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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 spicier 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 it in the pantry because trust me, you’ll reach for it again and again!
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).
This was amazing! I used smoked paprika and doubled the garlic, but it was so good!
I have been looking for a good fajita seasoning. Wow I’m so glad I found this recipe. I really like to cook so I am constantly trying new recipes. This one is definitely a keeper!! I didn’t have any sweet smoked paprika so I scouted out some and it’s terrific on shrimp cooked in the air fryer too.
I was wondering if the meat could be marinated then frozen and cooked at a later date?
Thank you for sharing
Hi Patty, thank you! Yes you can freeze the marinated meat for up to 3 months. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Excellent. This gives the chicken a very nice flavor whether you’re cooking the chicken in a skillet or an a charcoal grill (my preference). The recipe is great on its own and won’t disappoint. However, I like to tweak it in two ways. First, I use smoked paprika. Just my personal preference. I love smokiness in chicken, and it’ll give you that element. Second, I put a small amount of coriander in it. Just adds a nice twist.
Hi Matthew, thanks! Smoked paprika sounds delicious, I’ll have to try it. – Meggan
This marinade was delicious for chicken fajitas!
I made twice the quantity and the chicken came out delicious. Best chicken fajita’s mix ever!!
Thanks Patricia! – Meggan
I’ve been experimenting with DYI taco seasoning to replace store-bought packets. Looks like if I took this recipe and left out the sugar and maybe added a bit of cornstarch as a thickener, I’d have a good taco sauce mix. Does this sound right? Thx
Sounds great Angus, hope you enjoy! – Meggan
I used this seasoning on borth chicken and steak fajitas letting them marinate overnight in the fridge with the lemon juice and cilantro and it was a hit! All our guests loved it and even days after kept telling me how delicious the fajitas tasted. Will for sure be our fajita marinade from now on, thank you!
Thanks Ariana, I’m so glad you and your guests loved it! – Meggan
Hubby said it was the best chicken I ever made him (2 decades)! I agree. Marinated at room temp. Going to try 1-hour fringe marinate time next. Thank you for publishing this recipe.
So glad you both enjoyed! Thanks so much, Tina. – Meggan
Tried it & was excellent
Thanks Brenda! – Meggan
I used all 4 tablespoons of this recipe in a fajita casserole. Two sheets of puff pastry, 2 cups of heavy cream, this AWESOME fajita seasoning, around 1 pound of chicken, three bell peppers (green, yellow, and red), and a large onion. Turned out fantastic! I needed a tad bit more salt in mine just to round out the flavor but it was absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Thank you for this recipe!
That sounds delicious James, thanks for sharing! – Meggan