Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas

Just right with a squeeze of lime, some chopped onions and cilantro, and a bit of fresh salsa.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated February 28, 2024
Sliced marinated grilled flank steak nestled in a flour tortilla and topped with green salsa.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Though not traditional, soy sauce is a common fajita marinade ingredient. It's high in glutamates, which are natural flavor enhancers responsible for the sensation of umami.
  • A two-zone fire gives you more control when you're grilling. Sear over the direct side, then finish cooking over the indirect side.

I love flank steak. In my recipe for steak-house style grilled marinated flank steak, I wrote:

It's hard to think of a cut of meat that is more conducive to cooking for a crowd than flank steak. It's got a robust, beefy flavor and a pleasantly tender texture with a bit of good chew. It comes in large, regular shapes that make cooking, slicing, and serving easy, and it's just thin enough that it'll cook through in a matter of minutes, but just thick enough that you can still get a nice, medium-rare center.

In the article, you can also find my tips for shopping, grilling, and serving these versatile pieces of steak, along with flavoring suggestions like this Thai-style marinade.

Squeezing lime over a grilled flank steak fajita taco.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

While fajitas are more commonly made with skirt steak, flank steak makes a fantastic filling as well. It may seem out of place in a Mexican (or Mexican-American) recipe, but soy sauce is actually quite a common fajita marinade ingredient. I mix mine with oregano, ground ancho chile (or if I'm lazy, chile powder), cumin, garlic, sugar, oil, and lime juice. You can go all out and serve it restaurant-style with grilled peppers and onions, but that's just gilding the lily—well-cooked meat doesn't need much more than a squeeze of lime, some chopped onions and cilantro, and a bit of fresh salsa.

May 2011

Recipe Details

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 45 mins
Active 30 mins
Marinating Time 60 mins
Total 110 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice

  • 4 medium cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon dried ground ancho chile (or 1 tablespoon chile powder)

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) canola or other neutral oil

  • 2 1/2 pounds flank steak (about 1 whole flank steak)

  • 12 to 16 flour tortillas, warmed

  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced

  • 2 whole limes, cut into wedges

  • Salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole for serving

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar, ground chile, oregano, cumin, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons cilantro until sugar is dissolved. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly. Place flank steak inside a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag with marinade. Press out air, seal bag, and allow meat to marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for at least 1 and up to 12 hours.

  2. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Light one chimney full of charcoal and wait until they're covered in grey ash. Spread evenly over 1/2 of grate, leaving other half empty. Put cooking grate in place, cover, and allow grill to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate, then place flank steak over hot side of grill. Cook until well charred, about 3 minutes. Flip steak and continue to cook until second side is well charred, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer steak to cooler side of grill, cover, and cook until thickest part of steak registers 125°F (52°C) on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, or 135°F (57°C) for medium, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow steak to rest for at least 5 minutes.

  3. Slice steak thinly across the grain, then cut each slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve immediately with warm tortillas, diced onions, remaining chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa as desired.

Notes

If you're using a gas grill, set half of the burners to high and leave the others off for two-zone grilling.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
876 Calories
32g Fat
93g Carbs
54g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 876
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 40%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 1367mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 93g 34%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 12mg 58%
Calcium 126mg 10%
Iron 8mg 47%
Potassium 861mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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