Quick and easy on a grill or the stovetop, these healthy pork fajitas are bursting with great Tex-Mex flavors. They're a perfect change-of-pace recipe for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo, with incredible tastes and tenderness.
🐖Ingredients
Pork tenderloin
Spices—chili powder, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, option coriander
Vegetables—onion, bell pepper
Serving—tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, and other toppings.
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The Mexican flavors of fajitas are perfect for pork. Using pork tenderloin, you can have tender and moist pork fajitas on the table in less than 30 minutes.
You can do this on the stovetop or a grill, but a grill with a griddle will add some fire-roasted flavors.
Try other healthy Mexican recipes, like Grilled Chicken Fajitas, Pork Carnitas with Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Carnitas, Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas, or Healthier Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
How to Make Pork Fajitas—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. If grilling, start by preheating the grill with a griddle to 450°.
2. Mix spices.
3. Trim pork tenderloin of any silver skin and fat. Cut "cross-grain" after cutting the tenderloin longitudinally.
4. Coat the pork with most of the spice mix.
5. Prep some veggies.
6. Grill: grill open. Add the meat to the griddle and stir frequently.
7. Grill: After a minute or two, add the veggies and sprinkle with the reserved spices.
8. Grill: Continue to stir for 10 to 12 minutes total cooking time. The meat should be 145° and the veggies clear.
9. Stovetop: cook in a large skillet with oil similar to the grill. Pork first then the veggies, finally combined.
10. Serving: Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings of your choice.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👨🍳Seasoning notes
Since we are using pork tenderloin, it does not need a long marinade to help with tenderness. Also, it will pick up flavors rapidly. This is a fairly standard combination of spices.
The original recipe includes coriander. Coriander is the seeds of the same plant that gives us cilantro, but they have different tastes and uses. It does add some taste, but I suspect many of you will not have it on hand. You can skip it in the recipe if you want.
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♨️Grilling Method
I prefer this cooked on the grill with a large griddle. Preheat with the griddle in place to about 450° grill surface temperature. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill if you have questions.
Use only higher-temperature oils like corn or canola oil. This is not the time for olive oil. When you add the pork, turn the burners up to high and leave the grill hood open so you can give it attention.
After the pork has had a few minutes head start, add the vegetables. Grill until the pork is browned nicely and 140°-145°. The onions should be transparent, and the peppers should be browning and tender.
♨️Stovetop Method
Use a large skillet, preferably cast iron. First, cook the meat. It will take about 8-10 minutes to brown nicely and reach an internal temperature of 140°-145°.
Then remove the tenderloin and cook the vegetables for about 6-8 minutes until the onions are clearing some and some browning of the peppers.
Add the meat back in to cook another few minutes, and serve sizzling hot in the pan.
Can I use shredded pork instead?
To use previously cooked shredded pork, coat it with seasoning, start cooking the vegetables, and mix in the seasoned pork after 3-4 minutes. You can make shredded pork with Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tenderloin, Pulled Pork Loin, or Pulled Pork Loin in the Oven. You can also use bake slow cooked pork butt.
🥣Serving
Serve sizzling hot in the skillet; it will keep it warm for a long time. Warm some tortillas in the oven or cover them for a few seconds in the microwave.
Garnish with cilantro and a slice of lime. Other common toppings include pico de gallo, lime juice, sour cream, shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, shredded lettuce, and black beans.
Add side dishes of chips and salsa, Mexican Rice, Easy Guacamole, and Mango Salsa with Pineapple.
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container refrigerated for 3 days, or frozen for 3 months. Reheat in a microwave or with a bit of oil on the stovetop over medium heat.
FAQs
Yes, but pork loin fajitas will not be as tender. A pork tenderloin weighs about 1 ½ pounds, so substitute on weight.
Fajitas, which we consider Mexican, are a Texas, not Mexican, tradition originating there in the 1970s. Initially made with skirt steak, almost every meat has been used to create this wonderfully tasty dish. You can also do a vegetarian version.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
30 Minute Pork Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin - trimmed
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander - optional
- 1 onion - large
- 2 bell peppers - green or red
- flour tortillas
- sour cream
- cheese - etc
- topping of choice
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by preheating the grill with a griddle and a tablespoon of oil. Or a large skillet if doing stovetop. Get the temp to around 450°.
- Mix spices 1 tablespoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon each of oregano, salt, paprika, and garlic powder; and ¼ teaspoon coriander.
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any silver skin and fat. Rinse and pat dry. Cut in half the long way. Flip the halves of the tenderloin back together and cut into ½ inch slices. This will make them "cross-grain" and more tender.
- Put pork into a large bowl, add the spice mixture and stir together coating the pork well.
- Prep some veggies. I went with a large onion along with a green and red pepper.
- I leave the top of the grill open at this point and increase the burners to high. Add the meat to the griddle. Stir frequently. That grill is hot. After a minute or two add the veggies.
- Continue to stir and flip frequently. You will feel like you're cooking here. Total cooking time 10 to 12 minutes from the pork hitting the griddle.
- Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings of your choice. I went with sour cream, cheese, and jalapeno slices. A simple way to heat tortillas is to sprinkle a dish towel with some water, put tortillas inside, and heat in a microwave on high until hot.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Pork loin may be used but will not be as tender.
- Instructions for shredded pork are in the post.
- Cut your tenderloin against the grain.
- Use a BIG skillet. Cast-iron is preferred. If bigger than 12-inches, you can cook the meat and veggies together. Give the meat a few minutes headstart.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
- Nutrition only includes pork and veggies.
Stovetop Instructions
- If doing a stovetop method, place a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. If the pan is big enough, you can do the meat and vegetable together but give the meat about a 2-minute headstart.
- Otherwise, cook the meat first for about 8-10 minutes until brown nicely and 140°-145°. Remove and cover. Add a bit of oil to the pan, the cut vegetables, sprinkle with the reserved spices, and cook until the onion is clearing and peppers are browning some. Add the meat back into the skillet and cook a few more minutes.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Based on a MayoClinic.com recipe.
Originally Published June 3, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help you navigate.
Gayle says
Really good recipe
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Gayle,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry for the delayed response.
Thanks for the comment.
Dan
Renee says
Really good recipe. I have a glass top stove and didn’t think I could get the heat needed so I modified a little. Mixed all the ingredients in a zip lock bag with a little avocado oil. Put on a heated sheet pan in a 450 degree oven till the pork was 150 degrees internal temp. Put in broil for a few minutes to crisp up then made burrito bowls. It was fantastic!
Nora Leal says
Fajitas translated means belt in spanish. It is a mexican tradition going back further than 1970. Mexican migrant workers were given the less desirable cuts of meat from the ranchers and farmers they would work for. Mexican families were traditionally large. Nothing was ever discarded. Hence, stomach lining of pigs-menudo, chicharones. The cow head- Barbacoa. The pancreas-mojellas. The intestines-tripas. Just to name a few examples. Our families were eating all this many years before they reached the restaurant tables.
Carol Huck says
Hey Dr. Dan,
I am now a devoted follower and you are my go-to resource for recipes that work. I want to use this recipe for company this weekend. Previously you converted me to brining pork tenderloin which I have done with great success. Does that apply with this recipe?
Thanks always
Carol H.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Carol,
Welcome to the blog and glad you are enjoying it.
I don't feel that brining would add much here. You can definitely do it and leave the salt out of the seasoning. But we are talking small bites of already tender meat. If it was work pork loin, definitely I would.
Dan
Jane says
How many pounds is the pork tenderloin?
DrDan says
A whole pork tenderloin is usually about 1 1/2 pounds and it is about 1 1/2 to 2-inch diameter. Many people think "pork loin" is the same thing. Instead, the loin is totally different cut of pork. They are much tougher, 5-6 pounds and about 4-inch diameter.
I get yelled at in comments frequently when somebody obviously used pork loin in a pork tenderloin recipe. It never works.
Mandi says
These look so yummy! I've been looking for a way to use two pork tenderloins someone gave me, and I think I'll try this.
Beedermpath says
Made these, they were great! Thanks for rating your recipes on difficulty and having some pictures for those of us who aren't so culinary inclined!
Chris says
These look rocking, Dan. I love fajitas anyway but these sound extra good. Your griddle makes me envious, I have to get one for my gas grill.