Classic fajita seasoning recipe?

[Huskee]

I'm looking for a good homemade classic fajita seasoning. I can google 12,000 of them but does anyone have a particular one they like?

[Danjohnston949]

Huskee, That Makes Two of Us! 👍👍🍻👍👍. Thanks. Dan

[bbqoaf]

Add salt separately:

Basic:
3 tablespoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon cumin
Fresh ground pepper and Cayenne powder to taste

My twist (especially good for blackened fish):
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground tarragon leaves

[Huskee]

Thanks! Might be a bit cumin-y on the basic version, but the nutmeg version sounds interesting.

[Ernest]

Mostly eye balled.

2 Parts chili powder (I use penzey's medium)
1 part smoked paprika
1/2 part onion powder
1/2 part garlic powder
1/2 part fresh toasted and ground cumin (watch out start with lower amount)
A pinch of chipotle powder (to taste)
A pinch of granulated sugar

[Ernest]

HAHAHA! Good thing about part is it can be measured by using anything in your vicinity.

[jgg85234]

Just make sure that you use the metric part spoons, @Huskee.

The metric system is much more precise

And, watch those pinches. In my experience, only grandmothers get that measurement correct.

Jim

[Huskee]

jgg85234 You got that right, my pinches turn into handfuls before I know it.

[gcdmd]

When I first moved to Texas over 40 years ago I was told that in addition to using a dry rub, the fajitas (beef, to be truly Tejano) should be marinated over night in lime juice for tenderizing and flavor.

[Huskee]

OK, thanks to bbqoaf and Ernest . Here's what I did initially:

Used 1 Tbsp as my "part". Started off as follows for a first draft:

2 Tbsp chili powder (Tone's, what I had and it's really good)
1 Tbsp paprika (didn't have smoked pap, just regular, used it even though it's largely tasteless)
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 part ground cumin
A pinch of granulated sugar
(didn't use any chipotle or cayenne, as my kids don't care for spicy)
1/2 Tbsp coarse black pepper in place of ^

Tasted it, thought it ok but could use some help. So I divided my mix in half and added bbqoaf's nutmeg idea (1/4 tsp) to one half. I liked the portion with the nutmeg better than the one w/o. Re-combined the 2 portions and added what turned out to be 1/2 tsp of nutmeg total.

Still needed help IMHO. I doubled the garlic- better. I doubled the onion, better still. Still not totally happy. I tripled the garlic (1.5 Tbsp total) much better for my tastes. Figured I'd quit while I was ahead and leave it here as my trial.

So my final draft is this:
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1.5 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch (maybe 1/4 tsp?) sugar

I added this directly to my SRF flank steak as a rub, already dry brined, and this will be SnSed for fajitas tonight. No idea how this will turn out. This rub, like BBBR will go a long way in the above measurements, so I have plenty left to make a sauce out of if it's not enough once it's in the shell (which I'm thinking will be the case).

I'll report back my findings. Thanks guys for helping out!

[Danjohnston949]

GRACIOUS ME AMIGOS! 👍👍🍻👍👍. I believe gcdmd may be right about the Lemon/Lime Juice Marinade! About 35-40 years ago I was in San Antoine TX and I was at an Equipment Show at the Fair Grounds and a Lady was making Fajitas on a cook cart and grill! First Fajitas I ever had, I've Craved Them Every Since! I visited with her about how she prepared the Flank Steak? I think she told me she marinated it in Juice, @jcdmd reminded me? To many Marguaritas to Write what She Told Me Down! Huskee, I think I am going give your recipe a go I might Add A Dash of Cinnamon?
👍👍🍻👍👍. Dan

[Huskee]

So this turned out really good as a rub. However, slicing the flank steak thin left little rub on the pieces so it didn't have that prevailing "fajita" flavor. They turned out more like regular steak made into fajitas...still excellent though. My wife sauteed up some yellow and orange peppers and onions and added a little of the seasoning to them. I think using more of the seasoning would've been a good idea, but the meat was so tender and delicious I didn't much care.


First time doing a flank steak, aside from that pesky cartilage band in there what a nice tender piece of meat!

[Danjohnston949]

Huskee, Sounds Great! Where are the Pic's? I may try it this Week End! 👍👍🍻👍👍. Dan

[jgg85234]

Sounds delicious.

Yes, gcdmd remembers correctly.

The marinade for Fajitas for an excellent Mexican restaurant in Phoenix (Macayo's) lists the following for their basic marinade.

1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon white pepper
1 lime, squeezed
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

They suggest the following if you want to spice it up a bit more:

Add cayenne pepper or crushed dry red chili pepper. Instead of lime juice, try pineapple juice, papaya juice, beer, wine or barbecue sauce.

This is a small chain (local to Phoenix) that's been here a lot longer than I (and I got here in 1976). They've been around since the 1940s. I don't remember when they started with Fajitas, but Mr. Johnson (owner) always claimed to be the inventor of the Chimichanga.

Jim

[cdd315]

Wow, this looks good. Thanks Huskee for coming up with this formula. I think I'll mix up a batch .. also add a pinch of cinnamon as Danjohnston949 suggested

[gardenfish]

In a restaurant I used to work in we put the meat in tubs with a little oil, pineapple juice, orange juice, chopped garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and sliced limes, and a touch of worchestershire sauce. We would let sit 2-3 days

[Huskee]

jgg85234 gardenfish Thank you guys for sharing these marinade recipes. Great resource! Yes I think limes would've been a good idea. I have lime juice but didn't think of it until after I had put the fajita rub on. Next time though, they'll get a marinade with the rub and lime juice. I sure see why flank steak is good for fajitas- you can actually bite through the meat instead of pulling a whole piece out with each bite.

[Dr ROK]

This recipe for Carne Asada works great as a fajita recipe too. It says to cut the meat up before cooking, but I just grill it and then cut it up. Love this stuff.

Ingredients
3 pounds flank steak
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika

1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced

2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 white onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 dried New Mexico chile pods
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas
2 cups grated cotija cheese (optional)
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions
Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.
In a small bowl, stir together 1 chopped white onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toast chile pods in the skillet for a few minutes, then remove to a bowl of water to soak for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapenos, and 4 cloves of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. Place the roasted vegetables, and soaked chile pods into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add as much cheese as you like. Garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

[Danjohnston949]

Huskee, I was evaluating my Optoins for a Flank Steak Marinade and Found a Bottle of Finest Call Maurgerita Mix wonders never cease? I Dry Brined the Steak, Mixed 2 Heaping TSP of Minced Garlic in Olive Oil with 3/4 Cup Finest Call Mix and 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinager! Poured My Concoction over the Flank Steak in a Freezer Bag on a Platter and into the Refrigerator. I will flip it over 4-5 Hours and Put a Rub on Before Noon Tomorrow! More Later!! Dan

[smarkley]

Thanks Huskee and everyone!

I have been looking for something like this for a long time!

[Danjohnston949]

smarkley, Great Minds One Ditch! 👍👍🍀👍👍. Dan