Lucy M. Sometimes the best meals bring everyone together around the table, and this fajita recipe Mary Berry does exactly that with comforting, familiar flavors. The citrus marinade slowly tenderizes the beef while you go about your day, then it’s just a quick cook and assembly time. Everyone can build their own perfect bite with warm tortillas, sliced beef, colorful radish salsa, and creamy toppings.
Why You’ll Love this Mary Berry Fajita
This fajita recipe Mary Berry brings together all the comforting flavors you crave with wonderfully simple preparation that fits into your busy life. The citrus marinade gently tenderizes affordable flank steak while infusing it with bright, fresh flavors as it sits in your fridge.
What makes these fajitas truly special is the homemade radish pico de gallo, which adds a satisfying crunch and refreshing zing that traditional salsa just can’t match. With only 30 minutes of actual cooking time and the flexibility to marinate according to your schedule, you’ll have a delicious, crowd-pleasing meal that brings everyone together around the table without any of the usual dinner stress.
What Ingredients are in Mary Berry Fajita?
Mary Berry’s fajita recipe brings together vibrant, fresh components that work in harmony to create restaurant-quality results at home. The beauty of this recipe lies in how it balances bold flavors with quality ingredients, from the citrus-based marinade that tenderizes the steak to the fresh salsa that provides brightness and crunch. Each component serves a purpose, whether it’s building layers of flavor or adding textural contrast to the finished dish.
Ingredients:
For the Marinade:
- Juice of 1 orange and 1 lime
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- A few drops of hot pepper sauce
- Salt and black pepper
For the Radish Pico de Gallo Salsa:
- 6 tomatoes, diced
- 10 radishes, coarsely chopped
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1–2 jalapeño chiles, halved, seeded, and chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of ½ lime
For the Fajitas:
- 1 lb (500g) flank steak
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro to garnish
If you love these citrus-marinated fajitas, try our Tex-Mex Chicken for another zesty Mexican-inspired dinner.
How to Make this Mary Berry Fajita
- Prepare the marinade by combining the orange and lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce in a large bowl, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Add the steak to the bowl and turn it several times to coat thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the citrus and spices to tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Make the pico de gallo salsa by mixing together the tomatoes, radishes, scallions, chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture—this helps achieve better browning. Position the steak under a preheated hot broiler, 3–4 inches (7–10cm) from the heat source. Broil for 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 minutes for medium, or 5–6 minutes for well-done. Once cooked to your liking, remove from the broiler, cover loosely with foil, and let the steak rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- While the steak is resting, warm the tortillas either in a dry skillet, wrapped in foil in the oven, or directly over a gas flame for that authentic char.
- Slice the rested steak against the grain into thin strips and arrange on individual serving plates. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve alongside the warm tortillas, pico de gallo salsa, diced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream so everyone can build their own perfect bite.
Fajita Recipe by Mary Berry
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the marinade by combining the orange and lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce in a large bowl, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Add the steak to the bowl and turn it several times to coat thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the citrus and spices to tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Make the pico de gallo salsa by mixing together the tomatoes, radishes, scallions, chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Remove the steak from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture—this helps achieve better browning. Position the steak under a preheated hot broiler, 3–4 inches (7–10cm) from the heat source. Broil for 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 minutes for medium, or 5–6 minutes for well-done. Once cooked to your liking, remove from the broiler, cover loosely with foil, and let the steak rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- While the steak is resting, warm the tortillas either in a dry skillet, wrapped in foil in the oven, or directly over a gas flame for that authentic char.
- Slice the rested steak against the grain into thin strips and arrange on individual serving plates. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve alongside the warm tortillas, pico de gallo salsa, diced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream so everyone can build their own perfect bite.
Notes
What’s the Secret to Good Fajitas?
The secret to truly exceptional fajitas lies in proper marination and high heat cooking. A well-balanced citrus marinade with orange and lime juice naturally tenderizes tougher cuts like flank steak while infusing deep flavor into every fiber of the meat. The key is patience, allowing at least 2 to 4 hours for the marinade to work its magic, though overnight marination yields even better results. When cooking, use a screaming hot skillet or grill to quickly sear the beef for just 3 to 4 minutes per side, creating a beautiful caramelized crust while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Finally, always slice against the grain for maximum tenderness in every bite.What’s the Secret to Good Fajitas?
The secret to truly exceptional fajitas lies in proper marination and high heat cooking. A well-balanced citrus marinade with orange and lime juice naturally tenderizes tougher cuts like flank steak while infusing deep flavor into every fiber of the meat.
The key is patience, allowing at least 2 to 4 hours for the marinade to work its magic, though overnight marination yields even better results. When cooking, use a screaming hot skillet or grill to quickly sear the beef for just 3 to 4 minutes per side, creating a beautiful caramelized crust while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Finally, always slice against the grain for maximum tenderness in every bite.
Mary Berry Fajita Substitutions and Variations
If you’re looking to shake things up with Mary Berry’s fajita recipe, you’ve got plenty of room to get creative without losing that delicious balance of flavors. I’d swap the flank steak for chicken breast or shrimp if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
Want to skip the radish pico de gallo. Regular tomato salsa works just fine. For vegetarians, I’d load up those tortillas with grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms instead. The citrus marinade still works beautifully on veggies.
You can also substitute lime with lemon, or add a pinch of cumin to the marinade for extra warmth. Corn tortillas instead of flour. Different toppings too—swap sour cream for Greek yogurt, add cilantro-lime rice, or use cotija cheese instead of plain garnish.
What to Serve with Mary Berry Fajita
Once you’ve nailed the marinade and sorted out your protein swap, the real fun kicks in—figuring out what actually goes on the table alongside those gorgeous fajitas. I’d definitely serve the radish pico de gallo salsa right there in a bowl, letting everyone customize their plate.
The sour cream‘s essential, honestly. Then comes the avocado—creamy, rich, basically the fajita’s best friend. Some lime wedges are clutch for squeezing extra brightness over everything. I’d add some shredded cheese and maybe some refried beans on the side, though that’s getting fancy.
The beauty here is that you’re building your own thing, you know? Each person loads their tortilla exactly how they want it. That’s where the real magic happens, not in any single component but in the assembly itself.
Final Thoughts
Mary Berry’s fajita recipe comes down to this: you’re not just throwing together some meat and tortillas, you’re creating a whole experience where everyone gets to be the chef of their own plate. That’s what makes these fajitas so brilliant. The marinade does the heavy lifting, infusing every bite with citrus and garlic while you relax. Then comes that gorgeous radish pico de gallo, bright and snappy against tender beef. I find the beauty here lies in the simplicity and the prep work upfront. Once everything’s ready, assembly becomes pure fun. You’ve got quality ingredients working together, nothing fussy or complicated. It’s straightforward cooking that tastes impressive. That’s the Mary Berry magic right there.
