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I’ve been making homemade spice blends my whole life, and this Fajita Seasoning recipe is the most popular one on the site. With nearly 500 5-star reviews, commenters can’t stop raving about how delicious this blend is!
As a classically-trained chef, I’ve perfected the art of creating spice blends that are full of flavor and properly-balanced. You always have the option to make them spicer if you love that, but they are family-friendly as written.
Put this Fajita Seasoning to work as a dry rub, a marinade, or even as a substitute for taco seasoning. Make a big batch and keep in the pantry because trust me, you’ll reach for it again and again!
Table of Contents
What is in 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.
- 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.
How to Make Fajita Seasoning
- 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.
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 $19.98 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:
- 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).
How to use Fajita Seasoning
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Fajita Seasoning Mix
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 c. 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 c. minced cilantro, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, and 2 Tbsp. 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 Tbsp. 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).
Excellent!!
Thanks Christi! – Meggan
What a delicious seasoning! I am so happy I checked online for a scratch recipe. This is a dozen times tastier than packaged seasoning using standard pantry spices. Thank you for sharing this one, Meggan.
Thanks Heather, so glad you liked it! – Meggan
Tried this today but used 2 teaspoons of chili powder instead of 4, worked perfect.
Best at home fajita recipe I’ve made, great flavor!
When you say “chili powder” do you mean as in the mix or a specific type of chili that’s been powdered?
Hi Matthew, chili powder refers to the spice blend mix chili powder. It’s usually a blend of dried chiles, and spices like cumin, oregano, garlic, paprika, and salt. The blends are usually different between brands, so you may want to taste some before including it in the seasoning mix so you can adjust the mix if you are sensitive to spiciness. – Meggan
I have not yet made this recipe and I want 2 things clarified. Nowhere do you mention which chicken pieces you use. I’m guessing boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved. A new cook might not assume that.
The other issue is there is no mention of the amount of onion and green pepper used. Again, new cooks might have no clue. I think the recipe should be revised with these issues addressed.
Thank you
Hi Sharon, so sorry for the confusion, all that information is in the Chicken fajitas post (this recipe is just for the seasoning).
https://cash-surge.live/chicken-fajitas/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I should really explain that the recipe in the seasoning post is just a general guide and that all the details are in the chicken fajita recipe post. Sorry again. You’re absolutely right. It’s just that the seasoning post isn’t the place for all the details on chicken fajitas. But I can add some more info so if someone doesn’t want to click over, they don’t have to! Thanks for your feedback.
-Meggan
OMG!! This was a home run! Love the seasoning. Made the rice. Used parsley since I don’t like cilantro. Fabulous! Added mushrooms to the veggies. Thx!
Delicious! Not spicy, just the right amount of heat. I used sirloin steak using the seasoning and marinated as listed. The whole family liked it a lot.
This is the mix I use and it’s delicious!! I mix it in bulk and store it in a spice jar. I add the cayenne separately because not everyone tolerates the heat as well as I do.
Goes great with beef fajitas also.
Can I add the seasonings with vegetable oil and lime juice to make a wet marinade? How much would you suggest? Also can I use this seasoning on beef chicken and shrimp?
Hi Maggie, YES, I always do this with lime juice. I use 1/3 cup per 2 pounds of chicken and half the seasoning (it should be listed in the recipe notes), and I always throw in a handful of cilantro. You don’t need to add oil, but you can, I’d do like 1 or 2 tablespoons. I’ve tried it on beef, it’s amazing, I’ll be posting that recipe soon. I haven’t tried it on shrimp, I’m sure it would be perfect. I’m going to see if I can get some so I can shove it in my face. Thanks! -Meggan