Fajita Marinade Recipe
This is my favorite fajita marinade recipe for steak, shrimp or chicken fajitas, so easy to make and huge on flavor, with olive oil, lime juice and lots of wonderful seasonings. Let’s make fajitas!
How much do you enjoy fajitas? We love fajitas here in the Chili Pepper Madness household. It doesn’t matter what kind of fajitas – chicken, shrimp, beef fajitas – we love them all.
There is nothing like the sound and smell of fajita meat sizzling in hot cast iron skillets on the stovetop, waiting to be served. Time to fire up y your grill pan, my friends.
There are a few different ways to make fajitas, whether you’re using a flavorful fajita seasoning blend or using a beer braise, but one of my very favorite ways to make fajitas is with a good homemade Fajita Marinade.
The best fajita marinade not only builds huge flavor into your fajitas, but also helps tenderize the meat, making for fajitas that are always super tender and juicy. The marinade also results in a saucy finish for a big flavor bonus.
You can buy fajita marinade from the grocery store, but it is so much easier to make at home, and you can control exactly what goes into it as well as the overall spice level. I know you like it spicy, my chilihead friends.
This is my favorite fajita marinade mixture, perfect for any meats or vegetables. I use it to marinate chicken breasts or chicken tenders for the best chicken fajitas around, for steak fajitas to die for, and shrimp fajitas are always satisfy.
Try it with veggies, too. Or tofu! Now matter what you want to make, this is the marinade you need.
Let’s talk about how we make fajita marinade, shall we?
Fajita Marinade Ingredients
- Liquids. Olive oil, lime juice, water.
- Seasonings. Fresh garlic, paprika, ancho powder, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper, chili flakes.
How to Make Fajita Marinade – the Recipe Method
Whisk the Fajita Marinade Ingredients. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until consistent – olive oil, lime juice, water, minced garlic, paprika, ancho powder, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes.
Marinate Your Desired Protein or Vegetables. Use to marinade chicken, shrimp, steak or other favorite proteins for making fajitas. This also works great with vegetables, like bell peppers or other chili peppers.
Boom! Done! Super easy to make, isn’t it? Once you’ve marinated the meat, it’s fajita time! This is the best fajita marinade out there. Such a great recipe. At least I think so! Definitely my favorite.
This fajita marinade is ideal for up to 2 pounds of protein or vegetables.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Other Ingredients. You can use other ingredients and seasonings to customize your fajita marinade to your own tastes. Citrus like orange juice or pineapple juice are nice additions. Soy sauce is popular, but I prefer that with steak, like this Carne Asada Marinade recipe. Other seasonings to try are extra spicy chili powder or other fresh herbs. Honey is good as well in place of brown sugar.
- Marinating Times. Shrimp should be marinated for 30 minutes. Chicken and steak should marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for more developed flavor.
- Heat Factor. Mild-Medium, though you can get some nice heat with a good spicy chili powder. If it gets too hot, serve your fajitas with a few dollops of sour cream, which can help temper the heat.
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my favorite fajita marinade recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Beer Braised Chicken Fajitas
- Steak Fajitas
- Carne Asada Marinade
- BBQ Chicken Marinade
- Shrimp Marinade
- Salmon Marinade
- Check out all of my Spicy Marinade Recipes
Try These Accompaniments for Your Fajitas
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Fajita Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or use sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ancho powder also try guajillo powder(or more to taste - I often use 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste I use 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Chili flakes to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until consistent.
- Use to marinade chicken, shrimp, steak or other favorite proteins for making fajitas.
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