Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos with Charred Corn are a summer favorite taco night! An affordable cut of steak is sliced thin with lots of charred bell pepper, onions and summer sweet corn grilled right on the cob! Topped with all the fixings and loaded with delicious flavor, this is an easy variation to taco night that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- Marinade - Marinating the steak is a great way to tenderize an affordable cut while adding lots of TexMex flavor. I like to use an airtight glass container to save on plastic waste, but a ziploc bag is also fine. Try to marinate the steak at least 2 hours in advance, or anytime the day of. The acid from the orange and lime juice tenderizes the beef, although if you don't have orange juice, just use extra lime. The spices are all pantry staples, so you can throw this marinade together in a just a few minutes!
- What Kind of Steak to use for Fajitas - Steak Tacos, "bistec" tacos in Spanish, are a great way to stretch your budget while having a steak night at home. One pound of steak, any affordable cut, is enough to feed 4 people when sliced thin and served with lots of toppings. You can really use anything labeled as steak, such as sirloin, ribeye, top sirloin, NY strip, flank or skirt steak. Don't get anything labeled as a roast as it will be far too tough, and a filet is too expensive for fajitas. Anything in between will work, go with what looks fresh! I used one pound of sirloin for this recipe. If using flank or skirt steak, these are a bit tougher so let them marinate all day.
- Charred Corn, Peppers and Onions - These fajita beef tacos just scream SUMMER when the sweet corn is in season! Charred corn on the cob, bell peppers and onions are grilled to blackened perfection. You can use any color bell peppers and onion you like. These healthy steak fajitas are heavy on the vegetables, stretching your steak to be an affordable weeknight meal!
- Tortillas - You can use soft flour or corn tortillas for fajitas. The trick is to let them lightly char on the grill to get those blackened edges, and then immediately wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This not only keeps them warm until you're ready to eat, it also steams them, keeping them soft so they don't turn brittle and crack when assembling your fajitas.
Instructions
Step 1 - Marinate the Steak- Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade in a container with a lid or a ziploc bag. Add the steak, making sure it is coated on all sides. Marinate in the fridge, ideally for 2 hours or up to 8 hours. It's fine to marinate the steak in the morning for dinner that night.
Step 2 - Prepare the Vegetables - Slice the onion in large rings, large enough to hold their shape and not fall down into the grill. Slice the bell peppers into large pieces, and discard the ribs, seeds and stem. I like to stand the pepper on end and slice down around the stem, cutting the pepper into 4 pieces and leaving the stem with its seeds intact in the middle. Remove the husk and silk from the corn and cut the cob in half.
Add veggies to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Your hands are good tools for this! The vegetables can be prepped just before grilling or in advance when you marinate the steak and kept in the fridge.
Step 3 - Grill the Steak and Veggies - Preheat an outdoor grill over high heat. Grill the steak, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness (start with 3). Check it with a thermometer, you want 130° for medium rare steak. Grill the veggies until starting to char and blacken on all sides. Remove to a sheet pan or plate and let the steak rest 10 minutes before slicing so the juices don't run out.
Step 4 - Grill the Tortillas - Toast up your flour or corn tortillas on the hot grill and then immediately wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This keeps them warm and steams them so they stay soft and pliable.
Step 5 - Assemble and Serve! - Slice your steak against the grain into thin strips. Remove any fatty pieces from the meat. Slice your peppers and onions into strips, and cut the charred corn off the cob.
Serve fajitas with all your favorite toppings - cheese, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, plain yogurt or sour cream, extra cilantro leaves, and lots of lime wedges to freshly squeeze!
How to Make Steak Fajitas in a Cast Iron Skillet
If the weather isn't great for grilling, and sweet corn isn't in season, you can still make these steak fajitas on the stove. A cast iron skillet or a grill pan can make the entire recipe with only a few changes. You want to get the skillet really hot before starting to sear the steak. Cook it 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, as you would on the grill, then move it to a cutting board to let it rest.
Then saute the peppers, onions and corn. You can cut the onions and peppers into strips since you won't need to worry about them falling into the grill. Let the corn on the cob be in contact with the hot skillet and turn it to char up all sides. If sweet corn is out of season, you can add some frozen corn to the sautéing peppers and onions, or just leave it out.
The tortillas can be charred directly on a gas burner, or warmed in the oven. These 25 minute fajitas are perfect any time of year!
Leftover Steak Fajitas
Storage Instructions - Leftover steak and grilled veggies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Extra toppings can be stored in separate containers. Guacamole won't keep well so try to eat it the day it's made!
Leftover Ideas - Having leftover steak fajita filling is a great thing! There are lots of ways to repurpose it into a whole new meal!
- Steak Fajita Sheet Pan Nachos - Cover a sheet pan with chips, shredded cheese, leftover fajita steak and veggies and more cheese. Bake in the oven until hot! Add toppings.
- Breakfast Steak Fajitas - Warm your leftover steak taco filling in a skillet and serve in warm tortillas with scrambled eggs, shredded cheese and salsa.
- Quesadillas - Leftover steak fajitas make a great filling for quesadillas. We love to make them in our panini press! Add lots of extra cheese and top them with avocado and plain yogurt or sour cream. You can also make quesadillas in a skillet or on a sheet pan in the oven.
- Rice Bowls - Use your leftovers to make rice bowls or taco salads for lunch or dinner the next day!
What to Serve with Steak Fajitas
These beef fajita tacos are heavy on the vegetables and are a complete meal all in one. But, the toppings and extra fajita side dishes are always the best part! Serve your fajitas with:
- Guacamole or slice avocado
- Pico de Gallo or chopped tomato
- Quick Food Processor Salsa or your favorite store-bought salsa
- Rice seasoned with a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro
- Black Beans and Corn - If making these fajitas when sweet corn is out of season, you can simply rinse a can of black beans and any amount of frozen corn together in a strainer under hot water to thaw it. Mix it together for a simple fajita topping!
- Cheese - shredded white or regular cheddar or crumbled Cotija cheese
- Shredded Lettuce or cabbage
- Extra Cilantro leaves
Tips & FAQ's
Steak for fajitas should be sliced as thin as possible, keeping your knife at an angle, and cutting against the grain of the beef. This means if you have an oval shaped piece of steak, you cut it in short strips. This breaks apart the fibers of the meat to keep each bite tender and not chewy. You can discard any fatty pieces of meat as you go, usually the end pieces.
Yes these steak fajitas with corn tortillas are gluten free. You can always double check your packaging on the tortillas or chips you are serving, but most corn tortillas are gluten free. Flour tortillas are not gluten free.
Marinating the steak helps to tenderize it and add flavor, but it is not totally necessary. The better quality the cut of steak you are using, the less need there is to marinate. You should definitely marinate a flank or a skirt steak. A sirloin or a strip steak you can probably get by without. Just rub the steak with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the other dry spices in the recipe and grill. If you are short on time, even a quick 30 minute marinade while you prepare the veggies and preheat the grill is worth it!
Yes, this exact recipe is delicious with marinated grilled chicken instead of steak! Changing up the protein gives you great variations for taco night!
Top Tip
I like to buy a bag of limes for fajita night instead of buying them individually. They are cheaper and last in the fridge for at least a month. Between the marinade, making guacamole, and having plenty to garnish, fajitas are so good with fresh squeezed lime juice! This is a great way to always have them on hand when you need them!
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Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos with Charred Corn
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 juice of a lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds black pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 pound steak such as sirloin, ribeye, anything labeled steak, not roast
For the Veggies
- 1 onion sliced into rings
- 2 bell peppers seeds and ribs removed, cut in large pieces
- 1 ear sweet corn on the cob husk and silk removed, cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 grinds black pepper
For Serving
- corn tortillas
- white or regular cheddar cheese shredded
- guacamole or pico de gallo
- plain yogurt or sour cream
- cilantro and lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the Marinade - Add all marinade ingredients to a container with a lid or a ziploc bag. Whisk together and add steak, coating it on all sides. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
- Prep the Veggies - Slice the onion into rings. Slice each pepper into 4 pieces by standing it on end and cutting down along each side of the stem, leaving the stem, ribs and seeds intact in the middle. Remove the husk and silk from the corn on the cob and cut in half. Toss the veggies in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. The veggies can be prepped before grilling, or 2 hours ahead when marinating the steak and kept in the fridge.
- Grill the Steak and Veggies - Preheat an outdoor grill over high heat (or a cast iron skillet). Grill the steak (discard the marinade), about 3 to 5 minutes per side, and the peppers, onions, and corn until lightly charred. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak. Check with a thermometer, 130° for medium rare. Grill flour or corn tortillas until just starting to char and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft.
- Slice the Steak and Veggies - Allow the steak to rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing. Cut off and discard any visible fatty pieces and slice at an angle against the grain. Slice the large pepper and onion pieces into smaller strips. Slice the corn off the cob.
- Assemble fajita tacos on tortillas and top with your favorite toppings such as guacamole or sliced avocado, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, extra cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- If you don't have orange juice, just add a bit extra lime juice to the marinade.
- Corn on the cob is optional, if it's out of season, simply omit it, or rinse frozen corn and a can of black beans in a strainer under hot water to thaw as an additional topping.
- If using a good quality piece of steak, you can skip the marinade. Just rub it with the olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder before grilling.
- This recipe can be made on an outdoor grill, or an indoor grill pan or cast iron skillet. If using a skillet, sear the steak on both sides, then remove it to a cutting board to rest. While it rests, saute the onion, bell peppers cut in strips, and corn on the cob.
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