Making Steak Fajitas in the Air Fryer is quick, easy, and flavor-packed! Complete with peppers, onions, and juicy skirt steak, our recipe for air fryer steak fajitas is ready to enjoy in less than 35 minutes. Serve them with tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings, and enjoy every bite!
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If you have yet to try cooking steak in the air fryer, you might be a little skeptical, but rest assured we have plenty of experience air frying everything from ribeye and skirt steak to steak tips with the perfect sear. Not only is it possible, but it's an easy meal, and the results will impress you!
Follow our simple guide below to air fry steak fajitas using simple ingredients in a handful of easy steps, and you'll have six delicious servings of juicy fajitas ready in under 35 minutes!
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Ingredients in Air Fried Steak Fajitas
Skirt Steak and Marinade
- Skirt Steak: For this recipe, a 1½ to 2 pound skirt steak fits perfectly in our 7-quart air fryer. You can also use flank steak; just be sure to check the temperature as instructed with a meat thermometer to get the timing right, and make sure the steak you pick will fit in your air fryer when trimmed into three evenly-sized pieces.
- Marinade Sauces:
- Olive oil,
- fresh lime juice,
- and Worcestershire sauce combine to create the sauce base for our skirt steak marinade. Lime juice adds a fresh citrus flavor and helps break down the tough muscle fibers of the steak, while Worcestershire sauce and olive oil enhance the flavor and additionally help tenderize the meat.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic can be used for this air fryer skirt steak, because the garlic will only be in the marinade and won't be going into the air fryer. We would normally advise against using fresh garlic when air frying unless you're roasting garlic, because it's quick to burn, but that's not an issue with this recipe.
- Seasoning for Skirt Steak Marinade:
- Sugar,
- chili powder,
- ground cumin,
- red pepper flakes,
- kosher salt,
- and freshly cracked black pepper make up the skirt steak seasoning used in the marinade for these steak fajitas. This combination is sweet, spicy, and great for pairing with our peppers and onions!
Peppers and Onions
- Bell Peppers: We recommend you look for the best price on peppers you can find, and have found that ALDI is always a good place to find a great deal on bell peppers (in particular the "Stoplight Pepper" packages that come with three varieties - this is always our first choice). Choose different colors for a visually appealing dish, or stick to your favorite!
- Large Yellow Onion: We prefer yellow onions for this recipe because they have a sweet and mellow flavor as opposed to being too astringent. Yellow onions are also generally the most budget-friendly. You can use other varieties of onion depending on what you have on hand, but red onion will most likely be too overpowering.
- Olive Oil or Avocado Oil: We typically use olive oil or avocado oil for this recipe, but choose your favorite oil. The oil helps retain moisture and crisps up the peppers and onions. See our guide to Cooking Oils for more info!
- Seasonings: The peppers and onions only need a little kosher salt and black pepper to taste great, but feel free to add other seasonings such as garlic powder or even taco seasoning to your liking. Anything you enjoy as fajita seasoning would pair well with these peppers. We recommend you avoid using table salt.
Fajitas
- Flour Tortillas: We recommend using flour tortillas for fajitas, as they hold up the best and won't crumble. If you want to use corn tortillas to keep the dish gluten-free, warm them as outlined in the instructions the same way you would with flour tortillas.
- Lime: A little bit of lime juice does wonders for any fajita recipe. We highly recommend it!
- Cilantro: If you're not a fan of cilantro, feel free to leave it out or replace it with parsley. This is entirely up to taste.
- Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Air Frying Steak for Fajitas
Whisk the Marinade
Combine olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, sugar, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Slice Steak into Thirds
Place skirt steak on a cutting board and slice into three equal pieces using a sharp knife.
Add Steak to Marinade
Place the skirt steak pieces into a gallon-sized zip-top bag, then pour the marinade over the steak in the bag. Zip to close tightly, and place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Adding Wire Rack to the Air Fryer
Insert the wire rack into the air fryer basket under the crisper tray. This is important, as it raises the basket tray closer to the heating element, allowing the steak to sear properly. Preheat air fryer on air broil to 400°F. If you don’t have an air broil setting, that’s okay, just set to 400°F on the preheat setting.
Removing Steak from the Marinade
Remove skirt steak pieces from marinade. Hold each piece over bag to allow excess marinade to drip off steak before placing them in air fryer.
Place the Steak in the Air Fryer
Place skirt steak in preheated air fryer in a single layer. Make sure not to overlap any pieces.
Air Frying Skirt Steak
Air fry 8 minutes, using tongs to turn each piece of skirt steak over halfway through air frying.
Step 4
After 8 minutes, check the internal temperature of the skirt steak using an instant read thermometer. For medium rare, remove the steak when the temp reaches between 125-130°F in thickest part of each piece. Check each piece separately. If any of the steak pieces aren’t up to temperature, return to the air fryer for 2 more minutes or until the proper temperature is reached.
Resting and Slicing the Steak
Rest skirt steak for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain. Enjoy!
Air Frying Fajita Vegetables
Season those veggies
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. While it preheats, add the sliced peppers and onions to a large bowl with oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the veggies, as well as any additional seasonings you may want to use, to taste.
Give them a good shake
Add the seasoned peppers and onions to the air fryer basket and shake to distribute them evenly. Try to keep them in a single layer and avoid overcrowding to ensure even cooking. It's okay if they overlap a little bit, though.
Air Fry
Air fry the peppers and onions for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cook time to ensure even cooking. If your air fryer doesn't have a built-in timer to remind you to shake the basket, we recommend you set an egg timer or use the timer function on your phone. When done, carefully remove the veggies from the air fryer basket.
Assembling Air Fryer Steak Fajitas
Step 1
Place flour tortillas in the air fryer basket in a stack and put a weighted, heat proof item, such as a ramekin, on top to hold them down. This is very important to prevent them from flying up into the heating element and creating a safety hazard. Air fry at °F for 1-2 minutes or until heated to your liking.
Step 2
While the tortillas are air frying, slice the skirt steak thinly against the grain. Combine the thinly sliced skirt steak with the peppers and onions and squeeze fresh lime juice over top.Top with freshly chopped cilantro if desired. To assemble, spread a spoonful of salsa onto a tortilla and top with steak, peppers, onions, and a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and lime wedges on the side, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to use the rack when making the skirt steak. The rack raises the steak up higher in the air fryer so it is closer to the heating element, which helps sear the steak.
- Remove the rack before adding the peppers and onions.
- Slice skirt steak against the grain. This is typically the long side of a skirt steak. Slicing against the grain shortens the fibers for maximum tenderness.
- The total time listed does not include marinating time, as that can vary.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer. As always, use the cook time and temperature as a guide until you are more comfortable with your specific brand of air fryer.
- When cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
Favorite Toppings for Air Fryer Fajitas
- Cheese: Shredded cheese is always an excellent choice for pairing with fajitas. You can also use Mexican cheeses such as queso fresco or cotija cheese for great flavor.
- Salsa: We're using our homemade salsa for this dish, and it is fantastic. Give it a try, or use your favorite restaurant-style salsa.
- Guacamole: The fresher the guacamole, the better! Add a squeeze of lime when you make it, and it's guaranteed to be even better.
- Sour Cream: Believe it or not, in a pinch, you can also use Greek yogurt. Creme fraiche works, too.
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover peppers, onions, and steak separately from tortillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer and serve on warmed tortillas for best results.
FAQ for Air Frying Steak Fajitas
Cooking tender fajita meat relies on a few key steps. First, you should be certain to marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes in a marinade including an acidic component such as citrus juice. This helps break down the tough muscle fibers and tenderizes the meat. Second, you should take care to slice against the grain after allowing the steak to rest. The grain typically runs along the long side of skirt steak. For a guide to slicing skirt steak, see our skirt steak recipe.
We find that skirt steak is the best steak for fajitas. Marinate, cook, then slice it thinly, and it has the best texture and flavor paired with peppers and onions.
You should not cut the steak into strips, but we do recommend cutting it into three pieces so that it will fit inside of your air fryer properly and cook evenly. This will also help you identify and cut against the grain later, after air frying.
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Steak Fajitas
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
Steak for Fajitas
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice about 2 limes, juiced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1½ to 2 lbs Skirt Steak
Peppers and Onions for Fajitas
- 3 medium bell peppers washed, seeded, and sliced into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Steak Fajitas
- 6 flour tortillas
- 1 lime
- cilantro to taste, chopped
- salsa (optional) try our air fryer salsa!
- sour cream (optional)
- guacamole (optional)
Instructions
Marinating Steak for Fajitas
- Combine ½ cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 1 Tablespoon garlic, 1 Tablespoon sugar, ½ Tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cut 1½ to 2 lbs Skirt Steak into 3 pieces.
- Place skirt steak pieces into a gallon sized zip-top bag and pour marinade into bag. Zip to close tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
Air Frying Steak for Fajitas
- Insert rack into air fryer basket under crisper tray.
- Preheat air fryer on air broil to 400°F. If you don’t have an air broil setting, that’s okay, just set to 400°F on the preheat setting.
- Remove skirt steak pieces from marinade. Hold each piece over bag to allow excess marinade to drip off steak before placing in air fryer.
- Place skirt steak in preheated air fryer in a single layer.
- Air fry 8 minutes, using tongs to turn each piece of skirt steak over halfway through air frying.
- After 8 minutes, check internal temperature of skirt steak. For medium rare, remove skirt steak when instant read thermometer reads between 125-130°F in thickest part of each piece. Check each piece separately. If any of the steak pieces aren’t up to temperature, return to the air fryer for 2 more minutes or until the proper temperature is reached.
Air Frying Vegetables for Steak Fajitas
- Slice 3 medium bell peppers and 1 medium yellow onion into even strips. See our guides to cutting bell peppers and cutting onions if you need a little help!
- Place sliced peppers and onions into a large mixing bowl, and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix to coat all the peppers and onions.
- Add seasoned peppers and onions to the air fryer basket and shake to distribute evenly. Avoid overcrowding to ensure even cooking.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through air frying to ensure even cooking. NOTE: If you have a toaster oven-style air fryer model with a tray, air fry for 18-20 minutes instead, stirring them halfway through with a wooden or rubber spoon.
- Once the peppers and onions are tender with slightly crispy edges, carefully remove from the air fryer basket.
Assembling Air Fryer Steak Fajitas
- Place flour tortillas in the air fryer basket in a stack and put a weighted, heat proof item, such as a ramekin, on top to hold them down. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 1-2 minutes or until heated to your liking.
- While the tortillas are air frying, slice the skirt steak thinly against the grain.
- Combine the thinly sliced skirt steak with the peppers and onions and squeeze fresh lime juice over the steak, peppers, and onions.
- Top with freshly chopped cilantro.
- Spread a spoonful of salsa onto a tortilla and top with steak, peppers, and onions then top with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole and garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- The air fryer rack is necessary for raising the steak higher and closer to the heating element, which helps it develop a sear.
- Slice skirt steak against the grain, which is typically the long side of the steak.
- Total time listed does not include marinating time, as that can vary. You can marinate for as little as 30 minutes or up to 8 hours according to your preference.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer model. Air fryers vary from brand to brand, so test and make sure to use a meat thermometer to get the perfect cook time for your air fryer model.
- When cooking in multiple batches, check subsequent batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
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