Venison Fajitas

These super simple Venison Fajitas will be a staple in your house. The easy cilantro lime marinade makes for a healthy & flavorful meal!

There’s nothing better than hearing the sizzle of fajitas being brought to your table in a restaurant. I love ordering them when I’m out, but I never used to make them at home. That’s until…I started making these venison fajitas.

Just picture it. You’re tucked into a booth at your local Mexican joint with a tall, stemmed margarita glass in front of you. You take a sip and get notes of the sweet & tart lime, salty rim – perfection. You dunk your chip into melty queso and then you hear it. Your sizzling hot fajitas are being brought right to your seat. Heavenly, no?

While I can’t promise that you’ll be waited on and the margarita + queso situation will be up to you, I CAN assure you that these venison fajitas are basically as easy to make as ordering off a menu and you’ll have them in a quarter of the time it takes to drive and order from a restaurant.

I started making fajitas with venison at home because I tend to have a few “funky” cuts of meat hanging out in the back of the freezer. The flank, skirt, and rump steaks, usually. They’re generally not thick enough to hold whole well unless you take utmost care. But when you slice the meat, marinate and then cook? It’s basically foolproof.

This is THE recipe for you if you have a few steak cuts laying around that you don’t know what to do with. This easy and healthy venison fajita recipe will KNOCK your socks off. Trust me, this was my 1-year-old daughter’s birthday meal, they’re that good.

INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS

For the marinade:

Venison steak (flank, rump or skirt steak work well)

Olive oil

Fresh lime juice

Red wine vinegar

Garlic cloves

Fresh cilantro

Salt

Cumin

For the fajitas:

Oil – avocado or olive oil if you don’t have that (sometimes I even use duck fat)

Yellow onion

Green bell pepper

Yellow, orange or red bell pepper

Chili powder

Cumin

Salt

Lime

Flour tortillas, extra lime & extra cilantro (+ any other toppings you desire such as salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.), for serving

Kitchen Tools:

This recipe comes together so quickly and you don’t need much to pull all of these amazing flavors together. Just a nice, sturdy cutting board and a sharp knife to cut your meat and veggies. A nice large skillet or cast iron skillet and measuring spoons. A set of bowls will also be helpful and a whisk to mix your marinade.

STEP BY STEP

Step 1: Start by slicing your venison steak into thin strips, cutting against the grain. Place the strips into a bowl with a lid or zip-top bag. 

Step 2: Then, whisk together the remaining marinade ingredients and pour over the venison. Place the meat in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 1 hour, but up to overnight. 

Step 3: When you’re ready to cook, remove the venison from the fridge to get it to room temperature while you prep and slice the onions and peppers. 

Step 4: Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the venison strips, cooking only for 2-4 minutes. The meat should be just browned and still rare in the middle. Remove it from the heat immediately as it is browned and transfer to a plate. Set aside. 

Step 5: Next, add the vegetables to the pan and sauté them for 5-7 minutes, until they soften. hen, add the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Toss to combine. 

Step 6: Then add the venison and lime and stir again to coat everything with the lime juice and spices. 

Step 7: Remove from the heat and serve right away with your choice of tortillas, toppings, etc. Enjoy!!

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ARE VENISON FAJITAS BETTER THAN BEEF FAJITAS?

The extra deliciousness comes from the marinade here. It ensures that your meat is both flavorful and tender. I know I sometimes inwardly groan when I see a marinade with a recipe but TRUST. You can throw this together an hour before you want to cook OR you can do it the night before and even give this an overnight stay in the fridge. Make it work for you!

But, the marinade gives a layer of flavor from the garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime that can’t be beaten. Pair that with fresh peppers and onions, plenty of chili powder + cumin, and a healthy squeeze of lime, and you’re got an actual recipe for success.

WHAT CUT OF MEAT IS BEST FOR FAJITAS?

As I mentioned previously, the best cutes for this are flank, skirt, and rump steaks. BUT, I know how those random cuts end up in your freezer. This recipe is forgiving. Thaw what you have, slice it up, get it in the marinade for a while and try it. I encourage you to really use up what you have on hand!

HOW TO SERVE

Serve these fajitas up however you would serve up beef fajitas. We like to keep it simple with some tortillas, sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. But you could also sprinkle on some cheese and add a dollop of guacamole. Either way you prefer to eat your fajitas these are going to be a hit!

STORING AND REHEATING

These make for the perfect leftovers. Just pack into an airtight container and these will keep in the fridge for 5-4 days. Serve over a salad or in any leftover tortillas for a perfect high protein lunch!

OTHER VENISON DINNER RECIPES

I know you’re going to just FLIP for this recipe and if you’re looking for a staple taco recipe, you have to try out my Venison Tacos. My Venison Birria Tacos are out of this world amazing and for a twist on taco night, you have to try my Salmon Tacos. We also love cooking up my Egg Roll in a Bowl for a quick an easy dinner idea. If you’re looking for even more venison cooking ideas, check out my bestselling cookbook, Venison Every Day!

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