Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and so is my craving for some good ol’ steak fajitas!
Instead of serving them individually, I like to pile all of the steak fajita fixings on one huge charcuterie board and let everyone have at it. Piled high with some of my favorite pineapple guacamole, hint of lime tortilla chips, toasted flour tortillas, beautifully marinated steak, char grilled veggies and drizzled in a homemade chimichurri sauce. This meal really hit the spot.
Oh! and served with a Watermelon Margarita, I was a happy happy girl.
Typically when you think Mexican, the first thing I would think everyone thinks of it tacos! And while I am a huge fan, I knew I wanted to do a little something different for Cinco de Mayo but still have Mexican food to celebrate. My husband suggested fajitas and that’s when I decided to do them serve yourself style.
While I love getting steak fajitas when we go out to eat. I typically only eat the steak and the charred bits of veggies stuck to the pan. The tortillas and extra toppings are just a plus that come with the meal but I sometimes don’t eat them because of the added calories.
Served up like this, everyone has the option to assemble what they want out of the pile of Mexican food in front of them. You can assemble nachos, tacos, a burrito bowl on your plate, or like me, you can simply eat all the browned pieces of onion out of the pan!
I started by marinating the steak in the easiest marinade for 2 hours before i grilled it. It consisted of honey, olive oil and balsamic. All of which help level each other out but bring so much flavor to the skirt steak. Then when grilled, the steak gets nice and caramelized and charred on the outside. Then when cut through all of the juices drizzle out of the steak leaving the most delicious melt in your mouth steak I’ve had at home.
Then to get the steak just a bit more juicy, once sliced, I add a bit of salt, this helps the moisture out of the steak so you get the perfect salty bite every time.
Finally I drizzle a bit Chimichurri on top to give the steak this amazing dimension filled with olive oil, parsley and garlic. Really something I will do from now on. I don’t know how I’ve been eating steak without Chimichurri for so long, but I will not let it happen again.
With all of this delicious food, it is hard to not scarf down so much in one sitting, but in case you do have leftovers, these are the leftovers to have. The different things you can do with all of the leftovers will have you fed for days after you enjoy this Steak Fajita Bar. Some of those options include:
- Steak and eggs
- Steak Salad
- Vegetable and hummus wraps
- Avocado Toast
- Steak Sandwich topped with extra Chimichurri and Guac
The possibilities are endless. So even if you were only planning on making this meal for a few, you might want to double up to ensure some leftovers in your future.
Steak Fajita Bar
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- salt + pepper
- 1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Easy Steak Marinade
- 2 lbs flank steak
- 1/3 cup EVOO
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Fajitas
- steak with chimichurri
- Sea Salt Flakes such as Maldon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- 2 large yellow onions
- 8 toasted tortillas
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese
- 3-4 cups chips (I love Siete Hint of Lime)
- Optional: Pineapple Guacamole
- Optional: Salted Watermelon Margaritas
Instructions
- Start by marinating the steak. Place all ingredients in a large bowl or dish, then press steak into the marinade and flip to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours up to 24 hours.
- Next make the Chimichurri. Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender except the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Process/blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and top with the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix until incorporated, set aside for later.
- When ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge to get to room temperature. Place butter and EVOO in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Then once melted, toss in the peppers and onions. Try not to move them around too much because you want them to get nice and charred on either side. This should take about 10 min, stirring/flipping the veggies only once.
- While the veggies cook. Heat a grill over its highest heat. When ready, remove the steak from its marinade, drain any sauce left on and grill for 2 minutes on either side. After each side has been grilled for 2 minutes, place the steak on the high grill shelf or over a cooler place on the grill and close the lid for two minutes. After two minutes, remove the steak and place some aluminum foil over it for 5 minutes while it rests.
- While the steak is resting, assemble the board. Toast some tortillas and place them on the board with some tortilla chips. Add a bowl of guac to the board with a few lime wedges. Then add a small cup of cheese to a small bowl and add to the board. Move the cast iron veggies carefully to the board on a heating pad, trying not to burn yourself. Then finally, slice the steak against the grain, place on the board and top with flaky sea salt and chimichurri.
