Paleo Fajitas Recipe with Grilled Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

This Paleo fajitas recipe with grilled steak and chimichurri sauce is just about the best tasting and the easiest meal I’ve made in a really long time. I got the idea for these Paleo fajitas at a family reunion a few years ago. My younger brother made grilled steak Philly cheesesteaks. I loved how tender the steak came out and how easy it was to make. So I started experimenting with similar recipes with steak in them and these Paleo fajitas were a natural fit.

Fajitas are just about one of my favorite dinners of all time. What’s not to love? Steak, onions, peppers, tortillas, and chimichurri. I LOVE all those things. At first, I ate these either dry or with salsa and they just seemed to be missing something. I really like sour cream and nothing was good enough to make me forget about the sour cream.

The closest thing I could come to it, without too much effort, is homemade mayo. – and that’s just not the same as sour cream. So I decided to try something totally different than sour cream so I wouldn’t even miss it or think about it. Since I already love chimichurri and often put it on my pork roast, I thought I would give that a try. I’m glad I did.

The chimichurri gives it a fresh, herby flavor and keeps it from being dry. My husband and I both LOVE it. My husband generally drinks the leftovers or eats it the next day anyway he can think of. It’s actually really good on eggs, among other things.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with flank steak, it’s a lean cut of meat that usually comes cut long and flat.  There are various different ways to prepare it but I like to stick to simple grilling techniques.  Red meat is full of B12 (which is hard to come by in plant foods), B3 (Niacin), B6, Zinc, Iron, and various other nutrients.  I recommend purchasing a high-quality red meat.  Preferably grass-fed.

Gluten-Free Fajitas

These are really good made with corn tortillas which make it gluten-free. If I go to a restaurant and they have fajitas, I almost always order them. They are so good when they come out hot sizzling in a cast iron pan. Well, I’ve never really thought of making them by myself. But now, that I’ve tried these gluten-free fajitas, I wish I would have tried a lot sooner – especially on the grill. I really like cooking them on the grill.

I don’t know why, but I’m intimidated to make fajitas in a cast-iron skillet. I think it’s because it’s really easy to over-cook them and have them come out tough. Plus, they tend to spit everywhere and make a huge mess, which I HATE!

Tips and Tricks

• This is a good excuse to try different cuts of meat you may not have tried before, like skirt steak and flank steak. They not only taste great, but they are generally quite a bit less expensive. I don’t think it’s because they don’t taste good, just that people don’t know how to use them, so the law of supply and demand keeps the cost down. Save money, be daring and try something new!
• Bunches of cilantro are really affordable at the grocery store like sometimes 2 for $1. Can’t beat that. I can’t even grow it for that cheap. Plus, I have a hard time growing it in my house. It tends to get old before I have a chance to get much off of it. So you have no excuse not to use the fresh, good stuff.
• You don’t have to marinade the steak at all, but it really does taste better the longer you marinade it. An hour is a pretty good amount of time. When I’m thinking ahead and all, I think to start the steak marinading before I go to bed. Then when I go to make dinner the next day, a bunch of the work is done.
• You certainly don’t need to be on a Paleo diet to enjoy these fajitas. If you are, these Paleo tortillas will work well with this recipe. If not, you could grill some corn or white tortillas to go with these and add in some sour cream.
• You can totally substitute your favorite herbs, although cilantro is my favorite in this recipe because of the southwest flavor it gives the fajitas. But this chimichurri sauce is good in way more recipes than just these fajitas. Try it with fresh basil or parsley sometimes. So good too.
• If you don’t want it spicy at all, you can totally leave out the red pepper flakes, although, personally, I put a lot more than 1/4 tsp in mine.
• I definitely recommend heating up the tortillas. It makes them more pliable, doesn’t cool down your meat as fast and overall it just makes them taste better.

I would love to know if you try these and if you make them for a special occasion, or just because they sound good. Please comment below.

You may also like these recipes:

Paleo Grill Recipes

Paleo Dinner Recipes Index

Paleo Short Ribs Recipe with Garlic and Rosemary Plus 8 More of the Best Paleo Short Ribs

Paleo Fajitas Recipe with Grilled Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

These Paleo fajitas are easy and flavorful. I used to be so nervous about making fajitas, but now I make them all the time!

• Author: Rebecca Baron
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Paleo

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

FOR THE BEEF:

• 2 pounds Skirt (flank, or sirloin steak, sliced into thin strips, slice against the grain)
• 1/2 cup Cilantro (chopped)
• 2 Limes (juiced)
• 2 tsp Coarse Real Salt *
• 2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Bell Peppers (seeds removed, sliced into strips)
• 1 Large Sweet Onion (sliced into strips)

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI:

• 1 cup Cilantro
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 Yellow Onion
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons White Vinegar
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt *

TO SERVE:

• Paleo Tortillas (or corn or regular white tortillas. Can be grilled.)
• Fresh Lime Wedges
• Cilantro

Instructions

​FOR THE BEEF AND VEGGIES:

1. Place the steak in a bowl, and the peppers and onions in another bowl (or Ziploc bag.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and oil.
3. Pour most of the mixture over the steak, leaving about a tablespoon to be poured over the veggies. Toss the steak and vegetables in the oil(separately), cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
4. Preheat the grill to medium/high. Lay the steak strips on the hot grill and cook until grill marks have appeared on both sides(flip halfway through cooking) and meat is cooked through.
5. Place the veggies in a grill basket and cook, flipping as needed, until the veggies are soft and lightly caramelized.
6. Serve with tortillas, toppings, and cilantro chimichurri.

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until the onions and cilantro and finely chopped and sauce is only lightly chunky. Serve with fajitas.

Keywords: steak, cilantro, chimichurri sauce, lime, Paleo tortillas, Paleo Fajitas