This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Shrimp and steak fajitas are tossed in a smoky homemade fajita seasoning blend then grilled in a sizzling skillet! It’s served with a roasted jalapeno crema for Throw in some charred peppers for a quick and easy meal that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Serve with warm tortillas, avocado crema, and a ice cold margarita for restaurant quality fajitas right at home!
Looking for more easy and delicious Mexican-inspired recipes, check out this Easy Cheese Quesadilla Recipe, Cajun Shrimp Tacos, and Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas.
If you love Tex-Mex steak fajitas then you’ll love this shrimp version! After all, who doesn’t love Mexican restaurant meals at home?! These are the ultimate surf and turf fajitas – tender steak, juicy and succulent shrimp topped with sauteed peppers and onions and seasoned to perfection. Ugh. It takes my back to my girls night out back in college where we’d have $2 margs and sing karaoke. Good times.
If you’re looking for delicious fajitas, this is ideal for the perfect Mexican-inspired meal. Toss in some bell peppers and jalapeños, and you have the best shrimp and steak fajitas!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
– Quick and Easy! I love a convenient meal and this meal cooks in one skillet in less than 30 minutes. It’s such an easy recipe, ideal for a fun weeknight dinner! No marinade necessary!
– Bold Flavor! We start by searing the steak, followed by the shrimp, and finally, the peppers. Each ingredient absorbs the deep, smoky, savory, and spicy notes, resulting in a dish bursting with flavor. Drizzle some roasted jalapeño crema over everything for a creamy, zesty finish.
– Healthy Option! These fajitas are loaded with lean protein and colorful veggies. It’s a low carb meal that’s nutritious and filling.
The Best Steak for Fajitas
- Sirloin Steak: This relatively tender cut of beef is budget-friendly and easy to find at your local grocery store. I used sirloin because it’s more tender than skirt steak or flap steak and you don’t need to marinate it for hours in order for it to become tender. Sirloin is more fatty (less lean but more tender) and has better texture, flavor, and isn’t as chewy!
- Flank Steak: This lean steak has a satisfying chewy texture and cooks quickly over high heat. To get it tender, you’ll want to marinade it longer to break down those muscle fibers.
- Skirt Steak: This is the traditional option for fajitas. It’s tender and juicy when cooked properly.
Shrimp and Steak Fajitas Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Large Shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp before seasoning. You’ll want large or even medium shrimp so that they fit in the tortillas.
- Sliced Sirloin: This cut has a rich, beefy flavor. I purchased my steak pre-cut, but if you buy the steak whole, simply freeze for 20 minutes (this makes it easier to cut), then slice thinly with a sharp knife.
- Fajita Spices: I use a blend of chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika to season the steak and shrimp fajitas. Instead of your standard taco seasoning, I use a homemade blend of spices to give this fajitas recipe bigger, bolder flavor.
- Bell peppers: I like to use a mix of red bell peppers and yellow bell peppers for vibrant color and a touch of sweetness. They add a nice crisp texture add a pop of freshness!
- White Onion: slightly caramelized onions add a punch of sweetness to balance the savory notes of this dish.
- Soy Sauce: The umami flavor gives the fajitas a mouthwatering quality that enhances the overall flavor. If you don’t have soy sauce, worcestershire sauce will do.
- Olive oil: This helps to evenly cook the shrimp, steak, and veggies. It also adds moisture and helps the seasoning stick to the surface of the shrimp. Any high smoke point oil will work well including avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed etc.
- Flour or corn tortillas: Use for serving. You can also use flour tortillas, but corn tortillas taste SO much better in my humble opinion. Warm the tortillas up on the stove and serve with your fajitas while it’s still nice and hot!
Roasted Jalapeño Crema
- Jalapeños: these are cooked slightly to bloom the jalapeno flavor and lessen the heat a bit. Remove the seeds if you don’t want the sauce too spicy.
- Avocado: Ripe avocado adds a creamy richness to the sauce, while adding healthy fats. I know that it can be hard to find a perfectly ripe avocado, but try to avoid ones that are under or overripe. Underripe avocadoes are hard and won’t get nice and smooth while overripe avocades are brown and mushy and affect the flavor of the sauce.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt: Use either of these ingredients for a tangy, creamy base.
- Garlic: Garlic pairs well with the other ingredients of this sauce.
- Cilantro: This brightens the crema with fresh, herby flavor.
- Lime juice: The acidity of this citrus fruit balances the richness of the cream and avocados.
Pro Tips
- Thoroughly pat dry the shrimp and steak. Leaving excess moisture on the surface prevents them from searing properly.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp! Shrimp cooks in about 3-5 minutes, so be sure to remove them from the skillet as soon as it’s pink and slightly curled.
- Add your meat to a hot skillet. A hot surface ensures a nice caramelized crust while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- What’s the key to sautéing the veggies? For depth of flavor and texture, cook the bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños until they are softened and slightly charred, but still have a bit of crunch.
- Warm tortillas. Heat the tortillas just before serving your steak and shrimp fajitas to make them soft and pliable. You can warm them in the microwave in a paper towel or on top of the burner on the stove.
How to Make Shrimp and Steak Fajitas
- Pat shrimp and steak dry with a paper towel. Add shrimp to one bowl and steak to another.
- Combine seasonings in a small bowl – chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Whisk together and add half to the shrimp and the other half to the steak. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Drizzle olive oil into a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place steak into the skillet in a single layer and sear for about 2-3 minutes, until browned. Remove and place onto a serving plate.
- In the same skillet, add shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes, until slightly curled and pink. Place onto the serving plate with the steak.
- Add sliced bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños to the skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until slightly softened and browned. Add soy sauce and cook for another 1 minute. Place onto the serving bowl.
- Remove jalapeños and place into a food processor along with avocado, sour cream, garlic, cilantro, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth.
- Place the sauce into a bowl to serve with the fajitas. Serve with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Variations
Low carb – make these into lettuce wraps by swapping out the tortillas for lettuce.
Add skewers – skewer the raw shrimp and steak onto a wooden skewer and cook. This is a great option for a cookout or party, especially when you’re cooking for lots of people! You can also do this with my garlic butter steak bites!
Sheet pan fajitas – simply season everything and place the sliced steak and peppers (including jalapenos) onto a sheet pan. Cook in the oven at 450 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are slightly curled and pink. Remove the jalapenos and prepare the crema as instructed.
What should I serve with fajitas?
This shrimp and steak fajitas recipe is a meal in and of itself but I love add-ons. Consider adding Mexican rice, refried beans, black beans and rice, elote fries, guacamole, or pico de gallo to upgrade this lunch or dinner option to a feast! Be sure to top with mango habanero salsa!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place everything in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQ
You can add a variety of toppings to fajitas. I suggest trying shredded cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, avocado slices, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Marinated skirt steak is most often used for restaurant-style fajitas.
It’s best to cook the steak whole and after it rests, slice against the grain for a more tender, juicy beef.
You can prepare a simple fajita marinade by combining olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Marinate the shrimp and steak for at least 30 minutes.
Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter to receive the latest seasonal creations as soon as they’re released!
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Shrimp and Steak Fajitas
Equipment
- Large Cast Iron Skillet (10 or 12 inch)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb Sliced Sirloin
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 2 Bell peppers, sliced
- 3 Jalapeños, sliced
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Flour or corn tortillas, for serving
Roasted Jalapeño Crema
- 1 Avocado
- ½ cup Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
Instructions
- Pat shrimp and steak dry with a paper towel. Add shrimp to one bowl and steak to another.
- Combine seasonings in a small bowl – chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Whisk together and add half to the shrimp and the other half to the steak. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the steak for 2-4 minutes, until browned. Remove and place onto a serving plate.
- In the same skillet, add shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes, until slightly curled and pink. Place onto the serving plate with the steak.
- Add sliced bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños to the skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened and browned. Add soy sauce and cook for another 1 minute. Place onto the serving bowl.
- Remove jalapeños and place into a food processor along with avocado, sour cream, garlic, cilantro, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth.
- Place the sauce into a bowl to serve with the fajitas and Serve with warm tortillas.
Notes
- Thoroughly pat dry the shrimp and steak. Leaving excess moisture on the surface prevents them from searing properly.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp! Shrimp cooks in about 3-5 minutes, so be sure to remove them from the skillet as soon as it’s pink and slightly curled.
- Add your meat to a hot skillet. A hot surface ensures a nice caramelized crust while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- What’s the key to sautéing the veggies? For depth of flavor and texture, cook the bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños until they are softened and slightly charred, but still have a bit of crunch.
- Warm tortillas. Heat the tortillas just before serving your steak and shrimp fajitas to make them soft and pliable. You can warm them in the microwave in a paper towel or on top of the burner on the stove.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We make this for dinner all of the time. 10/10 recommend. Delicious.
Thank you!
I make this for breakfast all the time now. My kids and husband love it. It’s like a breakfast treat while still being healthy.
These shrimp Fajitas were so good! I can’t believe they were so easy and quick to make with all that delicious flavor! I will absolutely be making these again!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!!
I’m so glad that I found this recipe! It was so good and that roasted jalapeño cream was SO good, I want to put it on everything!!