Texas Fajitas with Steak, Chicken, and Shrimp

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They say “everything is bigger in Texas”. These delicious fajitas combine not one, not two, but three meats. Steak, chicken, and shrimp are seasoned with bold spices, grilled to perfection, and served with sautéed peppers, onions, tortillas, and all the fixings.

hero image steak, chicken, shrimp, peppers, and onion in cast iron skillet with lime wedge garnish

There is nothing better than flavorful, tender grilled meat piled high on warm tortillas with all the toppings. Fajitas Texanas has something for everyone with three different meats.

Contents hide

Make this recipe, because…

Ingredients

How to Make Texas Fajitas

FAQs

Diana’s Tips for Success

Storage and Reheating

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Steak, Chicken, and Shrimp Fajitas Texanas

Fajita Marinade

Make this recipe, because…

The three fajita meat options are great for a crowd of people with different preferences. Texas fajitas have something for everyone or everything for everyone.

The ingredients are simple, inexpensive, and easily found in your everyday grocery stores.

The fajita marinade is bold, flavorful, and a great combination of Tex-Mex spices.

The spice level can be adjusted for taste.

The sautéed bell peppers and onions add great flavor and some crunch to tender meat on a warm soft tortilla.

The recipe and technique can be used to make just chicken fajitas or steak fajitas alone.

When you make your own fajitas with fresh tortillas and fresh Pico de Gallo, you will feel like you were transported to your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.

Ingredients

Steak- These fajitas are made with affordable cuts of meat. I used flap steak, but flank steak and skirt steak are great options. This can be make with a more expensive cut of beef like New York steak or Rib-eye as well.

Tortillas- This should be served with warmed soft, flour tortillas. A full fajita is something between an overstuffed taco and a small burrito.

Toppings

Guacamole
Pico de Gallo
Cheese
Sour Cream
Lime Wedges

How to Make Texas Fajitas

Step 1

Start by mixing olive oil, lime juice, and dry spices in a small bowl to make the marinade.

Step 2

Next, prepare each meat for grilling.
Cut the steak into a size that fits in the frying pan without crowding. For my 12 inch skillet, this was just two pieces.
Butterfly the chicken breast by slicing horizontally to make two thin halves.

butterflied chicken breast on cutting board

Clean shrimp by peeling away the shells. Then, make a cut along the top of the shrimp and remove the vein. Finally, remove the tails for easy eating.

shrimp on cutting board cleaned with tails removed

Place each meat into its own food storage bag. Then, pour ⅓ of the marinade into each of the bags. Let the meats marinate while you prepare the peppers and onions.

Step 3

Thinly slice bell peppers and onions.

Step 4

Next, heat a skillet on medium heat. Add canola oil to the pan and add sliced peppers and onions. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Remove the cooked onions and peppers and place them in a bowl while you cook the three meats.

sautéed peppers and onions in a cast iron skillet

Step 5

Start with the chicken breasts. Add the marinated chicken breast pieces to the hot skillet and sear well. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Then, turn and cook on the second side. Make sure the centers reach 165°F. Remove the cooked chicken breast and place on a cutting board to rest.

Butterflied chicken breast in cast iron skillet

Step 6

Next, add the marinated skirt steak to the hot pan. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Then, turn and cook an additional 4-6 minutes on the second side for a steak cooked to medium or 135° F. Remove from the pan and place steak on the cutting board. Let the meat rest.

Step 7

Cook the shrimp with all of its marinade for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

shrimp with marinade in cast iron skillet

Step 8

Slice chicken and steak into thin slices.

photo showing how to slice beef against the grain

For the most tender pieces, cut against the grain of the meat. Identify the grain direction and set the knife perpendicular to it. Then slice across the piece of beef or chicken in that direction.

Step 9

Add sliced chicken, sliced beef, shrimp, and grilled peppers and onions to the skillet while it is still hot.
The hot skillet will give the rested meats a little warm up. Serve Texas Fajitas with warm flour tortillas, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and your favorite fajita toppings.

FAQs

What are Fajitas?

Fajitas are part of Tex-Mex cuisine that originated with vaqueros. These cattlemen were sometimes paid with undesirable portions of meat called skirt. They would grill them directly over an open flame and serve them with fresh tortillas to make steak fajitas.
Today, fajitas are thin strips of meat grilled with vegetables and served with tortillas and toppings like sour cream and Pico de Gallo.

Diana’s Tips for Success

Steak and chicken can be marinated overnight. However, the acidic marinade will make the shrimp soft if left too long. It is best to marinate the shrimp close to the start of cooking.

Take the steak, chicken, shrimp out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before cooking. Letting them get closer to room temperature before cooking. Refrigerator cold meat is hard to cook to the center without burning the outside.