and a touch of surface tenderness but does not meaningfully tenderize the interior of a whole cut. The oil in the marinade serves a separate, practical purpose on the grill: it coats the meat and lubricates the grates so the steak releases cleanly instead of tearing when you flip it.
The call: Expect the marinade to build flavor and prevent sticking, not to deeply tenderize the steak.
Equipment for this recipe
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, FajitaRecipe.com earns from qualifying purchases. Recommendations are chosen to help you cook better fajitas; some Amazon links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our selection methodology.
For grilled fajitas
OXOModel Good Grips 16" Grilling Tongs
Sixteen-inch tongs keep your forearm out of grill-flare range while you turn skirt steak over direct heat.
Best for: Turning steak and chicken over live fire.
WeberModel 7681
A basket keeps pepper strips from falling through the grate while still letting them pick up direct-fire char — just do not overfill it.
Best for: Grilling sliced peppers and onions without losing them through the grate.
ThermoWorksModel ThermoPop 2
You do not need a premium thermometer to cook safe chicken. The ThermoPop 2 is accurate and a few seconds slower — a great-value pick from the same maker.
Best for: A reliable read without the premium price.
John BoosModel RA03 (24 x 18 in)
A roomy board with a juice groove lets steak rest and be sliced in one place; pour the caught juices back over the strips before serving.
Best for: Resting and slicing steak with room to spare.
For slicing steak
VictorinoxModel 5.4233.30 (Fibrox 12" Granton)
Thin, even slices across the grain are what make skirt and flank tender. A long granton slicer does it in one clean stroke instead of sawing.
Best for: Clean, thin, against-the-grain slices on skirt and flank steak.
John BoosModel RA03 (24 x 18 in)
A roomy board with a juice groove lets steak rest and be sliced in one place; pour the caught juices back over the strips before serving.
Best for: Resting and slicing steak with room to spare.
ThermoWorksModel ThermoPop 2
You do not need a premium thermometer to cook safe chicken. The ThermoPop 2 is accurate and a few seconds slower — a great-value pick from the same maker.
Best for: A reliable read without the premium price.
Serving & storage
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat quickly in a hot dry skillet rather than the microwave so the steak does not overcook past its original doneness.
Frequently asked questions
+Is this an authentic carne asada recipe?
No — this is a Tex-Mex fajita recipe inspired by the citrus, garlic, and cilantro flavors commonly associated with carne asada. It does not claim to represent any single authentic or regional recipe.
+How long should I marinate the skirt steak?
1 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. This marinade is milder than a straight lime bath, so it can go a bit longer, but avoid pushing past 4 hours or the surface turns mushy.
+What is the difference between carne asada and fajitas?
Fajitas describe a Tex-Mex dish of grilled strip steak served in tortillas with peppers and onions. Carne asada is a broader term for grilled, marinated beef found across Mexican and Mexican-American cooking, with many regional variations. This recipe blends carne asada-style marinade flavors into a fajita format.
+Can I make this without a grill?
Yes. Sear the marinated steak in a very hot cast-iron skillet, 2–3 minutes per side, then char the peppers and onions in the same pan.
Testing, sources & disclosure
This recipe was developed and reviewed by our editors. We publish full kitchen-test notes here once a recipe has been cooked and verified in our kitchen.
- Author:
- FajitaRecipe Editorial
- Last reviewed:
- 2026-07-06
Sources
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, USDA FSIS linkSupports: Beef steak minimum internal temperature
- Carne Asada, Encyclopædia BritannicaSupports: Carne asada as a broad, regionally varied tradition of grilled marinated beef in Mexican and Mexican-American cooking
As an Amazon Associate, FajitaRecipe.com earns from qualifying purchases. We do not provide medical or dietary advice; follow USDA guidance for food safety.
Keep cooking
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Pexels contributor · Pexels LicenseSkirt Steak Fajitas
37 min · moderate
Skirt steak is the original fajita cut: a thin, loose-grained muscle with generous marbling that sears in about three minutes and drinks up a lime marinade. Get your cast iron ripping hot, cook the steak fast to medium-rare, rest it, then slice it thin straight across the grain. Char peppers and onions in the beefy drippings and serve in warm tortillas.
Eric T Gunther · CC BY-SA 3.0Grilled Steak Fajitas
43 min · moderate
Grilling adds smoke and open-flame char that a pan cannot. Build a hot fire, grill skirt or flank steak directly over the coals to medium-rare, and lay the peppers and onions in a grill basket alongside so they blister at the same time. Rest the steak, slice it thin against the grain, and serve from warm tortillas. The whole cook takes only minutes once the grill is ripping hot.
Steak Fajita Marinade
A steak fajita marinade is lime, oil, garlic, and cumin with a splash of soy or Worcestershire for savory depth. The key is keeping it short — 30 minutes to about 3 hours for skirt or flank — so the acid flavors the surface without softening the exterior you want firm enough to take a hard sear. It is built for a dark crust and a medium-rare center, not a long overnight soak.