4-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Fajita Recipe
Okay, we know we're constantly saying, "this is the easiest meal you'll ever make" but this 4-ingredient slow cooker fajitas recipe is seriously, the easiest meal you'll ever make. It's also versatile enough to be mix-and-match-able. Serve over rice, in a tortilla, or over a bed of greens.
Jordan Zelesnick gifted us this recipe. She's the curator behind the drool-worthy blog JZ Eats: Easy Recipes for Hungry People, which offers up a wide range of delicious recipes and overall cooking inspiration, from meal planning guides to seasonal sweet snacks and Whole 30-approved breakfasts.
This 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas recipe will yield up to four servings, and keep in the fridge for up to three days. You will need a slow cooker, a sheet pan, a cutting board, and a sharp knife, but no other fancy kitchen gadgets are necessary. Continue reading for a detailed play-by-play on how to bring this Mexican restaurant favorite to your kitchen table with very little effort.
Gather the ingredients for 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas
We always like to assemble all our meal ingredients together prior to firing up any sort of oven, stove, or, in this case, slow cooker, so we've got everything ready to go and can double-check that we aren't missing any necessities for the recipe.
This 4-ingredient slow cooker fajitas recipe happens to be very budget-friendly too. With so few ingredients and a hearty final product, it's definitely a way to get your money's worth out of some produce and a cut of beef. The recipe calls for three bell peppers, a small white onion, a packet of taco seasoning, and a pound and a half of skirt steak.
Season the meat for 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas
This 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas recipe specifies a packet of taco seasoning as the only seasoning you'll need for the steak. Cover both sides of the steak in the seasoning so that it's completely coated.
Debating what type of taco seasoning to get? "All taco seasonings will work, but I used McCormick," says Zelesnick.
If you're feeling ambitious and usually keep your pantry stocked with all the go-to staple spices, you can also easily make your own taco seasoning for this recipe. We like this taco seasoning recipe, which only requires kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and oregano! Mix it up in a mason jar then coat your steak in this recipe and store the rest for future use.
Slice the onions and peppers for 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas
Perhaps the only laborious part of this recipe is slicing the onion and peppers, and even that's pretty fool-proof if you've got a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board. Slice the onion and bell peppers into thin strips. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper. Zelesnick makes these 4-ingredient slow cooker fajitas with a white onion but red onion will definitely work too. The onions and peppers will serve as the base for the steak in the slow cooker.
A word to the wise on onion-cutting: if you rub some salt all over the onion (with the outer layer removed) and your palms before cutting in, it should prevent you from sobbing while chopping. The other option is a hazmat suit — totally your call.
Add steak, onions, and peppers to the slow cooker
Once the onion and peppers have been sliced, place them in the slow cooker, followed by the seasoned skirt steak. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the steak, peppers, and onions for eight hours on the low setting, or four hours on the high setting.
By the way, if you can't find skirt steak at the grocery store, according to Zelesnick, "flank steak can be used in place of skirt steak." Do not let a lack of skirt steak keep you from making these 4-ingredient slow cooker fajitas happen in your home.
Transfer steak to broiler then return to slow cooker
After the steak, onions, and peppers have been slow cooking to perfection for eight (or four) hours, all you have to do is one final step. Set the oven to broil, then remove the steak from the slow cooker and place it on a sheet pan. Then broil the meat in the oven for four to five minutes, until it begins to char. While the steak is broiling, clean off (or re-bust out) the knife and cutting board you were using earlier.
When the steak is finished broiling, carefully remove it from the oven, and transfer it from the sheet pan to the cutting board. Slice the steak thinly and return it to the slow cooker to toss in the juices.
Serve 4-ingredient slow cooker steak fajitas with tortillas or rice
The fajita filling is already done and you can commence eating. We told you, it's exceptionally easy to get steak fajitas on your plate with this recipe. Serve over rice, alongside some warmed corn or flour tortillas, on a bed of greens, or solo in a bowl with some lime wedges on the side.
Sliced avocado and cilantro would be a delicious accompaniment as well. If you really want to get wild, get some cheese, sour cream, and salsa ready to go. Make a fajita party out of this, you deserve it.
- 1.5 lbs skirt steak
- 3 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- Season both sides of the steak with the taco seasoning.
- Place the peppers, onions, and seasoned steak in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Transfer the steak from the slow cooker to a sheet pan and broil for 4-5 minutes, until it begins to char. Slice thinly and return to the slow cooker to toss in the juices.
- Serve the fajitas over warm tortillas, over rice, or as is.
| Calories per Serving | 375 |
| Total Fat | 22.1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 1.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 110.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 9.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.1 g |
| Sodium | 115.7 mg |
| Protein | 35.5 g |
