Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Sheet pan steak fajitas solve the biggest fajita-night problem: standing over a smoking hot skillet babysitting peppers and steak. In my version, everything roasts on one pan while you do literally anything else-make a salad, set the table, drink a margarita, do a little dance.
FEATURED COMMENT
"I love how easy sheet pan dinners are, and this one is so good! Will definitely make it again."
- Kat
Recipe at a glance
Why I Love This Recipe
The tasty, smoky char you get on these steak fajitas from a scorching hot oven tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant, not a busy Tuesday in your own kitchen.
Stovetop fajitas in a cast iron skillet are amazing. But holy heck are they annoying when you're cooking for your family on a weeknight. You're stuck working in batches to get the char right, and the heat you need for real fajita flavor turns your kitchen into a smoke show (not in a good way). The fix? One sheet pan and a scorching hot oven.
- No batches. Skillet fajitas mean cooking in rounds to get everyone's portion charred right, which takes forever on a weeknight. One pan, one cooking session. Dinner is done.
- No smoky kitchen. The oven handles that same high heat without smoking you out.
- Hands off. Literally go make yourself a blueberry margarita and relax to the dulcet tones of fajitas sizzling away in your oven.
- Seasoning is super flexible. This blend makes a great classic fajita seasoning, that you can customize-make it spicier, smokier, whatever! But if you're short on time or energy, store-bought works, too.
- Choose your own topping adventure. Cheese, sour cream (reg or my vegan sour cream recipe), cilantro, mango guacamole, homemade salsa and of course, homemade hot sauce-the possibilities are endless.
Give it one try on a weeknight, and you'll see why this is the only way I make fajitas anymore.
Ingredients
Head's up: Check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list
- Flank or skirt steak. Both are affordable, marinate well, and turn out tender and juicy when cut properly (more on that below). In a pinch, strip steak or hanger steak work too. Skip the fancy cuts like ribeye or sirloin here. Save those for steak night; they're overkill for fajitas since the marinade is doing the tenderizing work anyway.
- Bell peppers. Any color works. A mix of red, yellow, and green gives you the classic fajita look, but this is a great way to use up whatever peppers you've got on hand. And yes, you can even use frozen fajita veggies-a favorite short-cut of mine!
- Fajita seasonings. These are pantry staples you likely already have. Doing your own blend means no fillers or anti-caking agents like you'll find in a lot of store-bought packets, but if you're short on time or energy, store-bought works, too.
- Onion. Sliced thick enough that it doesn't turn to mush under that high oven heat.
- Lime. Juiced and zested right into the marinade. The zest especially adds a brightness the juice alone doesn't give you.
- Avocado oil. High smoke point, so it can handle the scorching oven temp without burning or smoking up the kitchen (the whole point of going sheet pan in the first place). You can also use melted coconut oil.
How to Make Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Step 1: Mix the seasoning. Stir together the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Marinate the steak. Place the flank steak in a large bowl or zip-top bag with the oil, lime juice, and lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend. Toss to coat and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight (reserve the rest of the seasoning for step 4).
Step 3: Arrange and season. Arrange the marinated beef and vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.
Step 4: Bake and broil. Bake in a 400°F oven for 12-14 minutes, then broil for the last 1-2 minutes to get a good char. Cover the pan with foil and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Step 5: Slice. Slice the steak against the grain for tender bites.
Step 6: Serve. Serve warm on warm corn or flower tortillas with your favorite toppings.
👩🏻🍳 Cassie's Tips
- Frozen veggies work great here. Don't feel like you need to buy and slice fresh peppers and onions every time. A bag of frozen fajita veggies is a real shortcut I use often, and it skips a step of prep entirely. They don't get quite as charred, but they are still delicious.
- Don't have flank or skirt steak? No problem. Strip steak and hanger steak are solid substitutes if that's what your grocery store has on hand.
- Let the steak come to room temp before it hits the oven. Pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Starting cold means the outside overcooks before the inside catches up.
- Don't want beef? No problem. Try my sheet pan chicken fajitas or my slow cooker chicken fajitas! For the vegetarians out there, my portobello fajitas will knock your socks off.
- Doneness depends on your cut. If you're using flank, skirt, or strip steak, cook it to medium-well or well-done (14-15 minutes) because these cuts don't stay tender at rare the way pricier cuts do. If you splurge on a sirloin or ribeye, you've got more flexibility to pull it at rare or medium (10-15 minutes) since those cuts are tender no matter what. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out either way (I love, love, love my bluetooth meat thermometer).
- Always cut against the grain. This might be the single most important step for tender fajitas. Look for the direction the muscle fibers run and slice across them, not with them. Skip this and even a perfectly cooked steak turns out chewy.
FAQs
400°F gets you tender, well-cooked beef and properly softened veggies in about 12-14 minutes, with a quick broil at the end for char. Going much hotter risks burning the vegetables before the steak catches up.
Sure can! This is one of my favorite meal prep lunches or dinners. Cook everything as directed, then portion the steak and veggies into containers separately from your tortillas and toppings so nothing gets soggy. You can also turn them into steak fajita bowls with cauliflower or regular rice. Reheat in the microwave.
Absolutely. To scale down: just cut the steak, veggies, and marinade in half and follow the directions as listed. To double it: double all in the ingredients and then split them between two sheet pans.
Between the one-pan cleanup, the flexible toppings, and that restaurant-worthy char, this is the fajita night that actually fits into a real week.
More Easy Peasy Sheet Pan Dinners:
If you tried this Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Ingredients
For the fajita seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
For the steak and veggies:
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 3 bell peppers pith removed and sliced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
For serving:
- Tortillas
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Stir together the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the flank steak in a large bowl or ziplock bag, and add the 3 tablespoons oil, lime juice, and lime zest. Add 2 tablespoons of the seasoning as well, and toss everything to combine and coat the beef. Marinate in the fridge for 4-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Reserve the remaining seasoning (there should be about 4 teaspoons left over).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Arrange the marinated beef and vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the vegetables and sprinkle them with the remaining seasoning. Bake the sheet pan dinner for 12-14 minutes (12 for medium-rare, 13 for medium, 14 for medium-well), broiling for the last 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. After rest time, slice the steak, then serve the fajitas with warmed tortillas and toppings!
Notes
- Marinating is optional, but it makes a real difference in tenderness and flavor. Even an hour helps if you're short on time, though overnight is best.
- Watch the beef closely during the broil step. It goes from medium-rare to medium-well fast once the broiler kicks in.
- If using flank, skirt, or strip steak, cook to medium-well or well-done since these cuts don't stay tender at rare. Sirloin or ribeye can be cooked to your preference.
- No time or energy for a homemade seasoning blend? Store-bought fajita seasoning works great here too.
- Frozen fajita veggies (peppers and onions) can be used in place of fresh.
- Swap the avocado oil for melted coconut oil if that's what you have on hand.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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I love how easy sheet pan dinners are, and this one is so good! Will definitely make it again.
Love the sound of this recipe. Will have to give it a go.
Thank-you, Cassie