Grilled Chimichurri Steak Fajitas (Low Carb, Keto)
All the makings of a low carb feast!
Thin slices of perfectly grilled steak marinated in a quick homemade chimichurri full of citrus and fresh summer herbs, wrapped in a low carb tortilla, dressed with quick pickled onions and your favourite low carb fajita toppings!
Just 5.5g net carbs each!
Be sure to pair this with my low carb tortilla recipe!
It doesn’t get more summery than a BBQ grilled steak marinated in a homemade chimichurri full of fresh summer herbs. Especially when these herbs are grown mere feet away from the grill.
Wrapped up in one of my homemade oat fiber tortillas and topped with quick citrus pickled red onions (a freakin game changer btw)
This is as fresh as it gets! A true patio season meal and its super low in carbs!
Why You’ll Love This BBQ Recipe
- Chimichurri marinated steak is a great way to jazz up leaner, cheaper cuts like blade steak and other marinating steaks.
- Very low in net carbs, ideal for a high protein keto friendly meal
- Quick citrus pickled onions are an absolute flavour powerhouse and a fajita game changer (Thanks Aaron Sanchez!)
- Fajitas are a great sharing meal, fit for entertaining and large family dinners!
- Easy to accommodate everyone at the table with simple variations
What you Need to Know
Below are the key details you need to master this recipe.
Homemade Chimichurri
There are many variations on chimichurri out there. The herbs used in this one were chosen because that’s what is growing in my herb garden. Feel free to mix it up and add or remove whatever you want!
I recommend going heavy on the cilantro and parsley as they are essential to the classic chimichurri flavour and they go great with fajitas.
You can control the heat by changing or removing the hot pepper used. A garden fresh jalapeno was the perfect amount of heat that everyone at the table was able to enjoy.
Chimichurri is dead simple and there are many ways to make it.
The fastest and most consistent of which is a food processor.
2 Ways to Make Homemade Chimichurri
Chimichurri in a food processor/blender/immersion blender:
- Break everything down into smaller pieces for the food processor.
- Blitz or pulse everything on high until it is broken down into a kind of chunky green sauce similar to a pesto.
All done!
Chimichurri in a mortar and pestle:
If you don’t have a food processor a simple mortar and pestle is great for making an ultra rustic chimichurri. It takes longer but it works!
- Chop all of the herbs and produce very finely to make it easier to break down in a mortar and pestle.
- Add everything to the mortar cup and begin mashing with the pestle until you achieve the consistency you are after. It should be similar to a pesto, perhaps slightly chunkier.
Choosing a cut of Steak
There are really no wrong choices here, just personal preference. It’s a fajita so the slices will be very thin and the acid in the chimichurri will help tenderize even cheaper cuts of meat.
I prefer to save the nicer cuts like ribeye for a steak dinner and use marinating cuts like blade steak, flank steak, skirt steak, eye of round, top sirloin, and other more affordable cuts for these fajitas.
Steak Thickness
For grilling I like the steak to be at least 1” [2.5 cm] thick because it’s easier to get a nice sear on the outside without overcooking the center.
Marinating the Steaks
After you make the chimichurri, pour it over the steaks and make sure each one is well coated. Seal in a container or freezer bag and allow the steaks to marinade for at least 30 minutes, but overnight if you can.
If you are making homemade keto tortillas then marinate the steaks before you start the tortillas so they have time to soak.
Grilling the Steaks
Grill Temperature: Medium-high
Cook time: 3-5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.
You Know its Done When: Visible sear marks on the outside and center is cooked to your liking.
A Deeper Dive
- Get the grill nice and hot. Like screaming hot!
- Once hot, place the steaks on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Immediately remove the steaks and cover with foil to rest.
- You must rest the steaks for at least 5 minutes before cutting into them otherwise all the juices will flow out.
- Slice the steaks into thin shaving like slices before serving
Steak Degree of Doneness times and temperatures
| Doneness | Internal Temp. | Time per side |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 125°F [52°C] | 2 1/2 to 3 min. |
| Med-Rare | 135°F [57°C] | 3 to 3 1/2 min. |
| Medium | 145°F [63°C] | 4 min |
| Med-Well | 150°F [66°C] | Table Data |
These cooking times are approximate based on my experience with my grill with 1″ [2.5cm] thick steaks.
The amount of time your grill will need to cook the steaks will vary, a digital meat thermometer can help you make sure the steak is done to your liking.
If using a thermometer, pull the steaks off the grill around 5 to 10 degrees before your desired finished temperature.
During the resting period a steaks internal temperature can rise 10 degrees.
Quick Citrus Pickled Onions
This is super simple, if you only take one thing away from this recipe, let it be these onions.
This idea is from chef Aaron Sanchez on Masterchef. It was a critique regarding a competitor’s fajitas and a tip for removing some of the bite from raw onions. Let me tell you, it’s a freakin game changer.
He was so right, this is simple and quick, but it makes a world of difference. Far and away the best fajita topping I have ever tried! So citrusy, salty, and a bit crunchy, but with a pleasant onion flavour.
Simply soak thinly sliced onions in salt and lime juice for 10-15 minutes and you will have the most amazing fajita.
It adds so much flavour, zing, and freshness you must try this simple fajita topping!
Low Carb Tortillas
There are many options for low carb tortillas to be used in fajitas.
I myself have two keto tortilla recipes that work well for fajitas.
My original tortilla recipe is actually flavored with lime juice so it’s a natural pairing with the flavours in this fajita.
I have also recently developed an improved version I call “A better keto tortilla recipe” that is my personal favourite.
If you have a favourite keto tortilla recipe feel free to use it here. Otherwise, there are many store bought options you can use.
My 3 favourite store bought low carb tortillas are:
I recommend warming or grilling the tortilla before using them
After the steak comes off the grill, place the tortilla directly on the BBQ for 1 minute or so, flipping to warm evenly.
If you are cooking for the whole family, you can easily pick up a pack of flour tortillas for them to enjoy this meal with you!
Grilled Chimichurri Steak Keto Fajitas
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Food processor/immersion blender
- Knife and Cutting Board
- BBQ or Grill
- large container/freezer bag
- small bowl/ramekin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef steaks (sirloin, skirt, striploin, blade, etc.)
- 8 low carb tortillas homemade or store-bought
- fajita toppings sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce, etc.
Easy Chimichurri
- 1 cup cilantro
- ½ cup parsley
- 3 tbsp oregano
- 1 large jalapeno
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- salt and pepper
Quick Pickled Onions
- 1 medium onion red or white
- ¼ cup lime juice
- salt
Instructions
Easy Chimichurri
- Chop the Ingredients. Coarsely chop the cilantro, parsley, oregano, jalapeno, onion, and garlic before adding everything to a food processor or blender.1 cup cilantro, ½ cup parsley, 3 tbsp oregano, 1 large jalapeno, 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Blitz everything together. Pules the food processor to begin breaking down the produce. Add the lemon juice, and lime juice, and oil, and run the food processor again until the chimichurri is at the right consistency. Season to taste¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, salt and pepper
Grilled Chimichurri Steak
- Marinate the steaks. Place the steaks in a large container or freezer bag, season with salt and pepper, and pour the chimichurri over the steaks. Make sure everything is well coated and let it marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.2 pounds beef steaks (sirloin, skirt, striploin, blade, etc.)
- Heat the grill. Get the grill nice and hot to sear the steaks.
- Cook the first side. Once the grill is hot, cook the first side of the marinated steaks for 3-5 minutes depending on how you like it done.
- Cook the second side. Flip over the steak and cook the remaining side for 3-5 minutes until done to your liking.
- Rest the steaks. Remove the steak from the grill, tent with foil and let them rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
- Grab some of your favourite low carb tortillas (like my awesome recipe!) and warm or grill them to your liking before loading them up with sliced steak, cheese, sour cream, pickled onions, and your other favourite fajita toppings!8 low carb tortillas, fajita toppings
Quick Citrus Pickled Onions
- Slice the onion. Cut the onion into long thin lengthwise slices (French cut) and put them in a small bowl or ramekin.1 medium onion
- Salt and Lime Juice. Salt the sliced onions and make sure they are well coated. Add enough lime juice to cover the top of the sliced onions.¼ cup lime juice, salt
- Pickle the onions. let the onions sit and pickle in the lime juice for at least 20 minutes before using them to dress fajitas, tacos, and salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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Recommended Low Carb Fajita Toppings
This is your chance to get creative, everyone likes their fajita dressed in their own way!
Here are some low carb recommendations:
- Lettuce, salad, coleslaw
- Salsa or my keto pico de gallo
- Grated cheese (get fancy with fancy cheese)
- Feta cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Pickled onions
- Radishes
- Sauteed vegetables
Quick Tips to Master This Recipe
- Let the steak marinade. This is optional of course but for the most flavour and tenderness, let the steak marinade in the chimichurri overnight in the fridge
- Make tortillas ahead of time: Lets face it, tortillas are time consuming to make yourself! Check out my keto tortilla recipe and learn how you can make these ahead of time and store them for later use.
- Rest the steak! Essential anytime you are cooking a steak! Let it rest covered in foil, not only will it finish cooking, but it will be juicier and just plain better.
- Get Creative with the toppings! It is fun to lay out a bunch of cool exciting toppings to let people make their own creations. These low carb fajitas are great for family sharing.
Enjoy!
