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Fajitas

4,623 Views | 38 Replies | Last: 10 mo ago by JB!98
JB!98
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I am going to be cooking fajitas for about 35 people in a month. I plan on doing the Papsito's style with the marinade, etc. Question is, how many pounds would I need for that many folks?

Should I supplement with "chicken" fajitas?

Thanks
toolshed
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About 1/3 lb per person, assuming mixed group of men, women, kids. You'll have leftovers, but you won't run out.

Probably depends on more factors, like who's attending, other food offerings, etc.

We do a little chicken just for those who may not want beef. It's also ok to call them chicken fajitas.
rilloaggie
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I've always used between 1/4 or 1/2 lb per person on the meat. Kind of depends on the crowd you're feeding. I cooked for 30 dudes at a bachelor party (prime rib on that occasion) and 1/2 lb per person was just about right when you figured in all the sides and booze too. 35 mostly dudes I'd lean closer to 1/2 lb, mixed crowd you can probably do 1/4 lb per person. I usually do chicken thighs when I do fajitas, they hold up better without drying out and I think they taste better. Do as much pretty prep as you can ahead of time to make your life easier. I make guacamole ahead of time and foodsaver bag it so I'm not making in when I'm tailgating or on vacation. Serve B1-beans as those are always a hit.
TXAG 05
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If doing chicken, definitely get thighs instead of breasts. It's much better. Like other said, depends on what else is being served. If fajitas only, 1/2 pound person, if a lot of other stuff then you can go lower.
JB!98
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rilloaggie said:

I've always used between 1/4 or 1/2 lb per person on the meat. Kind of depends on the crowd you're feeding. I cooked for 30 dudes at a bachelor party (prime rib on that occasion) and 1/2 lb per person was just about right when you figured in all the sides and booze too. 35 mostly dudes I'd lean closer to 1/2 lb, mixed crowd you can probably do 1/4 lb per person. I usually do chicken thighs when I do fajitas, they hold up better without drying out and I think they taste better. Do as much pretty prep as you can ahead of time to make your life easier. I make guacamole ahead of time and foodsaver bag it so I'm not making in when I'm tailgating or on vacation. Serve B1-beans as those are always a hit.
Absolutely doing the B-1 beans and some Spanish rice. This is a family baby shower so I have others doing the guac, etc. My wife and I heard they were going to do sandwiches from Jimmy John's and will have none of that. (We are responsible for a cut of the food cost) I am thinking a 1/3 pound per person. I would like to have left overs to send home with folks and for us to munch on.

Thanks.
ToddyHill
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Just my two cents. Cut them across the grain.


JB!98
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ToddyHill said:

Just my two cents. Cut them across the grain.



I think I at least have that part down!!!
SteveBott
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If you want to cut out the marinade buy Heb seasoned fajitas. Just open them up and grill. They have beef, chicken, and pork. They are always a hit
BQ_90
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SteveBott said:

If you want to cut out the marinade buy Heb seasoned fajitas. Just open them up and grill. They have beef, chicken, and pork. They are always a hit


This is exactly what we do for tailgate, the HEB brand are damn hard to beat
JP76
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I agree on HEB fajitas

Figure on 5-6 ounces per person
GSPag`
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For the chicken fajitas I would suggest going to your local Mexican market with a Carniceria and get the chicken there. It will save you so much time in preparing chicken thighs with no skin and removed from the bone and then the marinade. And I have found more people will eat the chicken before they eat the beef in a setting like this.
JB!98
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Thank you again everyone. I will do the HEB chicken fajitas because they always turn out great. I do the Papasitos marinade with orange juice (I sub orange juice for pineapple), worcestershire, etc. My family loves it with a pressed garlic butter and sauteed onions. My local Granzin's will cut me a deal on anything over 10lbs of fajitas tenderized. I am thinking 10-11lbs of beef and 4lbs of chicken will be more than enough.

I think this will be more quality food for a lessor price than $400+ of Jimmy John's sandwiches. The easiest would be the sandwiches, but hell I like to cook and like good food!

Edit: My wife now also wants me to do shrimp. Why the hell not.
giddings_ag_06
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You better buy the HEB butter tortillas too! Plan for 5/person because most everyone there will walk by and grab a few to eat beforehand because they are so damn good.
JB!98
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giddings_ag_06 said:

You better buy the HEB butter tortillas too! Plan for 5/person because most everyone there will walk by and grab a few to eat beforehand because they are so damn good.
I was thinking about that as well. It will either be HEB or our local place called Chili Bandera. Their tortillas are so damn good.

We are doing chips and salsa from Alamo Cafe, may also do tortillas from them.
Mathguy64
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I'm a huge fan of the marinated fajita meat at La Michoacana. The oil and spices make a nice char and it's so thin it cooks fast.
SteveBott
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My sister and kids have always lives out of state. When they come to visit one of her family runs into HEB for those buttered tortillas and just devour them right out of the bag.
AgsMnn
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Just cooked a lot of fajitas for my wife's teachers at school for their end of year. I cooked way too much. But we vacuum sealed the leftovers and use them later during during all stars.
RoadkillBBQ
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AgsMnn said:

Just cooked a lot of fajitas for my wife's teachers at school for their end of year. I cooked way too much. But we vacuum sealed the leftovers and use them later during during all stars.

Vacuum sealing is a great way to precook meat for large groups. Cook it a day or 2 ahead of time, slice, pull etc and then vacuum seal. Refrigerate and then take your propane burner and boiling pot and reheat in boiling water. Keeps all the moisture.

I just did this a few weeks ago with pulled pork for about 40 people. 18lbs took about 30 minutes to reheat at full boil.

Works the same if frozen too like you mention.
Learned that trick from a buddy that was doing it for a catered wedding with brisket and chicken.

It's a great way to have meals during the week too when times are busy. I've even started vacuum sealing leftover sides for personal use.
WaldoWings
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JB!98 said:

I am going to be cooking fajitas for about 35 people in a month. I plan on doing the Papsito's style with the marinade, etc. Question is, how many pounds would I need for that many folks?

Should I supplement with "chicken" fajitas?

Thanks


Include some of the HEB pork fajitas, too! They are so good!!
FIDO*98*
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HEB Fajitas are terrible. They taste like preservatives and the marinade overpowers the meat. Stick with your plan OP
BCStalk
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The white bag is pretty good. The blue bag is terrible in my opinion.
Mas89
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We did this yesterday for a party of about 40. 6 lbs of beef and 6 pounds of chicken fajitas. With rice, beans, chips, melted butter, and queso. Had food left over so plenty for 40.
We cook fajitas once a week and the Costco beef fajitas are always better than Heb fajitas. Neither are ever as good as Pappacitos. But for the party we had out of state family in town and they always want to go to Pappacitos. So I cheated and got the largest fajita pack 6 to go and added extra pounds of beef and chicken. More expensive than Costco but worth it.
kosmostx
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We fed 40-45 men, women, and kids on Saturday. Did 9-10 lbs of marinated skirt steak from Readfield's in Bryan. Also did 2.5 lbs of chicken breasts, and around a half dozen portobello caps both marinated overnight in Goya Mojo Criollo and Bolner's fajita seasoning, then dusted with the seasoning when they went on the grill. Served with rice, beans, and all the usual stuff. Nobody went home hungry and we had a little beef left over.

ETA that we also did a couple of pounds of taco meat for picky kids, etc. Probably close to half of that was left over. Going to go make some nachos with some of it for a snack now.
Psycho Bunny
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Mathguy64 said:

I'm a huge fan of the marinated fajita meat at La Michoacana. The oil and spices make a nice char and it's so thin it cooks fast.
La Michoacana marinated fajita meat is my go to, when I don't feel like doing the marinated my self.
madcuz
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Yeah, I can't do HEB pre-marinated either. There is definitely something funky going on there. Beef with pineapple and soy overnight. Chicken breasts or thighs with an Italian dressing, lemon pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice. If you do breasts, pound them out so they are somewhat even in thickness.
bowhuntr
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One thing I fell into recently was using a pre made, salt pepper garlic based brisket rub to season chicken fajitas (using thighs). I just mix with a little olive oil to marinade for 4-6 hours. It was one of those days when I just felt like being random and now it's my go to. I also cook using a little mesquite.
ConfidentAg
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FIDO*98* said:

HEB Fajitas are terrible. They taste like preservatives and the marinade overpowers the meat. Stick with your plan OP


Agreed. I can't believe people here recommend them.
ConfidentAg
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I found out my best fajitas are the ones I prep for the ranch.

I cut hand sized pieces (essentially cutting the skirt steak into thirds) so they can fit in a vacuum steel bag.

I brush some Worcestershire sauce on it and heavily season it with red fajita seasoning (make sure to get the kind with MSG). After it sits for 20 minutes I vacuum seal them.

At the ranch I take the vacuum sealed fajitas out of the ice chest, cut the bag open and throw it on the grill. Due to the nature of prepping it before hand it marinates in the bag and tastes damn good

I cut about 1 inch wide strips with the grain and then go back and cut those strips across the grain as thin as possible.

Most people that eat them say it's the best they have ever had
62strat
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I threw a cinco de mayo party for about 60 people (roughly 40/20 adults/kids)

The kids mostly had hotdogs, so adults I had; 5 taco meat, 7.5 pork carnitas, 7 carne asada. It was plenty, probably 2-3 lbs taco meat and 2-3lbs pork carnitas left over, so ~15lbs for 40 adults 0r .375lb ea.
maverick12
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I'm not a fan of the HEB pre-marinade fajitas. The outside cut skirt steak is a little more expensive, but it's awesome. Tender and flavorful so it doesn't need a marinade. Just a salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Rattler12
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HEB wouldn't be selling a buttload of their prepackaged fajita meat if folks didn't like them but some folks just got to show their uppityness. It's like an obsessive compulsive reaction for some. They just can't not do it. If you don't like them don't buy them but why poo poo them to the folks that do. Same thing with baked beans. One poster used the word dipchit when another brought up that he liked his families baked beans. It takes a dipchit to call someone else a dipchit.

schmellba99
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FIDO*98* said:

HEB Fajitas are terrible. They taste like preservatives and the marinade overpowers the meat. Stick with your plan OP
Of course they are
schmellba99
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GSPag` said:

For the chicken fajitas I would suggest going to your local Mexican market with a Carniceria and get the chicken there. It will save you so much time in preparing chicken thighs with no skin and removed from the bone and then the marinade. And I have found more people will eat the chicken before they eat the beef in a setting like this.
If you have a Costco nearby, they sell packages of deboned thigh meat that is easy to work with. More and more I grab those over the chicken breast packages and am slowly converting the wife and kids to thigh meant over breast meat for most things because it's just a better meat IMO.
ConfidentAg
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Rattler12 said:

HEB wouldn't be selling a buttload of their prepackaged fajita meat if folks didn't like them but some folks just got to show their uppityness. It's like an obsessive compulsive reaction for some. They just can't not do it. If you don't like them don't buy them but why poo poo them to the folks that do. Same thing with baked beans. One poster used the word dipchit when another brought up that he liked his families baked beans. It takes a dipchit to call someone else a dipchit.




I don't think it's the HEB branded ones in particular, it's all of the pre marinated brands.
Rattler12
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ConfidentAg said:

Rattler12 said:

HEB wouldn't be selling a buttload of their prepackaged fajita meat if folks didn't like them but some folks just got to show their uppityness. It's like an obsessive compulsive reaction for some. They just can't not do it. If you don't like them don't buy them but why poo poo them to the folks that do. Same thing with baked beans. One poster used the word dipchit when another brought up that he liked his families baked beans. It takes a dipchit to call someone else a dipchit.




I don't think it's the HEB branded ones in particular, it's all of the pre marinated brands.
See your reply to Fido......along with the number of posts specifically mentioning HEB fajitas....pro or con
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