Cinco de Mayo is upon us! I'm wicked excited to share this recipe because 1. it's excellent and 2. it's a great recipe for dipping your toes into making marinades.
My version of the Carne Asada marinade includes cilantro and parsley and 2 kinds of peppers so it's super fresh tasting and pretty hot. You can tone it down with less pepper if you want, and if you're one of those people who hates cilantro, you can just use all parsley or add in any other herbs you like.
The fried avocados may be the best part of this meal. They're breaded in ground tortilla chips (I used Doritos) truly because I didn't have any breadcrumbs so I had to make do with what I had in my pantry. But surprise surprise, it's DELICIOUS with the Doritos bread crumbs so I kept that in the recipe. If you're making these for a big group, they go quick!
Total time: 2.5 hours (includes 2 hours of marinating)
Serves: 4
Difficulty level: Moderate
Ingredients:
2 (1 pound) steaks, I used bottom sirloin cuts but you could use top sirloin, or flank steaks
2 bell peppers, sliced into long strips
1 Jalapeño pepper, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 avocados, sliced
2 eggs
About 3/4 cup tortilla chip crumbs (I used 3 or 4 handfuls of Doritos chips)
8 tortillas of your choice (flour or corn)
+Grated cheddar cheese and sour cream for serving
For the marinade:
1 packed cup fresh cilantro
1 packed cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1 Serrano pepper
1 Jalapeño pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
LET'S DO IT!
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Start by making your marinade. Blend all of the marinade ingredients in the food processor very well. The marinade should be liquid-y enough to pour, if it isn't just add more olive oil.
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Place your steaks in a large Ziploc bag or container with a lid and cover completely with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Marinating overnight requires planning but it really makes it worth it!
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When you're ready to make your fajitas, start by prepping the avocados. Whisk the 2 eggs in a shallow bowl with a fork and fill a second shallow bowl with the tortilla chip crumbs. Submerge each slice of avocado into the egg mixture and then dunk it into the chip crumbs bowl, covering as best you can. Set aside on a plate.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat and coat the entire surface with olive oil. Fry the avocados for about a minute on each side until they turn golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet. If you like, you can keep them on a baking sheet in a warm oven to keep them hot.
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Carefully (because the skillet will be very hot) pour off any excess oil from the cast iron skillet then return to stove top and add the sliced bell peppers, jalapeno and onion. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then move veggies to the side to allow room to add the steaks.
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Sear the steaks for 6 - 8 minutes per side depending on how you like your steak. Alternatively, you can sear them for 2 - 3 minutes per side, then transfer the skillet to a 375 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes. There may be extra marinade left over, pour it onto the peppers/onions or just into the skillet and it adds so much incredible flavor. Definitely make use of it all!
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Once steak is done, remove from pan, let it rest for a few minutes, then slice against the grain into 1/4 inch thick strips.
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Serve your fajitas topped with cheese and sour cream!