Fajita Seasoning

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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).

A plate of homemade fajita seasoning.


 

Recipe ingredients

Labeled spices for fajita seasoning.

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.
A bowl of homemade fajita seasoning.

Should I use a spice grinder?

I HIGHLY recommend using a spice grinder if you want the freshest flavors for your spice blends. They’re not too expensive and make a tremendous difference in your cooking! The KRUPS Fast Touch Electric Grinder is my favorite one because it’s powerful and easy to clean. You can get it at Walmart for $34.96 but I recommend a few others in my best spice grinder roundup!

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:
    1. 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).
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
Chicken and steak fajitas on two serving platters.

Have a Fajita Fiesta

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A plate of homemade fajita seasoning.

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).
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 tablespoons
Course Pantry
Cuisine Mexican
Calories 24
5 from 475 votes

Ingredients 

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

  1. Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
  2. Sugar: Leave this out if you want to.
  3. Cayenne pepper: Add more if you like spicy food, omit entirely if you don’t.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes ¼ cup fajita seasoning which is enough to season 4 pounds of beef, chicken, or shrimp.
  5. Storage: Store this spice blend covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
  6. Making chicken fajitas:
    1. 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).
    2. 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).
    3. 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

Serving: 2teaspoonsCalories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 36mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1098IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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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.

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Comments

  1. I made this and it’s great! I doubled the recipe and had extra in the pantry. I have done the marinating method and the last time I was in a hurry and just sprinkled the seasoning on my (cut in strips) beef. It was great too! Thank You for sharing. Oh and my company is still raving about how good the fajita’s were. It was a win!5 stars

  2. Delicious!!!! I cooked this chicken at home and took it to a Mexican food potluck dinner this werkend. It was a HUGE hit with adults and kids, with people asking for the recipe. Watch the video to see all prep/marinade instructions not listed in seasoning recipe.5 stars

  3. Perfect seasoning! Put this on my peppers and onions with a little water. Then I added my chicken. Such great flavor. Absolutely perfect. Thank you!

  4. Sounds amazing. What you recommend if I have already cooked chicken? Can I mix the seasoning with lime juice, toss with sliced cooked chicken, and reheat in a pan? Thanks!

    1. Hi Kim, yes! I would combine the seasoning with the lime juice in a bowl first, then add the cooked chicken, toss to combine, then heat up. Take care! – Meggan

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