portobello “steak” fajitas with roasted poblano chimichurri
Look at these and tell me that doesn’t look like a filet of some kind,
I hadn’t noshed on a good fajita skillet in some time when I developed this recipe. Back in the good ole days of eating out (to be continued soon, wahoo!) I loved hearing the sizzling heat of a vegetable-laden cast iron emerging from the restaurant kitchen and traveling to its final destination. Bonus points if the final destination was my own mouth.
I choose fajitas fairly often when dining out because I can always request extra vegetables, pick and choose what I slide onto my tortillas, and sometimes, if the place does a 10/10 job, have leftovers to take home. Plus, most also come with guacamole. How can I say no to that?
Marinating the thickly-sliced portobello filets is key to creating a meat-like experience. Because mushrooms are fat-free by nature, I added a couple tablespoons of olive oil to help the spices adhere and to elicit a juicier texture once the mushrooms cook.
While the mushrooms hang out in the bag or bowl, roast up some poblano and jalapeno peppers as step one of an addictive, flavorful chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is traditionally based on parsley, garlic, and lots of olive oil, among other components, but to create a Tex-Mex variant I added the spicy peppers. You have to use fresh herbs here. Dried herbs would be weird and probably feel a bit crispy or crunchy. Buy a big bundle of parsley and use some of it to make my Garden Herb Sundried Tomato Parmesan Pasta from yesterday.
Third key to the treasure trove of portobello fajitas is finishing the mushrooms with a touch of melted butter. I stir fry the fajita veggies first, then toss the main squeeze into the skillet and largely let them cook without disturbance. After the final flip, however, comes the butter. So good. The butter caramelizes around the tips of the mushrooms and creates a crispy edge, much like well-seared steak. If you’d like, vegan butter is perfectly ok and makes the dish entirely free of animal products.
We enjoyed the dish community-style with the mushrooms centered and the veggies, tortillas, and chimichurri arranged around the border of the board. A squeeze of fresh lime over an assembled round completes the flavor profile.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you’ve made!
Mushrooms for all:
Guinness Braised Jackfruit Cheddar Taquitos with Balsamic Mushroom Whiskey Cream Sauce
Crispy Salsa Verde Mushroom Tacos with Honey Jalapeno Crema
Bite Sized Brie and Mushroom Calzones
Party Sized Portobello French Dip Melt
Ingredients
- 6-8 portobello caps
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 red onion, sliced into strips
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 2 tbsp butter
- tortillas, cilantro, and fresh pineapple chunks, to serve
roasted poblano chimichurri
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice portobello caps into 1/2 inch filets. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Place portobellos in a large resealable bag and pour in marinade. Toss thoroughly to coat each filet. Set aside for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dinner, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set poblano and jalapeno on a baking sheet, then roast 15-18 minutes, turning once or twice, until charred all over. Set into a resealable bag to "sweat" for at least 5 minutes.
- Break off the caps of the poblano and jalapeno, peel the skin off, and scrape out the seeds. Place into the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender along with the garlic cloves, parsley, cilantro, basil, cumin, lime juice, and oil. Blend until smooth, but not pureed. Visible flecks of herbs are more than okay! Pour into an airtight container or bowl and set aside.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of avocado or olive oil over medium heat. Stir fry the red onion and peppers for 3-5 minutes until slightly charred. Place onto a clean plate and set aside. To the same skillet, dump in portobello slices and arrange with as little overlap as possible. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then turn each piece over. Cut butter into 3-4 smaller pieces and scatter over the mushrooms in the pan. Cook another 2-3 minutes per side until butter melts and caramelizes around the mushrooms. Remove from heat to a clean plate.
- To create a fancy pants board, arrange portobello slices in the center like you might a big cut of steak. Place piles of fajita vegetables evenly around the corners, and the bowl of chimichurri on one corner. Serve with a plate of tortillas and fresh pineapple chunks.
