I prefer fajitas cooked over mesquite wood or hardwood charcoal with soaked mesquite chips for smoky flavoring. A gas grill will work, too. For optimum flavor and tenderness, marinate the skirt steaks for 8 hours or overnight.
My marinade enhances the flavor of beef, as well as tenderizes it. Too many fajita marinades overwhelm, even destroy the flavor of the meat. That is a particular risk with the use of liquid smoke to impart smoke flavor. First of all, if you are grilling fajitas over wood or charcoal, the meat will taste smoky. If you aren’t grilling over an open fire, don’t try to simulate the flavor by adding liquid smoke with its chemical taste to the marinade. Fajitas, with the right marinade, are delicious whether broiled or grilled.
Technically, fajitas aren’t chicken. But chicken breast cooked fajita-style has become an in-demand variation on fajitas so I’ve given up on the semantic argument.
Before grilling, ready your desired garnishes: grilled onions and peppers, guacamole, flour tortillas, pico de gallo, and salsa.
Makes 6 servings
Special Equipment
• Charcoal or gas grill
• Heatproof gloves for handling grill equipment
• Mesquite chips or hardwood mesquite charcoal
3½ pounds skirt steak, or 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 garlic cloves, smashed
2 cups coarsely chopped white onions
2½ teaspoons salt
Vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce mixed with ½ cup water
Enchilada Queen Seasoning Blend, as needed
12 warm flour tortillas (here)
Garnishes: Frontera Grilled Onions and Peppers, Fresh Guacamole, Frontera Pico de Gallo, Salsa de Mesa, and sour cream
Trim any excess fat from the beef or chicken. Using a meat-tenderizing mallet, pound the skirt steaks using the small-pointed side. Set aside.
In a blender jar or work bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, onion, and 1½ cups water. Process on high speed for at least 30 seconds, until the garlic and onions virtually dissolve.
Transfer the processed garlic and onion with their liquid to a large pitcher. Add the salt and 6 cups water. Stir to dissolve the salt.
Place the skirt steaks or chicken breasts in a shallow nonreactive pan or large plastic bag with zipper seal. Pour the garlic marinade over the meat. Cover or seal; marinate for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator. Drain and discard the marinade. Let the meat sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, light a wood or hardwood charcoal fire at least 30 minutes before you are ready to cook. Coals are ready when covered with a light coating of gray ash. Or preheat a gas grill to medium-high for 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, rub the grill surface lightly with oil. Place the skirt steaks or chicken breasts over the fire in the center of the grill. The heat should be high enough to sear the surface of the meat or chicken when it touches the hot grill.
Brush all sides lightly with the soy sauce and water mixture and lightly sprinkle seasoning blend over all sides of the skirt steaks or chicken. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side for beef fajitas cooked to medium internal temperature. Grill fajitas for about 2 minutes longer if medium-well fajitas are desired. Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear.
Let the meat or chicken rest for about 5 minutes before cutting across the grain into thin strips; trim strips to about 2 inches long.
Serve with warm flour tortillas and garnishes of choice.