Mixed beef and chicken fajita ingredients, served on a hot iron skillet.

A fajita (IPA: /faJita/) is a generic term used in Tex-Mex cuisine, referring to grilled meat served on a flour or corn tortilla. Though originally only beef, popular meats today also include chicken, pork and shrimp. In restaurants, the meat is often cooked with onions and bell peppers. Popular condiments are sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, cheese, and tomato. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 374 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 374 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Tex-Mex is a term for a type of American food which is used primarily in Texas and the Southwestern United States to describe a regional cuisine which blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans that are influenced by the cuisines of... This article is about the food. ... Two cooked tortillas made of wheat flour The Spanish word tortilla denotes two different classes of foods, depending on where the term is encountered. ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Pork (disambiguation). ... Superfamilies Alpheoidea Atyoidea Bresilioidea Campylonotoidea Crangonoidea Galatheacaridoidea Nematocarcinoidea Oplophoroidea Palaemonoidea Pandaloidea Pasiphaeoidea Procaridoidea Processoidea Psalidopodoidea Stylodactyloidea True shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Capsicum annuum L. For green peppercorns, see Black pepper. ... Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. ... Guacamole // Guacamole is an avocado-based relish or dip from the time of the Aztecs. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Pico de gallo Pico de gallo (Spanish for roosters beak) is the term generally referring to a fresh condiment made from chopped tomato, onion, and chiles (typically serranos or jalapeños). ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... For other uses, see Tomato (disambiguation). ...

In Spanish, fajita is the diminutive form of the word faja which translates to "belt" or "girdle" in English. Butchers along the Texas border with Mexico used the word to refer to the diaphragm muscle of a steer. Researchers found references to Hispanic ranch hands eating this cut of beef in a tortilla with condiments as early as the 1930s but the word fajita is not known to have appeared in print until 1971, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Newspaper advertisements for fajitas began appearing in regional newspapers in Texas in 1975. A diminutive is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Butcher shop in Valencia A butcher is someone who prepares various meats and other related goods for sale. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... In the anatomy of mammals, the diaphragm is a shelf of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. ... Hispanic flag, not widely used. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of...

The cut is known in the U.S. as the skirt steak, and remains popular for making fajitas. In fact, many purists insist that only skirt steak can be used for making fajitas, and that the use of other meats, such as chicken, constitutes another dish altogether. Regardless, use of the word fajita has evolved from the term for a cut of beef to include the cooking method (thus chicken fajita) and also to define the grilled strips of peppers and onions that usually accompany the meat. A skirt steak is a steak cut of beef that comes from the diaphragm of the cow. ...

Condiments and tortillas.

Sonny Falcon is believed to have operated the first commercial fajita taco stand at a weeklong outdoor event in Kyle, Texas in 1969. He also went to rodeos, fairs, and outdoor festivals selling his fajita taco. An Austin reporter christened him "The Fajita King" and Falcon was able to trademark the name. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 256 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 256 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Kyle is a city located in Hays County, Texas. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... It has been suggested that History of rodeo be merged into this article or section. ...

The food became popular in restaurants such as Ninfa's and other Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. Ninfa's originally called the dish tacos al carbon and later tacos a la Ninfa before using the term fajita. Ninfas (at one time Mama Ninfas) is a Houston, Texas-based restaurant chain. ... Houston redirects here. ... San Antonio redirects here. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

In many restaurants, the fajita meat is brought to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter or skillet, with the tortillas and condiments served on the side. This presentation is credited to Chef George Weidmann, chef of the Hyatt Regency La Vista restaurant in Austin, Texas. Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ... Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. ...

See also

• Cuisine of the Southwestern United States

Southwestern cuisine is food styled after the rustic cooking of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. ...

References

• A Six-Part History of Tex-Mex<-- broken link
• Steer Anatomy(see skirt steak)
• Different styles of cooking fajitas with recipes for marinades and extras