Earlier this year, a scandal emerged on TikTok. According to user @sallamibrahim24, the famous sizzle that accompanies fajitas was not, in fact, a natural byproduct of its creation, but an effect added by pouring water onto a hot plate.
This led to many disappointed commenters, with one notable remarking that their “whole life it’s been a lie.”
Seeing this video, TikTok user Erin (@sherrer25) was confused. According to her, in a video with over 266,000 views, her restaurant achieves its steamy presentation naturally by pouring the meat and vegetables—including the restaurant’s “house made Mongolian sauce”—onto a hot plate.
A 1993 article in Texas Monthly notes that steam was not originally part of a fajita’s presentation. Instead, the dish originated in Texas as a way to eat a particularly tough cut of meat.
“The lowly cowboys and Mexican vaqueros get the tough cuts, including the fajita, or skirt steak,” writes John Morthland. “Throwing the thin flavorful meat directly over hot coals, the cook sears it quickly, wraps it in tortillas to catch the dripping juices, and serves it taco style. Fajitas are born.”
The article goes on to note that the “sizzle” was a 1960s invention from a woman named Otilia Garza at an eatery called Round-Up Restaurant in Texas. Inspired “after being served queso flameado (melted Mexican cheese) on a cast-iron plate in Acapulco,” she opted to present the restaurant’s fajitas on a hot plate steaming in their own juices—a trend that became popular as the dish spread throughout the United States.
Nowhere in this story comes a mention of adding additional water to achieve the fajita’s steamy effect.
However, that doesn’t mean there may not be a little deception going on in modern fajita presentations. A user on Reddit claimed in a 2014 thread that Chili’s achieves its trademark fajita sizzle using what they call “sizzle sauce”: a mix of soy sauce and oil.
Yet, the sizzle shown by Erin appears to be authentic, and many commenters claim that their restaurants have also achieved authentic sizzles.
“We always hit it with a little lime juice before it left the kitchen,” wrote one user. “Gave it the sizzle and a little extra taste.”
“What do people think is sizzling? it has to be a liquid boiling,” added another. “At least the sauce is an actual part if the meal and not water squirted on top.”
“The lowly cowboys and Mexican vaqueros get the tough cuts, including the fajita, or skirt steak,” writes John Morthland. “Throwing the thin flavorful meat directly over hot coals, the cook sears it quickly, wraps it in tortillas to catch the dripping juices, and serves it taco style. Fajitas are born.”
Earlier this year, a scandal emerged on TikTok. According to user @sallamibrahim24, the famous sizzle that accompanies fajitas was not, in fact, a natural byproduct of its creation, but an effect added by pouring water onto a hot plate.
“We always hit it with a little lime juice before it left the kitchen,” wrote one user. “Gave it the sizzle and a little extra taste.”
This led to many disappointed commenters, with one notable remarking that their “whole life it’s been a lie.”
Nowhere in this story comes a mention of adding additional water to achieve the fajita’s steamy effect.
In a TikTok posted by @sallamibrahim24 on February 28 , someone is seen walking into the kitchen of a Mexican restaurant in Texas to grab a platt er of carne asada fajitas. However, just before it’s ferried out of the kitchen , a cook takes a bottle of liquid and squirts a generous amount onto the food , causing a reaction that generates the sizzle and smoke we are all so accustomed to.Advertisement Advertisement
Generally, servers try to bring out a table’s entire order all at once, but that doesn’t mean all of the dishes are actually ready to serve at the same time. The meals completed first sit on hot plates and/or under heat lamps until the rest of the dishes are ready to serve , and even once they’re all prepared , the server (or food runner) can’t always grab them immediately if they’re attending to other tables . Logi stic ally, the food often has to sit for a few minutes, which means whatever natural sizzle the fajitas might have had has long dissipated by the time the food hits the table. Advertisement
Chili’s, America’s Tex-Mex destination since 1975, uses a specific “sizzle sauce” to create the effect, as revealed by alleged Chili’s workers in this Reddit thread. The sauce is, they and commenters under the TikTok claim, a soy sauce base with other elements like lime juice and fat, which help cause a noticeable reaction and add flavor. Other users, who claim to work at various restaurants that serve fajitas, mention other tactics to achieve the sizzle, such as orange juice, or even a bed of onions, whose water content helps create the effect.Advertisement
Realizing that all the smoke and sound was not purely the result of the cooking process, p eople went nuts in the comment section with remarks like, “Fooled me for 34 years. Thank you.” and “wow. this ruined my day. Thinking about it now I am a fool to think fajitas are literally steaming when they come out.” Not to dismiss the feelings of the almost 3,000 commenters , but when you really think about the mechanics of how food is brought out at a restaurant, this fajita fact just isn’t all that surprising.
Otilia Garza, owner of Round-Up Restaurant in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 1969, is often credited as the first restaurateur to add the “ sizzle” element to the fajita platter, explains Texas Monthly. The whole point is to attract customers to the dish by activating all the senses. The smoke draws in the eyes, the sound turns your head as the platter comes by, the bright peppers are visually appealing, and of course, the smell of the food makes you think, “Dang, maybe I should have ordered the fajitas.”
The Fajita Secrets Used in Mexican Restaurants (an Easy Sizzling Fajitas Recipe at Home!)
FAQ
What do you put on fajitas to make them sizzle?
What makes restaurant fajitas sizzle?
What do they spray on fajitas to make them sizzle?
How does chilis make their fajitas sizzle?
Why do fajitas sizzle?
The signature sizzle you hear when your fajitas are being brought to your table at a restaurant may be due to a few factors. First, restaurants often serve fajitas in the cast iron skillet they were cooked in, which allows them to keep sizzling as they arrive at your table (because they’re finishing cooking).
How do you cook fajitas on a grill?
Grilling fajitas is similar to skillet-cooking them, but the meat and veggies will also have beautiful grill marks and a hint of smoky flavor. To grill fajitas, brush the veggies and meat with oil and season as desired. Grill the veggies directly on the rack, covered, over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly charred.
How to make fajitas at home?
Making fajitas at home is quite easy. It does have several steps that if you do in the right order will make the process a little faster. Be sure to remove the steak from the refrigerator and season it at least 30 minutes before you grill it. This will allow the seasoning to soak in and the steak to cook more evenly.
How do you eat fajitas at a restaurant?
Fill warm tortillas with fajita meat and vegetables. If desired, top with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Roll up tortillas and serve with lime wedges. The signature sizzle you hear when your fajitas are being brought to your table at a restaurant may be due to a few factors.