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Shrimp Fajitas are light, fresh, and ready in a flash, thanks to my perfected fajita seasoning and easy marinade. Serve them still sizzling with colorful peppers and onions, a stack of warm tortillas, and as many tempting toppings as you can fit on the table.
Few things are better than a sizzling skillet of tender shrimp and veggies tucked into warm tortillas with all the trimmings. It’s the kind of dinner that seems like it should be saved for a special occasion, but it’s so wonderfully easy and packed with flavor, I end up making it at least once a week.
All you need is a few spice cabinet staples, some lime juice, and enough shrimp to feed everyone (plan on about ⅓ to ½ pound per person). Oh, and all the toppings! That stuff is easy. There’s a walkthrough for cooking on the stove top and grill, in case you’re curious.
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
- Homemade Fajita seasoning: This recipe uses my favorite homemade blend. For this recipe, I’ve portioned out exactly what you need to make this recipe if you don’t already have a jar on hand.
- Shrimp: I buy frozen shrimp which are reliably the freshest. Look for size 26/30 (26 to 30 shrimp per pound), or deviate in either direction depending on your budget.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt).
- To a large zipper-top plastic bag, add shrimp, cilantro, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Mash gently until the shrimp are evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add shrimp and cook, without moving, until opaque and pink on one side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque on the second side, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- To the skillet over medium-high heat, stir in bell peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Push peppers and onions to one side and add the fajita shrimp back to skillet for serving. Serve with flour tortillas or corn tortillas, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream (or your favorite toppings).
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: Although you start with 2 pounds of raw shrimp, you’ll have closer to 1 pound of cooked shrimp after cooking. This recipe will make about 4 servings (1 cup EACH shrimp and vegetables per serving).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers are great in an omelet or quesadilla.
- Make ahead: Make the seasoning well in advance and marinade the shrimp up to 1 hour before you want to start cooking.
- Favorite fajita toppings: Sour cream, hot sauce (Cholula and Tabasco are favorites in my house), diced avocado or guacamole, refried beans, black beans, queso fresco, cheese, salsa, minced fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Serving suggestions: Use this zesty shrimp recipe to make shrimp tacos or add to a salad for a delicious Southwest bowl. Shrimp fajitas, like other shrimp recipes, also make an excellent side dish served with steak such as Carne Asada (a South of the border Surf and Turf).
Frequently Asked Questions
Thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water. Ideally, turn on the faucet and let a thin trickle of water run into the bowl to keep the water constantly circulating.
A cast-iron pan is probably your best bet since it can cook at high temperatures and give you restaurant-quality fajitas. Other great options: carbon steel pans or anodized aluminum pans. Stay away from non-stick; it can’t take the heat.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few tortillas in a single layer it’s okay if they’re touching a little bit) and heat until softened on one side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and heat on the other side for another minute or so. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel or foil (or a hand-embroidered tortilla towel, if you have one).
To make this shrimp fajita recipe on a baking sheet, preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss 3 sliced bell peppers and 1 sliced red onion with 1 tbsp olive oil and half the fajita seasoning (about 1 tbsp). Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss 2 pounds of peeled shrimp with 1 tbsp olive oil and the remaining fajita seasoning. Add shrimp to the baking sheet, making sure they are directly on the surface of the pan, and bake until the shrimp are tender and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes longer.
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Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
For the fajita seasoning (see note 1):
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or less to taste
- salt
For the marinade:
- 2 pounds raw shrimp peeled and deveined (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice from 2 limes
For the fajitas:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or green) cut into strips
- 1 large red onion halved and thinly sliced
- tortillas warmed, for serving
- Sour cream and hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
- To a large zipper-top plastic bag, add shrimp, cilantro, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Mash gently until shrimp is evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add shrimp and cook, without moving, until opaque and pink on one side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque on the second side, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- To the skillet over medium-high heat, add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Push peppers and onions to one side and add shrimp back to skillet for serving. Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Fajita seasoning: This recipe uses my favorite homemade blend. For this recipe, I’ve portioned out exactly what you need to make this recipe if you don’t already have a jar on hand.
- Shrimp: I buy frozen shrimp which are reliably the freshest. Look for size 26/30 (26 to 30 shrimp per pound), or deviate in either direction depending on your budget.
- Yield: Although you start with 2 pounds of raw shrimp, you’ll have closer to 1 pound of cooked shrimp after cooking. This recipe will make about 4 servings (1 cup EACH shrimp and vegetables per serving).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers are great in an omelet or quesadilla.
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.
yummy