Suprisingly enough, I’ve never made fajitas before, but I have steak and chicken in the fridge defrosted and figure it should be easy enough to cobble together. I’m just looking for any tips or tricks or anything to make them even better than normal. Also suggestions for a side that is not mexican rice and refried beans would be cool too.
They need to be marinated first–at least overnight. I’d use fajita seasoning and beer to help tenderize the meat. You could have charro beans and guac as side dishes.
What kind of meat are you using?
I like to marinate flank steak at least overnight. Usually I buy a two-pack, marinate one, and throw the other in a freezer bag with marinade. Then when I want it, it’s marinating and defrosting at the same time.
I grill them whole - that way the interior stays a little rare. Slice against the grain and devour. I like to grill bell peppers while I’m at it, and do mushrooms and onions on a cast iron pan in the house.
I serve my fajitas with lime wedges to squeeze over 'em. Makes all the difference in the world.
Also, for a side dish, some of the Mexican restaurants around here serve a slaw of sorts, but it’s not mayonnaise based. It’s made with cabbage, onion, carrots, and green peppers, and they seem to be grated more than julienned. The dressing is vinegary-sweet, and black peppery. If you Google it, you should be able to find it.
Don’t marinate Chicken breasts overnight. Fajita Marinade is acidic, and it will burn the tender chicken into a weird leather like texture for the outer 1/4 inch or so.
As usual Alton Brown has a decent fajita marinade recipe.
I personally use just a simple marinade of lime juice, salt, and pepper. Marinade skirt steak for at least two to three hours (chicken for an hour), and then cook on a grill. Serve with warm corn tortillas, salsa, onions, cilantro, and plenty of lime wedges.