Spicy chipotle beef carne asada fajitas

How do you fancy some flavour-packed, wonderfully spicy beef, sliced and served in a soft flour tortilla with fresh, crunchy salad and a creamy, sweet chipotle dressing? Sounds yummy, right? And it doesn't take long to prepare either.

At its simplest, 'carne asada' translates as grilled beef, typically served cut into thin strips. And while it can be infused with an almost limitless combination of flavours and served in all sorts of creative ways, the real star of the show is and always will be the beef itself.

In warmer climes, carne asada would typically be made on an open grill to impart a charred flavour, but in England's more modest climate, I've found a heavy bottomed frying pan, brought up to a high heat is more than satisfactory in helping produce some amazing flavours.

I've used an English beef steak for this recipe, rich in flavour and thinly cut so it takes on the vibrant and fresh-tasting marinades quickly and sears in a matter of seconds.

Beef is such a versatile ingredient - perfect for a quick, satisfying midweek meal, but also rich in protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself. Beef is also a good source of iron (in a form that is readily absorbed by the body), zinc (which is important to the function of a healthy immune system) and B vitamins including B12 (which is important for healthy red blood cells, growth and the production of energy).

You can find out loads more about the benefits of beef on the Simply Beef and Lamb website, but right now, let's get down to making this delicious, easy, impressive-looking recipe that uses easy to source cupboard and fridge ingredients and is ready to enjoy in under 40 minutes.

Note: If any of the kids (or grown ups!) aren't so keen on heat, you can cook some of the pieces of beef without the marinade. That way they can still enjoy the deliciousness of the seared beef fajitas, and add a little creamy spice if they wish using the dressing. That means everyone can enjoy a meal that suits them, with no extra effort!

Instructions

For the sweet chipotle dressing

Put the chipotle paste, garlic, honey, white vinegar, mustard and cumin into a food processor.

Blitz to a paste, then spoon 1 tbsp of the mix into a bowl with the sour cream with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Mix well and set aside.

For the marinade

Add the lime juice, olive oil and soy sauce to the food processor with the remaining chipotle mix and blitz again.

Place the steaks in a large bowl.

Spoon the mix on top.

Massage the marinade into the steaks well and set aside.

For the beef

Warm a large, heavy bottomed, non-stick pan over a high heat - you want the steaks to sizzle. Place the steaks into the pan (you'll probably have to do them in batches) and fry for just 30 to 60 seconds, then flip and sear the other side for 30 to 60 seconds. They should be a little pink in the middle (and read around 45C/113F).

Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips against the grain.

For the salad

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter and pile all of the other salad ingredients on top.

Serve to the table with the sliced beef, flour tortillas, jalapeños, coriander, lime wedges and the creamy dressing you made earlier, and allow everyone to dig in and construct their own meals.

How do you have your fajitas - do you love to add lots of sauce and salad, or do you prefer a more minimal meal?

Don’t forget to check out the Simply Beef and Lamb website. You can also follow them on Facebook @SimplyBeefAndLamb and Instagram @SimplyBeefAndLamb.

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4.8 from 10 votes

Easy Chipotle Beef Carne Asada Tortillas Recipe

Chipotle beef carne asada fajitas with plenty of veg and a fantastically spicy, creamy dressing that can be made easily in a pan.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Spicy mains

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 8 tortillas

Author: Emily Leary

Ingredients

For the creamy chipotle dressing

• 50 g (3.35 oz) chipotle paste
• 4 cloves (4) garlic roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 75 ml (2.54 floz) sour cream
• salt and black pepper

For the spicy carne asada

• 800 g (1.76 lb) thin cut English beef steaks
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

For the salad

• 1 small (1) iceberg lettuce shredded
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 1 yellow pepper sliced
• 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 3 fresh tomatoes diced
• 200 g (7.05 oz) canned pinto beans
• 200 g (7.05 oz) sweetcorn

To serve

• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 fresh jalapenos sliced
• 10 g (0.35 oz) fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly torn
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

For the sweet chipotle dressing

• Put the chipotle paste, garlic, honey, white vinegar, mustard and cumin into a food processor. Blitz to a paste.
• Spoon 1 tbsp of the mix into a bowl with the sour cream with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

For the marinade

• Add the lime juice, olive oil and soy sauce to the food processor with the remaining chipotle mix. Blitz again.
• Place the steaks in a large bowl with the marinade. Massage well and set aside.

For the beef

• Warm a large, heavy bottomed, non-stick pan over a high heat - you want the steaks to sizzle.
• Place the steaks into the pan (you'll probably have to do them in batches) and fry for just 30 to 60 seconds, then flip and sear the other side for 30 to 60 seconds. They should be a little pink in the middle (and read around 45C/113F).
• Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips against the grain.

For the salad

• Arrange the lettuce on a large platter and pile all of the other salad ingredients on top.
• Serve to the table with the sliced beef, flour tortillas, jalapeños, coriander, lime wedges and the creamy dressing you made earlier, and allow everyone to dig in and construct their own meals.

Video

Notes

If any of the kids (or grown ups!) aren't so keen on heat, you can cook some of the pieces of beef without the marinade. That way they can still enjoy the deliciousness of the seared beef fajitas, and add a little creamy spice if they wish using the dressing. That means everyone can enjoy a meal that suits them, with no extra effort!  

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 858mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3395IU | Vitamin C: 81.6mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4.7mg

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.

Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram or tag @EmilyLearyCooks on Twitter. I can't wait to see your posts!

This is a commissioned post for Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

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