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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).
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
- Sugar: Leave this out if you want to.
- Cayenne pepper: Add more if you like spicy food, omit entirely if you don’t.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon), and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon). Store in an airtight container.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes ¼ cup fajita seasoning which is enough to season 4 pounds of beef, chicken, or shrimp.
- Storage: Store this spice blend covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
- Making chicken fajitas:
- In a plastic bag, add 2 pounds chicken (breasts or thighs), ¼ cup minced cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Mash until evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips (do not discard fat in skillet).
- Meanwhile, to the skillet with the fat over medium-high heat, add 3 bell peppers (sliced) and 1 red onion (sliced) and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Push peppers and onions to one side and add sliced chicken back to skillet for serving. Serve with tortillas, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream (or your favorite toppings).
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Fajita Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- cayenne pepper to taste (see note 3)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon), and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon). Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
- Sugar: Leave this out if you want to.
- Cayenne pepper: Add more if you like spicy food, omit entirely if you don’t.
- Yield: This recipe makes ¼ cup fajita seasoning which is enough to season 4 pounds of beef, chicken, or shrimp.
- Storage: Store this spice blend covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
- Making chicken fajitas:
- In a plastic bag, add 2 pounds chicken (breasts or thighs), ¼ cup minced cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Mash until evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips (do not discard fat in skillet).
- Meanwhile, to the skillet with the fat over medium-high heat, add 3 bell peppers (sliced) and 1 red onion (sliced) and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Push peppers and onions to one side and add sliced chicken back to skillet for serving. Serve with tortillas, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream (or your favorite toppings).
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Wasn’t happy with store bought mix for chicken. This is perfect! Thank you.
You’re welcome, JoCo! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan
What if o don’t have onion powder?
Hi Lesley, you can use some onion flakes, or cautiously use onion salt. I would just make sure to adjust it to taste so the mix doesn’t come out too salty. Thank you for your question! – Meggan
perfect combo of ingredients for tasty fajitas
Hi Karen, thank you so much for your comment! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan
Not only does this look so pretty in the bowl, it smells amazing! I used this to make chicken and steak fajitas. They were a hit!!! Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge! You’re a life saver ❤…
You’re welcome, Kelly! I’m glad it was a hit! – Meggan
I use this recipe often! My entire family loves it. I do have a question though. If I am out of onion powder, what is a good replacement for that?
Hi Kimberlie, I’m so happy your family loves this! I would use some onion flakes, or I would cautiously use onion salt. I would just make sure to adjust it to taste so the mix doesn’t come out too salty. Take care! – Meggan