The most tender Steak Fajitas are made with this easy Sous Vide Flank Steak Recipe. If you love flank steak, this make-ahead recipe is full of delicious flavors.
Sous vide ensures foolproof results every time-no more overcooked or dry steak! This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights because you can marinate the steak overnight and cook it quickly the next day.
Definitely going to be making this again
Made this last night for my teenaged son and a few of his friends. Was a huge hit! What a cheap way to feed teenagers (steak was about $15 Canadian and it fed me, my husband, the 3 boys).
★★★★★ ~ Kellie
Ingredients
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This third generation sous vide circulator includes dual-band WiFi and a two-line touchscreen display.
Instructions
Marinate the Steak
- Trim excess fat from the flank steak. Season with fajita seasoning and garlic powder, rubbing it into the meat.
- Place the steak in a vacuum-sealed bag or zip-top bag. Add lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, and lime slices. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight for maximum flavor).
Cook Sous Vide
- Preheat the sous vide water bath to 141°F (60.5°C).
- Submerge the sealed steak in the water bath and cook for 1-2 hours
Sear the Steak
- Remove the steak from the bag and pat it dry.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Sear the steak for 1-2 minutes per side until caramelized.
Grill the Vegetables
- Toss sliced bell peppers and onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grill in a skillet or grill pan until softened and slightly charred.
Serve
Slice the steak against the grain. Serve with grilled vegetables, warm tortillas, and your favorite toppings (e.g., guacamole, salsa, cheese).
Did you make this recipe?
Do you have feedback that would be helpful to others? If so can help this small business owner by leaving a rating and a review in the comments section? Thank you for being part of the Savoring The Good Community. ~ Sarah
Make it your own!
I encourage all my readers to take inspiration from my recipes. Make them how YOU like them. Here are some ways you could customize this recipe:
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cayenne or chili powder to the marinade.
- Make it citrusy: Use orange juice instead of lime for a sweeter flavor.
- Go low-carb: Serve the fajitas over a bed of lettuce or cauliflower rice.
Slicing Instructions
You will notice that the Flank Steak has a grain to it, much like wood does. To get tender bites of fajita you need to cut across the grain. Don't slice along the grain or lines, or it will be harder to bite off a piece of tender meat. Look for the long muscle fibers running along the steak-this is the grain. Slice perpendicular to these fibers for the most tender bites
Tips for Success
- For medium-rare steak, set the sous vide to 129°F (54°C) and cook for 2 hours.
- Use leftover steak and veggies for fajita bowls or salads.
Trouble Shooting
Here are some common issues that I have learned to troubleshoot.
- Steak is too rare/too done: Adjust the sous vide temperature (e.g., 129°F for medium-rare, 141°F for medium).
- Vegetables are soggy: Make sure your skillet or grill pan is very hot before adding the veggies.
- Bag leaked during sous vide: Double-seal the bag or use a clip to keep it submerged.
What cut of meat is used for beef fajitas?
When I make my beef fajitas, I will use either a Skirt Steak or Flank Steak. Flank steak and skirt steak are cuts of steak known for their wonderful flavors and cook up perfectly for fajitas. Be sure to make my sous vide Stuffed Flank Steak, if you love beef pinwheels as much as I do.
Yes! Simply add 30 minutes to the cooking time.
Try pan-searing the steak and finishing it in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes.
If the flank steak is one inch thick, set the temperature at 129°F (54°C) for about 2 hours. This ensures that you get medium rare steak without the risk of overcooking.
Ingredients
- 2 pound beef Flank Steak
Flank Steak Marinade
- ¼ Cup olive oil
- 1 fresh lime sliced thin
- ½ Tablespoon fajita seasoning
- ½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 6 sprigs cilantro with stems
Fajita vegetables
- 2 red bell peppers trimmed, seeded, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper trimmed, seeded, thinly sliced
- 1 large white onion halved and sliced thin
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Flour tortillas
- prepared guacamole optional
- Cheese Optional
- Salasa optional
- Sour Cream optional
- Limes optional
Instructions
Prepare the flank steak
- Trim away any excess fat or silver skin.
- Sprinkle the fajita seasoning and garlic powder over the steak and rub in to the meat.
- Drizzle the olive oil in a gallon sized vac and seal bag or a gallon sized zip top freezer bag.
- Place the flank steak flat in the gallon bag.
- Lay the sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime on the meat.
- If using a vac and seal system, remove the air out of the bag and seal just as the oil is heading for the top of the bag.
- Double seal.
- If using a gallon zip top bag, remove as much air as possible.
- Marinade for 1 hour to overnight.
How to sous vide a flank steak
- Preheat the water bath to 141 F.
- Once the water has reached temperature place the sealed, marinated flank steak in the water.
- Set the timer for 1-2 hours.
- Once the flank steak is cooked, carefully remove it from the water bath.
- Clip off a corner of the bag, drain and discard the bag.
- Remove the meat from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat a cast iron pan, grill pan or grill to high heat. The pan should be smoking.
- Sear on both sides to form grill marks and caramel color.
Grilling fajita vegetables for fajitas
- In a medium sized bowl, toss together the sliced bell peppers, onions and minced garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
- In a cast iron pan, grill pan or grill basket on the grill, toss the vegetables ever few minutes until they take on a bit of char and are soft.
- Or you can follow my sous vide fajita vegetables instructions for veggies cooked to perfection.
Nutrition
Notes
I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 16 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Kellie says
Made this last night for my teenaged son and a few of his friends. Was a huge hit! I marinaded the meat for about 3 hours. We like our meat on the rare side so I put the in a 129 degree bath for 2 hours. Definitely going to be making this again. What a cheap way to feed teenagers (steak was about $15 Canadian and it fed me, my husband, the 3 boys).