My neighbor brought these over for dinner, and I could not believe how tender the beef was using just 3 ingredients

My neighbor actually brought these over one busy weeknight, and I could not believe how tender the beef was considering she only used three ingredients. These oven baked 3-ingredients steak fajita roll ups are the kind of recipe that feels a little bit fancy but is totally weeknight-friendly. You just roll marinated flank steak around colorful bell pepper strips, bake everything on a foil-lined sheet pan, and slice. It’s a fun twist on fajitas without the long ingredient list or standing over a hot skillet after work.

Serve these steak fajita roll ups sliced into rounds with warm flour or corn tortillas, a simple bowl of rice, or even over a bed of mixed greens for a lighter dinner. I like to add quick toppings that don’t require much effort: store-bought salsa, guacamole, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and a squeeze of lime if you have it. A side of roasted potatoes or a basic corn salad also works really well, especially if you’re feeding a crowd and want to stretch the meal a bit.

Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and pounded to 1/4–1/3 inch thickness

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray or a thin layer of oil.

Place the flank steak on a cutting board. If it is thick in some spots, cover it with plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is an even 1/4–1/3 inch thickness. This helps it cook evenly and stay tender.

Slice the flattened flank steak into wide strips, about 3 inches across and 6–8 inches long. You should end up with several long pieces that you can roll up.

Place the steak strips in a shallow dish or a large zip-top bag. Pour the bottled fajita or steak marinade over the meat, making sure every piece is coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours, flipping once or twice if you think of it. The longer it sits, the more tender and flavorful the beef will be.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). While the oven heats, remove the marinated steak from the fridge and let it take the chill off for about 10 minutes.

Lay a marinated steak strip flat on the cutting board, letting excess marinade drip off back into the dish. Place a small bundle of red and green bell pepper strips across one short end of the steak strip.

Starting at the pepper-filled end, roll the steak up snugly around the peppers, like a jelly roll. Place the roll seam-side down on the prepared foil-lined baking sheet so it stays closed. Repeat with the remaining steak strips and peppers, spacing the roll ups slightly apart on the baking sheet.

Drizzle or brush any leftover marinade lightly over the tops of the roll ups for extra flavor, but do not flood the pan—just enough to keep the meat moist.

Bake in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 18–22 minutes, or until the steak is just cooked through but still slightly pink in the center and the peppers are tender-crisp. Thinner steak may cook more quickly, so start checking around 15–16 minutes.

For more browned, seared edges like a skillet fajita, switch the oven to broil for the last 2–3 minutes of cooking time, watching closely so the roll ups do not burn.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the steak roll ups rest on the pan for 5–7 minutes. This short rest keeps the beef juicy and helps it slice more neatly.

Transfer the roll ups to a cutting board and slice each one into 1–1 1/2 inch rounds, cutting crosswise so you can see the bright red and green peppers spiraled inside. Arrange the slices back on the foil-lined sheet or on a serving platter and spoon any pan juices over the top before serving.

To keep the spirit of the 3-ingredient magic, most variations just tweak the type of marinade or peppers. Swap the bottled fajita marinade for a smoky chipotle, teriyaki, or balsamic-garlic steak marinade for a completely different flavor profile without adding extra prep work. If your grocery store has pre-sliced fajita veggies, use a mix of red and green bell peppers from that bag to save chopping time. For spicier roll ups, choose a hot fajita marinade or add a few strips of poblano pepper mixed in with the bell peppers. You can also change the cut of beef: skirt steak or thinly sliced top round both work as long as you pound them to an even thickness and slice against the grain before rolling. If you’re cooking ahead, marinate the steak the night before and pre-slice your peppers; when you get home from work, you only need to roll, bake, and slice. Leftovers reheat nicely under the broiler for a couple of minutes or can be chopped and tucked into quesadillas or grain bowls the next day.