Fajita Marinade Recipe

A mix of fajita marinade in a glass jar.

5 from 27 votes

Fajita Marinade Recipe

This Best Fajita Marinade is made with lime, garlic, and spices for bold flavor, perfect for marinating chicken, steak, or pork for fajitas.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Dressing

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

¼ cup lime juice
⅓ cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. Marinate chicken, pork, or beef in the marinade for at least two hours, or up to overnight.

Notes

Recipe tips.

Our favorite meats to use include boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, skirt steak, and flank steak. You can also make pork or shrimp fajitas. Using about ½ cup of marinade for every 1 pound of meat is a great ratio to use.
Ideally, the meat should sit for 6-8 hours in the fridge. Let the meat stand at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before cooking. Do not over marinate delicate proteins like shrimp, 30 to 60 minutes is plenty.
Marinate in a zip top bag so the marinade coats the meat evenly with less mess.
Cook fajita meat over high heat in a skillet or on the grill for the best char and flavor.
This marinade can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Slice meat thinly against the grain before marinating for the most tender fajitas.

Store fresh fajita marinade in an airtight container or jar and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 1 month. Discard any used marinade.

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