Fajita night built for an outdoor flat top griddle. You get marinated chicken and steak, charred peppers and onions across independent heat zones, and everything hitting the table at the same time. The dinner that makes the whole street smell incredible!
Easy Fajita Night Recipe
|HALO
Easy Fajita Night Recipe
HALO
6 people
20 minutes
20 minutes
Mexican
Main
Combine olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, grated garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and cilantro in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Divide between two containers; one for the chicken, one for the steak. Add protei...
Ingredients
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700g boneless skinless chicken thighs
500g skirt steak or flank steak
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4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 3 limes
Juice of 1 orange
5 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
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3 bell peppers; one red, one yellow, one green; sliced into strips
2 large white onions, sliced into half moons
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and coarse black pepper
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12 small flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
2 ripe avocados, sliced or roughly mashed with lime and salt
150g shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 limes, cut into wedges
Hot sauce
Pickled jalapeños
Directions
Make the marinade. Combine olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, grated garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and cilantro in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Divide between two containers, one for the chicken, one for the steak. Add proteins to their respective containers and turn to coat completely. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. Overnight is better for the steak. Try not go beyond 6 hours for the chicken because the citrus acid starts to break down the texture.
Remove proteins from the refrigerator 30–45 minutes before cooking. Pat each piece completely dry with paper towels, remove as much surface moisture as possible. Dry protein sears. Wet protein steams. This step is the difference between a properly caramelized fajita and a grey, soggy one.
Set up your fajita bar before the cooking starts. Warm the tortillas in a dry kitchen towel in a low oven at 150°F while you cook. Slice the avocado. Put the sour cream, cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, hot sauce, and lime wedges in bowls.
Heat the Elite Griddle across three zones, high on the left for the steak, medium-high in the center for the chicken, medium on the right for the peppers and onions. Allow the full surface to reach temperature before anything goes on.
Start the peppers and onions first. Add oil to the medium zone. Add the sliced onions first, spreading evenly. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop color. Add the bell pepper strips. Season with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss occasionally, you want real char on some pieces. These need 12–15 minutes total. Push to a low zone to hold when done.
While the peppers cook, add the steak to the high zone. Do not move it for 3–4 minutes. You want a deep, dark sear on the contact side. Flip once. Cook for another 2–3 minutes for medium. Skirt and flank steak are best at medium to medium-rare. Remove and rest on a board for 5–8 minutes before slicing.
Add the chicken to the medium-high zone. Thighs need 5–6 minutes per side — leave them completely alone on the first side until they release naturally. Flip once. Check internal temperature for 74°C (165°F). Remove and rest for 3–4 minutes.
While the proteins rest, return the peppers and onions to the medium zone to reheat. Toss with a squeeze of lime directly on the griddle surface.
Slice the rested steak against the grain into thin strips. Slice or chop the chicken into pieces. Pile everything onto the center of the griddle for 30 seconds to sizzle together. This is the moment where all the flavors combine and the whole yard smells like a restaurant.
Bring the whole griddle to the table if possible or transfer everything to a large cast iron platter. The sizzle is part of the experience. Let people build their own. Tortilla, protein, peppers and onions, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, lime. Hot sauce on everything.
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