Grilled Michelada Skirt Steak Fajitas

A tangy marinade of tomato, beer and spice turn these beef Michelada skirt steak fajitas into a delicious grilled meal.

Let’s clear up some facts about Cinco De Mayo. That’s May 5th for the non-Spanish speakers.

It’s not Mexican Independence Day. It commemorates the battle of Puebla where effectively the Mexicans kicked some French butt. In fact, Cinco is not even as big a deal in Mexico, but we have turned it into an excellent excuse to party, celebrate with friends and test our limits of margarita imbibing.

Speaking of drinks, ever had a Michelada? A combination of beer, spices and tomato juice (or Clamato), Micheladas are super refreshing. The tangy tomato mingled with a light and crisp pilsner style beer just calls for a patio session on a hot day. And, thanks to their similarity to Bloody Marys, could arguably be classified as a breakfast beer.

I like to come up with a new recipe for Cinco De Mayo each year. Last year the creation was tiny beefy taco bites smothered in queso. Having previously had success marinading in beer, I had lightbulb moment to use a Michelada base as a marinade for fajitas, and let me tell y’all… they are damn good. For this recipe I chose skirt steak, but you can use Hanger or Flank too.

Recipe after the pics:

Grilled Michelada Skirt Steak Fajitas

Ingredients

• 2 lb skirt steak
• 1 teaspoon chipotle
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of pilsner style beer
• 1 cup tomato juice or Clamato
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded
• 1 white onion
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded
• 1 fresh lime

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine chipotle, cumin, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, paprika and salt. Sprinkle this dry rub over the skirt steak and massage in on both sides.
2. Place the skirt steak in a large zip top bag and add the beer and tomato juice. Seal, then massage the outside of the bag to make sure all ingredients are well combined. Place bag in fridge to marinade, one hour.
3. Thinly slice the onion, poblano and bell pepper. Place a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, sauté the vegetables until the onions begin to caramelize, then remove from heat.
4. Preheat a grill to medium high heat, 400-450f. Remove the steaks from the bag and discard the marinade. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel to remove some of the surface moisture, then place onto the hot grill. Flip the steaks every 3-4 minutes, cooking for about 12-15 minutes all up, or until they reach an internal temperature of 135f.
5. Once cooked, rest the steaks under a piece of foil for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain into strips, then combine with the onions and peppers. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and serve.
6. To serve as sizzling fajitas - place a cast iron skillet or fajita pan in a 400f oven to preheat for 15-20 minutes. Tip the steak and vegetable mix onto the hot pan, which will start to sizzle, and serve immediately. Use caution, the pan will be exceptionally hot.