Day 174.
I've mentioned before how much my family loves Mexican food. My kids will eat anything with cheese and sour cream on it, and avocado was their very first food. Fajitas are fun to make (I like the name---they sound much fancier than tacos for some reason), and are very easy to prepare with the help of the crockpot. I get the meat going in the morning, and then can head out for fresh ingredients at some point during the day, or ask Adam to stop on his way home.
The Ingredients.
--2 lbs of thin cut stir fry beef (you could use chicken)--1 or 2 packets of fajita seasoning mix (I said one or two because I've found that it's awfully spicy if I use 1 packet per pound of meat as directed on the label--use what you think is right for your family. Make sure to read labels carefully if GF. I stick to McCormick for their clear labeling.)
--1 onion
--2 bell peppers (I used 1 orange, 1 yellow)
--1/2 cup of water
The Directions.
Dump your meat into the crockpot. It can be frozen or thawed. Cut the onion and the peppers in strips, and add to the crock. Add the seasoning and water. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or high for 6. The meat is done when it reaches desired tenderness. I like to cook on low for as long as possible, because I don't like to chew forever. Serve with your favorite fajita fixens'. We really like squeezing some fresh lime over the top of the meat before doctoring it up.
The Verdict.
This is a family favorite. We make fajitas often, and always use the crockpot. I can't imagine taking the time to brown the meat on the stove and then let it simmer in the fajita seasoning until it's tender enough.
29 comments:
curious - do you cut the fajita meat before or after cooking? What would you advise for chicken? we are chicken fajita eaters here. Thanks!
Hi Margaret,
I bought meat that was already cut in strips, but if I couldn't find that, I'd use thin meat like flank steak, and cut it before putting it into the crock.
I'd do the same thing with chicken, cut it before cooking. Be aware that chicken will fall apart more than beef will, but it will taste wonderful.
xoxo
steph
Hiya - been lurking awhile and am so impressed with your daily program. And your recipes look super, too. I even coppied the one for beef and blue cheese, but rarely cook anymore - I've got it to try now.
I use stew meat for a couple of things, beef and noodles and beef stroganoff always. I enjoy the 2 or 3 hours I can spend in the kitchen avoiding things like the dusting and toilet scrubbing. For me the flavor's great and it seems like a cost savings. And like I said, I enjoy the fiddling.
lovely blog, really
Cindy Smith
I have been a lurker for quite awhile and I have to say YUMMMM! I am a SAHM of 4 (10-3) with a hubby who works 10-12 hrs, 6-7 days a week so the crockpot is my best friend!
We love Mexican here as well. I have all ingredients on hand and I am headed to the kitchen to make this for dinner!
Thank you for all of your trials and recipes you give us! We have tried several and we have liked them all!
do you know if that type of fajita seasoning is gluten free?
Hi Anon, I like to use McCormick spices because the company has a policy to not "hide" gluten in any of their seasonings or spice mixes. Make sure you read the label on your own, of course, just in case.
xox
steph
I love fajitas - does this recipe give you that "sizzle" taste or is it just tender? Also, if you're cooking the meat and the veggies for the same amount of time, do the veggies get over cooked?
I'm curious about the veggies, too. What's the texture like? I usually marinate my chicken/meat and then stir-fry it with the onions and peppers, so the veggies come out slightly crisp. Are they soggy from all the moisture in the crockpot?
Hi Gina and Nicole, the veggies were not al dente in the slightest--- I wouldn't call them mushy or soggy, but they certainly weren't crispy. If you'd prefer the veggies to have more of a crisp texture, toss them in the last hour of cooking.
xox
steph
Okay, I think I'm obsessed. I just sat and read through EVERY ONE of your entries, starting with your very first post in December last year.
It took a long time.
I love this blog! I think you've inspired me to use my crock pot way more often. This is the perfect time of year for it - it's way too hot to spend the afternoon and/or evening in the kitchen over the stove or in front of the oven. I'm going to be trying lots of your recipes in the near future (though it's unlikely that I'll follow them exactly - I always change things. It's the thought that counts).
Thank you for such an amazing blog!
That photo with the avacados and lime wedges has me seeing green. I Loves me some fajeetahs.
I love your blog and the wonderful creative food you manage to whip up.
This sounds great! Fajitas is the one meal that my husband makes. He combines steak, chicken & shrimp, and he makes his own seasonings. I think I'll make it your way and see if he likes it!
I'm not really in to spice blends. Any tips on what/how much of spices I should throw in there? I assume some cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, & salt (and maybe cayenne).
Sounds great! The real benefit to this is that you can use inexpensive cuts of meat. I've always cooked my fajitas on the stove top, but have to use really good cuts so that it doesn't need to simmer for ages.
Thanks for the great recipes!! The fajitas were super and so easy - it's nice using the crock pot in the summer and not heating the kitchen up!
This tastes great! I think I let mine cook a little too long but it was still really good :)
curious- my family adores greek food, an a local store here the sprouts farmers market sells gyro meat, meat pre packaged, do you hink you could adapt the receipe to make gyros? if you tryit please let me know how it works out! thanks
Me & my family just had this yesterday and was a HUGE hit!I added the vegtables in with the frozen meat, and it kind of help disguise the veggies for my picky husband and and twin baby boys.They ate it all w/out picking things out!SOO GOOD!
This is in the crockpot as I type this!! Oh, I am so excited!
I pitched in some frozen chicken breasts and as soon as they were cooked, I sliced them up and tossed them back in.
Your blog is fantastic! Don't stop!
If I only use 1 lb. of meat, do I still add the same amount of water? I am not a cook AT ALL... but your simple crockpot recipes have inspired me to at least try! Thank you.
Hi Nicole, I'm not much of a "real" cook, either. I think you can get away with using about 1/3 cup of water in this dish if you're only using 1 lb of meat.
If your crockpot isn't 2/3 full or so, it will cook faster, so keep an eye on it.
xox
steph
Thanks for the great recipe! My meat was tender, but somehow it didn't come out like the resturaunt fajitas. I think next time I will throw the veggies in during the last hour....and maybe stirfry the meat and veggies to give them that grilled/fried taste instead of cooked in juice taste. I used venison and between it's juices and the juices from the veggies, I think I will probably cut out the water.
Thanks for this WONDERFUL blog!!! I am enjoying it immensely!
My Sweetie just called to say he'll be home (unexpectedly) tonight. I got the stuff to make this so we could try it out first, but he loves fajitas, so I'm hoping it will be a nice surprise for him -- it's in the pot now!
I'm having grand fun and getting great ideas reading through all of these recipes. Not getting much else done, but . . . :-D
Thanks for the help!
I made this for dinner tonight...it was very good! I even tried your suggestion with the lime, awesome! I will be making this again :)
I got a new slowcooker set! Thanks for inspiring lots of cooking. The set I got is quite cool: A single base accommodates any one of three pots it came with: 2, 4, or 6 quarts! (Plus, I have the original 5 quart Crockpot which I suspect of cooking too hot.)
But all this raises an important question: How do you decide which pot to use for a given recipe? I know it should be about 3/4 full, but until I've dirtied up the wrong pot it's hard to guess how voluminous a recipe will be once thrown together.
Case in point: I can picture this recipe needing the 2, 4, or maybe 5 quart pot. I'll probably try with the 4, but do you have any good rules of thumb to help those of us who are rank amateurs?
Hi Marshall,
there are only 2 pounds of meat here, so it will fit okay in your 2 quart, but I'd probably use a 4.
In your case, I'd use the 2 mostly for desserts and appetizers, the 4 for most meat dishes, and the 6 for making big batches of soup, stew, or beans.
xoxo
steph
This was delicious! I never even considered doing fajitas in a CrockPot, and I wasn't disappointed! However, I think next time I'll add the veggies in the last hour of cooking, and create my own mix of spices....even the hubby enjoyed this. Thanks so much! I'm actually using your blog as inspiration to use my CrockPot every Thursday in our house...."CrockPot Thursdays" =]
I don't know how I stumbled across your blog, but I'm so glad I did!
My family is not adventurous when it comes to food, really picky. Fajitas are a favorite of the hubby and myself. I tried this out on a long lost friend and it was wonderful (hubby was gone and missed out - sorry dear!)
This is a great recipe and I will use it often, thanks so much!!!
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