fajita

Fajita is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine featuring grilled or sautéed marinated meat, traditionally skirt steak, served with sautéed onions and bell peppers and eaten with tortillas. The dish is typically assembled at the table or in a serving dish, allowing each person to fill a tortilla with meat, onions, peppers, and condiments.

Origins trace to ranch workers in South Texas in the 1930s and 1940s, who used cheaper cuts such as skirt steak called fajitas. The name fajita is derived from faja, “belt” or strip, reflecting the meat cut’s location. The dish gained popularity in Tex-Mex eateries in the 1960s and 1970s and spread to mainstream American and international menus.

Standard fajitas involve marinating thin-cut beef (or chicken, pork, or seafood) with lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oil, then cooking quickly over high heat until browned. Sautéed onions and bell peppers accompany the meat. Tortillas—usually flour in the United States and corn in Mexico—are warmed and used to wrap the filling. Condiments can include guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Variations include chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, shrimp fajitas, and vegetarian versions. Served as sizzling platters in many restaurants, fajitas are often presented with the raw ingredients on a platter and a hot skillet. In Mexico, the term fajita is used less widely, and the dish is more of a Tex-Mex specialty tied to border-area cooking.