The best fajita seasoning to get the best possible fajitas! It’s truly so much better than store-bought and is ready in just about 2 minutes. You can use this flavourful spice blend in a variety of fajitas, from steak to roast chicken.
- Rich and bold in flavour — you’ll want to season everything with this.
- Truly better than store-bought, plus you know exactly what goes into it.
- Takes just minutes to make.
- Made with a handful of pantry seasonings.
- Takes homemade fajitas to the next level.
I’ve love having my own seasoning blends on hand. It’s more budget-friendly, and they last for months on end when properly stored and they’re ready to go when you want a quick dinner. I’ve been using this fajita spice mix on everything — beef, chicken, pork, and even seafood. More recently, I rubbed it all over a whole roast chicken and served it up with my Mexican red rice. Amazing!
Be sure to check out my homemade taco seasoning and cajun seasoning too.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Paprika: You can use mild paprika or smoked paprika for your fajita seasoning mix.
- Cumin: Warm, earthy, and full of intense flavor, cumin is a must.
- Onion Powder: Along with garlic, onion is a classic in fajita mix.
- Garlic Powder: Packed with flavour.
- Fine Sea Salt: I prefer to use fine sea salt rather than bigger crystals.
- Chilli Powder: For a touch of heat but this is personal preference. Feel free to add the chili powder to your taste, especially if you don’t like spicy foods. If you prefer, use a little cayenne pepper, though it is much hotter than a regular chili powder so go easy.
How to make fajita seasoning (step-by-step)
Here’s how to make a homemade fajita mix.
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Prepare your spices. Carefully measure out the spices and add them to a small bowl. If you want to double your seasoning mix, now is the time.
- Mix and store. Combine the seasonings with a spoon or small whisk. Store your fajita spice blend in a tightly sealed glass jar (I like using a Mason jar) and keep it in your pantry or cupboard.
Making easy fajitas
One obvious use is as a chicken fajita seasoning or steak fajita seasoning.
- Simply season the meat.
- Saute in a large skillet or frying pan until just cooked through and set it aside.
- Now saute sliced onions and capsicum (bell peppers).
- Serve it up with a squeeze of lime juice, cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, tortillas and guacamole.
But don’t stop there! You can also use it on seafood and pork, and by all means — you can also use it as a dry rub for a variety of other dishes.
How long do homemade seasoning mixes last?
It may seem like spices rarely spoil, but they do lose their flavour and potency the longer you keep them.
The ground spices that you use in this easy fajita spice mix hold onto their flavour for about 6 months. Beyond that, they’ll become more stale as time goes on but the amount in this recipe makes enough for about 4 family meals, I’m sure you can do that in 6 months, right?! Just try my fajita chicken nachos and you’ll use it up in no time.
- Use fresh spices: Spices that you find at a smaller supermarket have likely already been on the shelf for months. For the very best results, get them from a store that has a bigger turnover or allows you to buy them loose. Also, keep an eye out for spices with vibrant colour.
- The best way to store spices: You should always store your seasonings in a tightly sealed container in a cool and dark place. The pantry is your best bet — but keep them away from the stove as the heat may mess with the flavours.
How much fajita seasoning to use
As a rule for using this fajita spice mix, opt for about 2 tablespoons per 500g/1.1 lbs of meat.
- I’m in Australia, where our standard Australian 20ml tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons, meaning you’ll want to use 8 teaspoons per ½ kilo/1.1 lbs of meat.
This recipe makes enough for 2kg/4 ½ lbs of meat, so you can store any leftovers for future meals so that you have it on hand. No need for packets of store-bought fajita seasoning anymore!
How to use homemade fajita seasoning
Obviously, this fajita mix is perfect for making chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, prawn (aka shrimp fajitas), or fish fajitas. But it’s not limited just to making fajitas;
- Toss with some potatoes before roasting for a flavourful side dish.
- Use it to add a punch to grilled steak or chicken.
- Use it in place of taco seasoning in this baked salsa chicken – seriously good!
- Toss with chickpeas and then roast for a wholesome snack idea.
- You can also add it to rice before you cook it. Try this Spanish red rice recipe but use fajita spice mix instead.
- Mix it with a little olive oil and use it as a marinade for chicken or steak, for up to 24 hours.
FAQs
Taco seasoning tends to have more chili powder and is spicier, whereas fajita spices have a richer flavour thanks to higher levels of garlic and onion powder. Taco seasoning also has more oregano. I don’t use any oregano in my easy fajita seasoning, but you can certainly add a little if you like.
While the two spice blends differ slightly, they do have similar flavour profiles, so can be used interchangeably.
Homemade fajita mix is incredibly easy to make and keep on hand. That said, if you’re looking for a substitute, you could also try my taco seasoning.
You sure can. In fact, this fajita seasoning mix makes the most amazing chicken tacos — try my oven-baked version.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika (8 teaspoons, see notes 1)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin (8 teaspoons, see notes 1)
- 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder (6 teaspoons, see notes 1)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (4 teaspoons, see notes 1)
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt (4 teaspoons, see notes 1)
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Mixing bowl and mini whisk or spoon
- Jar with tight fitting lid
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a jug or bowl.
- Whisk together until fully cobined.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- This whole batch is enough for 2kg / 4 1/2 lb of meat. Use roughly 2 tablespoons per 500g / 1.1lb of meat.
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5 Comments on “Fajita Seasoning”
This looks like a recipe I want to try. The one thing I do different in the seasoning I make Is I add a little cornstarch so it thickens the sauce as it cooks.
Hi John. The reason I don’t is because this is a stand-alone seasoning. If you are just using it to season and not adding water, the cornstarch will just reduce how flavourful the seasoning is. Adding cornstarch is great if you’re adding more than say 1/4 cup of water and are looking for a real sauce to coat the meat.
okay, thank you.
Amazing.
I’m so happy you love it, Anien.