I've got a sizable 4th of July party coming up, and chicken and beef fajitas are on the menu. Anybody have a killer recipe? I really like Lupe Tortilla's beef fajitas, but can never even get close to recreating. For fajitas I typically just buy the preseasoned HEB brand and throw them on the grill. I'm open to anything, recipe or cooking technique, that works the best. I've got a gas grill, a BGE, a Pellet Smoker, a flat top grill, a sous vide machine, a microwave, an oven, an air fryer, an electric traditional oil fryer and clean peanut oil, a backyard firepit, an instapot, several crockpots, a propane torch...just tell me what and how makes the best fajitas

Following!

We use the recipe in The Food Lab. It's excellent.

Dang - $8.50/lb too? That's a good price. Guess I need to pull the trigger on the Costco membership.

This picture was in January, but still.

I love it and I just joined late last year.

Yep, for value and finished product, it's tough to beat Costco's beef fajitas. For chicken, I use the recipe someone posted in one of the above threads: 3 parts pineapple juice, 2 parts soy sauce*, 1 part water. (Don't marinate the chicken more than 5 hours.)

*I actually split the soy sauce part and use half soy and half teriyaki.

While not traditional I've made this recipe several times and it's awesome.
https://www.seriouseats.com/roy-choi-carne-asada-recipe-from-la-son-cookbook

aggiedata said:

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This picture was in January, but still.

I love it and I just joined late last year.

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Yeah it's like $10.99 now IIRC.

Ninfa's Fajitas

Tenderize with a mallet , then marinate at least 4 hours with pepper, garlic powder, lime juice and Kikkomann soy sauce. Grill over blazing hot coals.

Lupes is the best.

I've not gotten close to the mimic. Going crazy with the Jaquard gets the texture pretty close but no marinades hit the mark. It's not soy or pineapple and not super limey. It may just be an enzyme…or maybe just mechanical with a roller / blade system.

Sazerac said:

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Lupes is the best.

I've not gotten close to the mimic. Going crazy with the Jaquard gets the texture pretty close but no marinades hit the mark. It's not soy or pineapple and not super limey. It may just be an enzyme…or maybe just mechanical with a roller / blade system.

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Same here. We love Lupes. Keep telling my wife this batch of fajitas will be just like Lupes and it never is.

A little baking soda in the marinade helps tenderize it nicely.

Tailgate88 said:

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Save yourself the trouble and just go to La Michoacna to get your meat. Just had them for Father's Day. Always delicious.

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This would be my suggestion, as well. Both the steak and chicken are great.

Thanks for the comments, I think I have a game plan on the marinade. But let's talk technique. How do you guys cook it? Hotter the better? Low and slow, and then sear? Flat top, or regular grates, if grates do you use just regular coals or fire?

Hot and fast. See if you can find loin flap meat that is a better cut then skirt for fajitas.

fav13andac1)c said:

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Bronco6G said:

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chicken and beef fajitas

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On topic, here are some recipes for both.

https://texags.com/forums/67/topics/2742745
https://texags.com/forums/67/topics/1945226

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Personally, I'm a huge fan of the pineapple based one in the second link. More so than the lime heavy Lupe fajitas.

For grilling, agree with above. Just extremely hot and fast. Don't overcook. I've done the Alton brown method straight on the coals. I like it a lot, but not sure I'd go that route if serving lots of people. I'd just do as big of a fire as my pit allows and cook on the grates like normal.

DiskoTroop said:

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Hot and fast. See if you can find loin flap meat that is a better cut then skirt for fajitas.

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Butterflied tri-tip I'd also say is better than skirt. I can't always get it where I live in the midwest but when I can that's what I buy them for.

Chupacapbra seasoning is all you need

Bronco6G said:

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Thanks for the comments, I think I have a game plan on the marinade. But let's talk technique. How do you guys cook it? Hotter the better? Low and slow, and then sear? Flat top, or regular grates, if grates do you use just regular coals or fire?

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Given your equipment list, I'd go with the BGE for sure. Get it up to 600-650. Depending on how much chicken, I'd consider going Sous Vide with the chicken and finishing on the BGE while the beef rests. I'd also fire up the flat top and get someone heating tortillas then cooking peppers and onions while you take care of the meat

I use equal parts of soy sauce, Worcestershire, a splash of olive oil, dash of Slap Ya Mama spicy seasoning , and Chupacabra fajita seasoning. Marinade for about 4 hours.

Always comes out really tasty.

I do love the Lupe Tortilla fajitas though.

Go here. I cooked 15 lbs of fajitas today using this recipe and everyone raved about it. Absolutely the best fajitas you can make. Do the butter that is listed later in the thread with grilled onions and you will be a hero.

https://texags.com/forums/67/topics/1945226

We recently ordered some from Gourmet Ranch Gourmet Ranch GOURMET RANCH (shopgourmetranch.com) and were very pleased!

Fajitas, along with chili and spaghetti sauce don't need a "recipe".

Just grill. However you want with whatever you want.

You'll figure it out.

Don Cecilio is right, I second his motion. The most important thing on Fajitas, true inside or outside skirt, is to trim the silver skin off and get any nodules or membrane off the meat.

I use a marinade of Italian salad dressing, lime juice, beer, and salsa Maggie. Works well. Also how they are cut makes a big difference.

Loin Flap is "arrachera" (it may be hanging tender, I can't remember), but at the Mexican meat markets they usually do them up right.

If all you are gonna make is tacos out of the stuff, the cheapest and tastiest cut to use, IMO, is "agujas nortenas", season and cook just like fajitas and slice and chop a little and it will get rave reviews. The wifa and daughter prefer those over Fajitas.

Arrechera is still skirt steak, however it's typically the outer skirt which is thicker like loin flap. Pappasitos uses outer skirt exclusively for fajitas

Hanging Tender is the Hanger Steak that suspends the diaphragm which is the same area as skirt. Only one per cow and much shorter than skirt. Typically called at Onglet at a French Bistro and is commonly served as Steak Frites. This is my favorite steak, but can be hard to find as most are sucked up by restaurants. I've never seen one at a Mexican meat market or HEB

Loin Flap is the bottom sirloin. Bavette in French. Similar in texture to outside skirt, but less connective tissue and therefore more tender. This is why I use it for Fajitas although slightly less flavorful. If I'm at a Brazilian steakhouse, I don't let the bottom sirloin get far

Thanks for the info, to this day I still have issues figuring out what is what, especially in all the other countries. Years ago a meat sales guy told me that I would get arracheras in the US if I asked for hanging tenders. In the RGV, the supposed starting place for "fajitas", and Northern Mex you can go by sight. Now in most of Texas you can as well. Although in a lot of supermarkets, including HEB, you will sometimes see "fajitas" that are truly aren't. Arracheras made in Northern Mexico are really hard to beat.

For just making grilled tacos that most folks will love, the Aguja Nortena cut (whatever the hell it is) to me is the best one. At high end grill places in Northern Mexico that cut is usually offered as a premium platter and frequently I will get it instead of arracheras, fajitas, or anything else. In the US this cut is usually 50-40% less than Fajitas. If I am gonna serve a big group, that is what I grill and slice for making tacos.

In Mex, from North to South, there is confusion and incongruity on meat cuts, forget about Central America.

This is what I am used to seeing as an arrachera:



And when I think Fajita, it has to look like this:

Texas Meat Packers seasoned chicken thighs for fajitas a Kroger are a hit at my house and can go from package to grill.