What is fajita?
A famous Mexican cuisine, fajita is made with stripped grilled meat or minced meat cooked with peppers and onions. This is usually served in corn or flour tortillas and finished with various toppings such as sour cream and guacamole. So, fajita is the actual meaty part.
Texans want to take the honor of introducing fajita to the US, but history tells us otherwise. No matter who introduced it – we are grateful to them! It is called fajita because of the unique meat cut, i.e., the skirt steak part of a cow. Besides the meat, peppers, and spices, a crucial part of the dish is the onions. Choosing the best onions for homemade fajita is an integral part of giving fajita a restaurant-like touch.
Fajita ingredients
Fajita is easy to make, and it’s a dish that, once you’ve tasted it, will become a regular part of your meal rotation. You can make it and store it in the refrigerator for later use or freeze.
A basic fajita has at least the following ingredients: meat, beef or chicken cooked to perfection, onions, capsicum, cheese, tortilla, lime, and spices. The fajita’s seasoning is what gives the dish its delicious taste. It’s made with chili, paprika, garlic, and more. The toppings can be salsa, cheese, or sour cream. Fajitas are nutritious as they contain proteins and vegetables.
What Kind of Onion is Best for Fajitas?
Onions are a basic building block of most dishes, whether Indian, Mexican, or something in between. Onions come in various types and colors, each having a distinct flavor.
Onions are a primary item in a fajita, so using the right one is of utmost importance. First, they are sauteed along with the peppers. The onions usually take 10-12 minutes of gentle sauteeing to reach the desired translucent state that brings out their sweetness.
So, which onions should you use? White ones. They are the most commonly used ones in Mexican cuisine. Although you can also use yellow or red ones, white ones are more authentic.
White onions have a more robust flavor as compared to yellow ones. Yellow has a balanced taste of sweet and bitter, unlike white, which has a strong flavor. Vidalia onions are sweet and are best used raw in sandwiches and salads.
Why white onions?
White onions have a crisp texture and a strong flavor. These features give it an edge to be used in Mexican dishes because the flavor can stand up to all the intensely flavored spices. White onions give that necessary punch to Tex-Mex dishes. We need a strong flavor kick in a fajita, which is why white onions are a desirable option. However, in a pinch, you could use any type as per availability and your taste buds.
Bottom note
Fajita is a balanced combination of many highly flavored ingredients that gives the dish its status in the culinary world today. Onions being an essential part of fajita, they must not be neglected. You can use any type, but white ones give the flavor you want in a homemade fajita. Experiment and see which one your family prefers. Happy cooking and eating!