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Here’s how to make fajita seasoning! This homemade seasoning mix is all natural and more delicious than what you’ll find at the store.
Love making fajitas? Contrary to what you might think, the seasoning doesn’t have to come out of a packet. Meet this homemade fajita seasoning! It’s quick and easy to make, using spices you might already have on hand. The flavor is unreal: vibrant and punchy, without a lot of heat.
We’ve been making this mix for years and it always gets rave reviews! It’s also all natural, with none of those preservatives or additives that are in store-bought mixes. You can control the salt content, too!
How to make fajita seasoning
There’s no official definition of fajita seasoning, but most mixes contain the heavy hitters in Mexican cuisine. This recipe takes only a few minutes to make! All you’ll have do is mix together these spices, which you might already have on hand:
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika or paprika
- Garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
Taco seasoning vs fajita seasoning
Taco seasoning is very close to fajita seasoning: both are American inventions for approximating the spices in traditional Mexican and Tex Mex dishes. While they use many similar ingredients, taco seasoning has more chili powder and oregano than fajita seasoning. This fajita seasoning is more cumin heavy, whereas taco seasoning is more chili powder heavy.
Why use smoked paprika?
If you can find it, use smoked paprika! It’s a Spanish version of paprika that adds a smoky flavor, but no heat or spice. It’s made up of dried pimiento peppers that that are smoked over a fire, then ground. You can find smoked paprika in the spice aisle in most grocery stores, or you can buy it online.
Smoked paprika may be labeled as any of the following: pimentón, Spanish smoked paprika or sweet smoked paprika. But make sure to avoid hot smoked paprika! It’s too spicy and not interchangeable. Use up leftovers in our top smoked paprika recipes.
Is fajita seasoning spicy?
No! At least, this one isn’t. If you’d like your fajita seasoning to be spicy, you can add some cayenne to this mix. We’d recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon cayenne, then adjusting to fit your heat tolerance.
Storing leftovers
You can store your homemade fajita seasoning mix in an airtight container for 6 months to 1 year. Of course, the fresher the better! Spices generally last for 8 months to 1 year, but of course they are best when freshly purchased.
Ways to use fajita seasoning
There are so many ways to use fajita seasoning, outside the obvious ways. Here are a few ideas of recipes where you can use it:
- Use it on fajita veggies to make fajitas with any protein, or use it for shrimp fajitas or fajita salad.
- Season a baked potato or baked sweet potato.
- Mix it into grilled peppers or roasted peppers.
- Sprinkle it into scrambled eggs or a tofu scramble.
- Mix it into roasted vegetables.
- Add a sprinkle to refried beans.
- Give sweet potato hash browns a Tex Mex flair.
- Sprinkle it into a quesadilla for a pop of flavor.
- Add it to rice or quinoa as a side dish.
- Use it for baked chicken, grilled chicken, or pan seared chicken.
Dietary notes
This fajita seasoning recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, and dairy free.
Fajita Seasoning (Easy Homemade Recipe)
Here’s how to make fajita seasoning! This homemade seasoning mix is all natural and more delicious than what you’ll find at the store.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 6 tablespoons 1x
- Category: Pantry
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)*
Instructions
- Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Transfer to an airtight container or jar. Store for 6 months to 1 year in a cool, dry place.
Notes
*Most storebought fajita seasoning mixes contain salt. (Some even contain sugar.) If you prefer omitting it, you can do that as well! Keep this in mind when you’re using it to season food.
For a spicy variation, you can add cayenne pepper: start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to your taste.
More seasoning blends
Making DIY seasoning mixes at home is so easy! They taste incredible—much better than store-bought—and are fun gifts, too. Try all our seasoning blends (listed by style):
- Mexican: Taco Seasoning
- Mediterranean: Greek Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Herbes de Provence
- Cajun: Cajun Seasoning, Blackened Seasoning
- American: Old Bay Seasoning, Chili Seasoning, Everything Bagel Seasoning, Ranch Seasoning
- All Purpose: Seasoned Salt, Seafood Seasoning
Very good. I mixed up a batch to store. And cooked some shrimp and chicken fajitas as well. Added about 1/4 cup water to the saucepan. Excellent.
No mention of how much seasoning to use. I know most would say to taste but need an idea on where to start.
Here’s our recipe for fajita veggies: https://www.acouplecooks.com/fajita-veggies/