Fajita Seasoning
Skip the store-bought packets and make your own homemade Fajita Seasoning! It’s incredibly simple and can be mixed together in minutes (and you can reduce or omit the salt and the sugar if you want to).
This versatile spice blend is great on fajitas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more! The best part: It lasts for ages, so go ahead and make a double batch.
What is fajita seasoning made of?
Fajita seasoning is a blend of chili powder, salt, paprika, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper.
I included salt and sugar in my Fajita seasoning, but you can reduce or omit them as you see fit.
If you buy Fajita seasoning in a packet, it might contain ingredients such as maltodextrin, modified corn starch, caramel coloring, and yeast extract. Why not skip all that and just add flavor?
Is there a difference between taco seasoning and fajita seasoning?
Taco seasoning contains a higher proportion of chili powder, as well as the addition of oregano and red pepper flakes, to give it more of a punch, whereas fajita seasoning is more subtle in flavor and softer on the palate.
How do you make Fajitas with Fajita Seasoning?
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil until shimmering. Add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken and cook, without moving, until crispy and blackened on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook 8 minutes longer on second side. (To substitute steak, cook to desired doneness).
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
- Meanwhile, add onions and peppers to skillet and cook until blackened and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Return chicken to skillet and add fajita seasoning (the full recipe below) and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute or until heated through.
What spices do you put in quesadillas?
Fajita seasoning, of course! For every individual 8-10 inch quesadilla, add ½ teaspoon of fajita seasoning mix to your fillings of choice.
What is good in a quesadilla?
For a basic quesadilla, add shredded chicken or sliced steak, black beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and pepper jack cheese, along with the fajita seasoning. If you would like a vegetarian version, omit the meat and substitute rice and beans instead. Fresh herbs are always a nice addition and a dollop of sour cream when serving will round out all the flavors.
How do you make quesadillas in the oven?
Coat one side of your tortillas with cooking spray. Lay coated side down on an ungreased baking sheet, top with seasoned filling of choice, top with another tortilla, and coat with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and filling is warmed through. Cut into wedges.
Fajita Seasoning
Skip the store-bought packets and make your own homemade Fajita Seasoning! It's incredibly simple and can be mixed together in minutes (and you can reduce or omit the salt and the sugar if you want to). This versatile spice blend is great on fajitas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more! The best part: It lasts for ages, so go ahead and make a double batch.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
In a small bowl, stir chili powder, salt, paprika, white sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and ground cumin together. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from All Recipes.
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Thank you! I love to make and test my own spice mix! Going to try this one! Love it!
I L-O-V-E DIY seasoning mixes. This one definitely goes into my collection!!!
I have been making my own seasoning’s (chili, taco, brown gravy, dried onion soup…I have a very bad heart…and need to stay away from all the extra junk…this is much healthier and I can make as little or as much as I like, I also make my own pasta and pizza sauce too….
Great recipe! I made this seasoning and used it for dinner. My wife and I loved it and will be making it again soon.
How many lbs meat is this recipe for? Do I need to add water or oil?
Hi Rachel, thanks for pointing out that a recipe for Fajita Seasoning is useless without a guide as to what to do with it, ha ha! I’ve now updated the post with a recipe to put the seasoning to work. Here it is, I hope this is helpful! I should also say that I ended up doubling the fajita seasoning to make it work for 1 pound of chicken. Thanks for the question. -Meggan
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil until shimmering. Add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken and cook, without moving, until crispy and blackened on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook 8 minutes longer on second side. (To substitute steak, cook to desired doneness).
2. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
3. Meanwhile, add onions and peppers to skillet and cook until blackened and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Return chicken to skillet and add fajita seasoning (the full recipe below) and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute or until heated through.
I only used the spice mix part of the recipe. It. Was. Awesome. Definitely a keeper.
Excellent flavor. My new fajita go to.
Your directions state to use the full recipe. Did you mean a tablespoon or a couple of tablespoons? Thanks
Hi Carey, the total recipe is 14 1/2 teaspoons I think, or just over 1/4 cup. You would use that whole amount with 1 pound of chicken and 1/3 cup of water. Does that make sense? You could certainly use less if you want to though. I will make sure that is clear in my post. Thanks!
How much of the seasoning mix (e.g. how many teaspoons) do you use for roughly 2 lbs of chicken thanks
Hi Stacey, one batch of this recipe is good for one pound of chicken plus peppers and onions. So I would make double for 2 pounds of chicken plus veggies. If you are doing JUST chicken, no veggies, you could use the recipe as is (without doubling). One thing to note is, everyone has a different taste of what is “too salty.” If you find that you are sensitive to salt, you could use less seasoning blend overall or just reduce the salt in the blend. I hope this is helpful. Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Stacey, here’s the recipe I worked up to use the seasoning. I decided I should add it because it calls for adding 1/3 cup of water with the seasoning. If you missed that, your chicken would probably be overly salty/seasoned! I don’t want that to happen.
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil until shimmering. Add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken and cook, without moving, until crispy and blackened on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook 8 minutes longer on second side. (To substitute steak, cook to desired doneness).
2. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
3. Meanwhile, add onions and peppers to skillet and cook until blackened and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Return chicken to skillet and add fajita seasoning (the full recipe below) and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute or until heated through.
Excellent! Delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Meggan, my family loves your fajitas seasoning. I made a flank steak fajitas with jalapeño wrap. It was delicious. Gave you a shout out in the blog!
This recipe is a keeper! My husband said that this was the best fajitas dinner he has ever had :)