BBQ Steak for Fajitas

Always a favourite.

Fajita night is popular in our house. For Nelson it’s a quick meal he can whip up after work on a busy weeknight. If you ask our little guy he’ll tell you it’s his faaaaavourite meal. And we all enjoy building our own. Not being the home cook in our house, building my own fajita kind of makes me feel like I’m making a meal. Is that sad?

Fajitas…they’re just fun… they can get a little messy… but they’re always fun.

Fajita Fridays!

When I was a kid, I remember Friday night being pizza delivery night. It was always a treat that my siblings and I looked forward to having at the end of the school week. I never thought about it then, but now I imagine it was a bigger treat for my mom. Pizza delivery night meant she had a night off from cooking for six people.

For a while in our house, with our own kids, Friday nights were Fajita Fridays. I guess we’re not as consistent as my parents were because we didn’t make the whole Fajita Friday thing stick like my parents did with Friday night pizza. No, for us, it’s fajita-whatever night–we don’t have a set day for it anymore. And really… doesn’t that make us a wild and spontaneous bunch?! We’re so crazy!

Change is Good.

Our usual is chicken fajitas but Nelson changed it up this time. That’s right… he steaked-it-up-a-notch. I realize it’s not a big change, but the bbq’d steak, with the marinade Nelson made, was different enough that it turned our usual fajitas into a whole other meal. Nelson also made caramelized onions and peppers which added a nice element and sweetness. It was delicious. Change is good.

Happy fajita whatever to you! No need to wait for Friday night. Grill up some goodness, load on your favourite combination of toppings, and roll it all up in a tortilla for a quick and delicious meal. It can be so easy to eat well, friends!

Print Recipe

​ BBQ Steak for Fajitas

​A great meal for a get-together. Delicious steak, a variety of fresh sides and sauces, and great conversation around the dinner table!

Prep Time7 minutes mins

Cook Time13 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, North American

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Author: Nelson Cardoso

Ingredients

• 0.8 kg or 1 3/4 lbs cab boneless top flatiron steak (optional meat substitutes: skirt, flank, hanger)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, sugar, chili powder, paprika, pepper and garlic (all but the meat).
• ​Place the meat in a sealable freezer bag.
• ​Pour in the whisked marinate.
• ​Seal the bag, rub the marinate around and into the meat and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or over night.
• Remove the steak from the bag and discard the marinade.
  
• Let the flatiron steak sit it on the counter at room temperature between 20 and 30 minutes before cooking.
  
• ​Heat the grill/BBQ to between 450 °F and 500 °F.
• Open the lid, place the flatiron steak on the grill and close the lid. Cook for about 7 minutes.
  
• Open the lid, turn the flatiron steak over and continue to cook about another 5 to 6 minutes.
  
• Use a probe to measure the internal temperature. Different thicknesses will impact cooking time. Medium rare is 135 °F, Medium is 140 °F and medium-well is 150 °F.
• Once the meat reaches your preferred doneness, Remove the meat from the BBQ and let sit on a serving dish, covered with a tented piece of aluminum foil for 15 to 40 minutes.
  
• Cut and serve with your favourite sides.
  

Notes

We decided to use cab boneless top flatiron steak because we'd never tried before and were curious. It turned out fantastic!. You can sub this cut with skirt, flank, hanger steak.

The cab boneless top flatiron steak was much thicker on one side. This worked well for us because one end was medium-rare while the other side was medium-well in the same amount of time, which is exactly the doneness variety my family enjoys. Alternately, you can cut the thicker part and cook that longer than the thinner piece.

The prep time we listed doesn't include the marinating time.

The sides we included for these fajitas:

• sour cream
• shredded old cheddar
• salsa
• guacamole
• hot sauce
• caramelized onions and peppers

Feel free to add your own favourite sides!