Killer Tex-Mex restaurant fajitas recipe?

June 5, 2006 6:05 PM

I'd like to make Tex-Mex restaurant style fajitas, but I'm having trouble getting that restaurant flavour.

Before you go all Diana Kennedy on me, yes, I know about the wonders of arracheras al carbon, simply sprinkled with lime and pepper, grilled over mesquite charcoal on a lonely prairie. Don't want it. I want the charred, smokey, salty, slightly saucy sweetness of Tex-Mex restaurant-style fajitas to go with my slushy margarita, my Corona with lime, my comedic sombrero and my wall full of licence plates and gas station paraphernalia, and I don't care if I have to use soy sauce, liquid smoke, corn syrup, MSG, whatever to get it.

So, any restaurant insider tips? I'd prefer something in a marinade I can make from scratch, but if there are any commercially available mixes that'll do the job, please chime in. I'm in Australia, but my mum's in Florida, so feel free to mention US-ian products.

posted by obiwanwasabi to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

MSG (and salt)

I don't like them this way, but that is what many restaurants use.
posted by caddis at 6:09 PM on June 5, 2006

I used to work at a chain called Don Pablos, they used teriyaki for their fajitas. That's prolly the flavor you're looking for. I didn't care for it, but lots of people who weren't looking for authenticity did.
posted by lannanh at 6:10 PM on June 5, 2006

In addition to adding MSG and soy sauce, you also need to cook them over very high heat, to get that chewy, carmelized consistency and flavor. You can grill them or stir-fry them, but you need to put them on the heat, then leave them alone until they start to char. I have a hard time controlling my urge to mess with them, to stir them around, to make sure they're not burning, but when I'm able to let them sit on the heat, I'm rewarded copiously.
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:18 PM on June 5, 2006

Best answer: Try Googling fajitas secret restaurant recipes. The Chili's recipe looks like it's worth a try.
posted by acoutu at 6:23 PM on June 5, 2006

It is not the chain restaurant way, but I like them with lots of lime, lots of cayenne and cilantro.
posted by caddis at 6:29 PM on June 5, 2006

I worked at a little place in central Texas years ago that used brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. It marinated overnight in the big fridge.

Oh and then lots and LOTS of grease and butter during cooking time.

Yummy and deadly.
posted by dog food sugar at 6:42 PM on June 5, 2006

Adding Sofrito to stuff seems to add some of that flavor.
posted by coevals at 6:42 PM on June 5, 2006

Best answer: Here's a recipe from the Houston Chronicle with Ninfa's marinade (scroll 1/3 down - sorry I don't know how to link to that spot on the page).

Anyway it's very similar to what I remember from my Tejas waitress days.
posted by dog food sugar at 6:51 PM on June 5, 2006

The place that I used to go was famous for using liquid smoke (which seems to be a generic product name) for its fajitas. Very smokey.
posted by occhiblu at 8:10 PM on June 5, 2006

Worcestershire sauce is a standard ingredient - in place of a soy/sugar or teriyaki thing. It just might be that one odd flavor you're missing.
posted by Miko at 8:17 PM on June 5, 2006

I might be leading you in entirely the opposite direction you're looking to go, but here's the recipe used by Las Manitas in Austin. I've tried it (flame grilled but not with Mesquite, if that's an issue) and it's good, though a little overpowering for my tastes. It certainly qualifies for simplicity. And since it hasn't been mentioned yet; don't forget to carve your skirt steak against the grain, or no recipe in the world will save you.
posted by Gilbert at 8:24 PM on June 5, 2006

I bet if you add half a stick of butter it will get you a long way toward where you're going. Same goes for any other restaurant food you're trying to replicate.

mmmm... butter....
posted by croutonsupafreak at 9:08 PM on June 5, 2006

sometimes we'd use Worcestershire sauce, and whatever we had in the pantry (I can't remember what else--Teriyaki, salsa?) + tequila. put everything in a bag with the skirt steak.
posted by bleary at 9:09 PM on June 5, 2006

dust with cumin powder before and again once midway through grilling over high, searing heat, then squeeze lime juice on it jst as it coes off the stove/grill/campfire.
posted by Fupped Duck at 7:38 AM on June 6, 2006

My mom only uses Claude's fajita sauce; to the point that she used to call the company directly and order it by the case when we moved to the East Coast. (actually she used to get half a case - the other half was brisket sauce, which is also damn good.)

It was the sweet tinge you're looking for but it's not overly sweet.
posted by jaimystery at 8:18 AM on June 6, 2006

Going with the MSG salt thing; even better is using a bit of really strong broth (chicken or beef) in your salsas and on your carne. It really pulls the different flavors together without simply tasting salty.
posted by snsranch at 5:00 PM on June 6, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks all - I'll try the Chili's recipe and the recipe from the Houston Chronicle.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:27 AM on June 8, 2006