The Sheet Pan Technique For Making Steak Fajitas For A Crowd

Sizzling restaurant-style fajitas are a dramatic occasion when dining with friends or family. Hearing them travel from the kitchen to your table is always a lot of fun. But dining out isn't the only time you can indulge in this tasty Tex-Mex dish, because it's easy to make at home. If you're cooking steak fajitas, there is a simple sheet pan trick to follow that will give your beef the perfect crispy exterior without over-cooking it. Sear your steaks under the broiler, but only on one side, using a technique known as unilateral cooking.

Since the cut used for steak fajitas should be thin (such as flank or skirt steak) and the heat from a broiler is so direct, it cooks the meat quickly. If you broil it on both sides, you risk overcooking, leaving you with tough steak and hard-to-chew fajitas. Of course, you could grill the steak instead, but why bring it outside when you can just pop it in the oven? This easy technique doesn't take much time to perfect, either.

Though cooking unilaterally isn't all that common, it can result in a perfectly done piece of meat. The process is simple: All or most of the cooking happens on one side, with no flip halfway through (sometimes a very brief sear is given to the other side, right at the end). A sunny-side-up egg is a good example of something that is cooked unilaterally.

Make sure your oven rack is positioned as close to the broiler as possible. Arrange the steaks on a sheet pan and place them under the broiler, then let the broiler cook one side until the meat has a crispy exterior, which will help build a rich, flavorful crust. This should take between 4 and 5 minutes — but watch carefully, as broilers are unpredictable. Then, flip them over, and let them cook for about 30 more seconds. This last step is necessary for food safety, so don't skip it — unless you're broiling the steak on a pre-heated baking stone, which gets hot enough to cook the underside and doesn't warrant flipping.

Aside from using the right cut of steak, marinating is a very important step in perfecting your homemade fajita game. To build the perfect fajitas, marinate the steaks for at least 3 hours before broiling them. There are lots of marinades that work well with flank or skirt steak. Just make sure there is some acid, which helps tenderize the meat. For fajita night, try a citrusy marinade with lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder.

When it comes to the other fajita fillings, you can't go wrong with oven-roasted sliced bell peppers and onions. (Bonus, you can use the pre-heated pan that you cooked the steaks on, while they rest.) For a little kick, add some jalapeños into the mix. Fajitas are usually served on flour tortillas because they're larger and sturdier than corn tortillas, so they can hold heavier ingredients without falling apart.