Minced beef fajitas: easy recipe in 25 minutes

Minced beef fajitas take 25 minutes. You fry strips of pepper and onion over a high heat, then beef mince seasoned with cumin, paprika and garlic, before filling warm flour tortillas. It is a quicker, cheaper version than fajitas made with strips of beef, and mince takes on the spices better.

Here is the recipe for 4 people, a homemade spice mix, the best toppings and how fajitas differ from tacos and wraps. Everyone then builds their own fajita at the table, which makes it an easy meal to serve to the family.

The minced beef fajitas recipe

Here is the full minced beef fajitas recipe for 4 people: the list of ingredients and spices first, then the preparation steps to follow in order.

Ingredients for 4 people (8 fajitas)

• 500 g beef mince with 15% fat
• 8 flour tortillas, 20 to 25 cm across
• 2 peppers in different colours (red and yellow, or red and green)
• 1 large red onion and 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• For the spices: 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of chilli, salt and pepper

Method

1. Mix all the spices in a bowl.
2. Cut the peppers and onion into 1 cm strips and chop the garlic.
3. Stir-fry the strips for 5 to 6 minutes over a high heat in a spoonful of oil: they should stay slightly crunchy and charred in places. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, fry the meat with the garlic for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink. Pour off any excess fat.
5. Add the spices and 3 tablespoons of water and let it reduce for 2 minutes to coat the meat.
6. Return the vegetables to the pan, squeeze over the lime juice and mix.
7. Warm the tortillas for 20 seconds on each side in a dry frying pan, then fill and roll them.

The same spiced beef base also works for a homemade chilli con carne: just add tomatoes and kidney beans, then leave it to simmer.

Which meat should you use for fajitas?

The recipe above uses beef mince, but it is not the only option.

Traditionally, fajitas are made with strips of beef, such as skirt or flank, or sliced chicken. Beef mince with 15% fat is a quicker, cheaper alternative that soaks up the spices very well. Minced lamb or turkey also work.

How to make fajitas with beef mince without it drying out

Moist mince in a fajita comes down to a few simple adjustments. Here are the points that matter, from the fat content and the mince itself to the high heat and the splash of water added with the spices.

• Fat content: 15% is the right compromise. At 5%, the meat dries out in the tortilla; at 20%, it releases too much fat.
• High heat: a very hot pan sears the meat instead of boiling it in its juices. Cook it in two batches if your pan is small.
• A splash of water with the spices: it dissolves the spices and forms a thin sauce that coats every crumb of meat.
• The mince: a coarse mince keeps more bite and juice than a very fine one.

Mincing a piece of chuck or blade yourself just before cooking gives meat that releases less water in the pan. To see the appliances that let you do this at home, browse the meat grinder collection.

Toppings to serve with fajitas

Fajitas are filled at the table, with everyone making their own. The most common accompaniments:

• guacamole or diced avocado;
• a salsa of tomatoes, red onion and coriander;
• thick crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt;
• grated Cheddar or Emmental;
• shredded iceberg lettuce, sweetcorn, kidney beans.

Salsa and guacamole call for finely chopped onion, tomato and herbs. A bowl chopper does the job in a few pulses without turning the tomato to purée: the electric chopper collection brings these models together, handy for preparing all the toppings while the meat cooks.

Fajitas, tacos or wraps: what is the difference?

These three dishes look alike but are not served in the same way. The table below compares them by the flatbread used, the typical filling and how they are served.

All three share the same spiced mince base: one batch can make fajitas in the evening and wraps for lunch the next day. The beef mince wrap can also be eaten cold, and the homemade burrito is closed at both ends around rice and kidney beans.