Marinating shrimp in citrus juices, garlic, spices, and cilantro before you grill them yields a juicy, charred, and high-flavor filling for classic fajitas. Set out tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, and lime wedges so your guests can customize to their hearts’ content.

Game plan: Make a batch of Tomatillo Salsa before you begin.

  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Active: 40 mins

Ingredients (16)

Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
  • 12 to 16 fresh flour tortillas, warmed
  • Tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. To make the marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set 1/4 cup of the marinade aside. Put the shrimp in a large zipper-lock plastic bag and add the remaining marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. When ready to cook, in a bowl, toss the peppers and onion with the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip off, and transfer the shrimp to a bowl. Thread the shrimp onto skewers.
  3. Prepare a charcoal grill for medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grill grate. Put a large cast iron frying pan over the heat and add the onions and peppers. Place the shrimp on a grilling grate over the heat as well. Cover the grill and cook, turning the shrimp halfway through, until they are cooked through and nicely marked, about 2 minutes per side. Stir the peppers and onions occasionally, until tender.
  4. When the peppers and onions are done, transfer the shrimp to the cast iron frying pan with the vegetables. Serve right away with warm tortillas, salsa, sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, and lime wedges.