You may have enjoyed a margarita with your steak fajitas a time or two, but have you ever considered using the margarita as a marinade? Okay, so that's not quite what developer Patterson Watkins is doing in this fajita recipe, but the meat does have that distinctive tequila flavor. Watkins says she loves making boozy meat marinades, explaining: "Alcohol does this cool thing with meats, it bonds to the fat and water molecules, creating this enhanced flavor. Not just boozy flavor either.
Sure, some of the elements of the alcohol do come through, but it also supercharges the overall meatiness and the flavor of the ingredients in the marinade." What's more, she loves the way the sweetish agave tequila balances the smokiness of chipotle peppers and the char from the grill. Not only does the tequila serve as a flavor enhancer in this dish, but it also works to break down some of the protein bonds, which makes the steak strips tender and juicy.
If you're looking to make these fajitas zero-proof, you can always use alcohol-free tequila ( offering this product), or you could swap out the booze for orange or lime juice since both of these will also tenderize and add flavor to the meat. Should you opt for lime, though, use only half the amount of this extra-acidic liquid and cut the marinating time in half. Collect the ingredients for the chipotle and tequila steak fajitas These fajitas start with flank or skirt steak marinated in canned chipotles in adobo, garlic, tequila, soy sauce, o.