Authentic Fajita Seasoning Recipe (Smoky Chipotle Blend)

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This homemade Fajita Seasoning Recipe is healthy and easy, delicious and perfect for beef, chicken, shrimp and fish fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and many other Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes.

In Texas, Fajitas are legendary. If they aren’t the State food of Texas, then they should be. Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants would go out of business down here if they did not serve fajitas.

Whenever we try a new Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant, the first thing we try is the fajitas to see how they compare with other local restaurants.

Fajitas are the food I crave when I have traveled internationally and want to come home and have some comfort food to remind me of home.

How seriously do we Texans take our fajitas? The news headline today was that a fajita thief was sentenced to 50 years for stealing $1.2M worth of fajitas.  True Story. He evidently was willing to risk everything for fajitas, and we place a high value on our fajitas. So don’t mess with Texas …. or our fajitas!

Table of Contents

• Who The Heck Invented Fajitas
• Which Spices Are Used In Fajita Seasoning
• How To Make Homemade Fajita Seasoning
• Chicken vs. Beef: How much seasoning to use?
• In Which Recipes Can I Use Fajita Seasoning
• Fajita Toppings
• What Other Seasoning Mixes Can I Make
• Recipe
• Reviews

If you are going to make fajitas, then you need Fajita Seasoning. Yes, you can buy the store-bought stuff filled with preservatives and ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

Another option is that you can make your own fajita seasoning with spices you probably already have in your pantry. This way you can customize the fajita seasoning to your taste and it won’t have any artificial flavors or preservatives.

By making your own fajita seasoning, it will fit any and all diets, such as paleo, vegan, or gluten-free diets.

Who The Heck Invented Fajitas

I want to shake their hand. God Bless them for inventing the best food in the world!! So I had to look up who came up with this fabulous recipe.

After living in Houston, Texas for so many years, many people say it was Mama Ninfa Laurenzo of Ninfa’s on Navigation in Houston, one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in Houston for decades.

As the story goes, Mama Ninfa opened her restaurant in 1973 and started grilling skirt steak and serving it in tortillas. She first called them tacos al carbon but later changed the name to fajitas, (pronounced fah-hee-tahs), and basically translates as a “small belt.”

After she started marketing them as fajitas, the dish started showing up on restaurant menus all over Texas and then all over the world.

Imagine my surprise when I saw fajitas on the menu at a restaurant in Norway just a few years ago! I tried them and they were very good. The tortillas were store-bought but they knew what they were doing when they prepared the fajita meat.

Others say that Sonny Falcon, an Austin meat market manager, first sold fajita tacos at a concession stand in Kyle, Texas in 1969.

Which Spices Are Used In Fajita Seasoning

Below are the spices often found in fajita seasoning. I like to add Chipotle Chile powder to add an additional kick and some smoky flavor.

1. Chile Powder
2. Chipotle Chile Powder
3. Black Pepper
4. Cayenne Pepper
5. Garlic Powder
6. Onion Powder
7. Oregano
8. Paprika
9. Cumin

If you don’t like the spicy heat, just reduce (or eliminate) the cayenne pepper and chipotle chile powder.

How To Make Homemade Fajita Seasoning

• In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients above.
• Store in an airtight container.

Phew!! I’m exhausted with all that energy I expended to make his recipe. I gotta sit down and relax now. 🙂

Chicken vs. Beef: How much seasoning to use?

The general rule of thumb for this authentic blend is to use 2 tablespoons of seasoning per 1 pound of meat.

• For Chicken Fajitas: Combine 2 tablespoons of seasoning with 2 tablespoons of oil and a splash of fresh lime juice to tenderize the meat.
• For Skirt Steak (Beef): Combine 2 tablespoons of seasoning with oil and a splash of soy sauce or orange juice. The soy sauce enhances the savory umami flavor of the beef.

In Which Recipes Can I Use Fajita Seasoning

In my opinion, you can use it in every recipe because it is just that good!

Here are some of my favorite recipes in which you could use fajita seasoning.

1. Tex-Mex Beef Fajitas (Surprise!!)
2. Skillet Chicken Fajitas
3. Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Sliders
4. Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
5. Fajita Stuffed Avocados
6. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
7. Chicken Mango Salsa Salad
8. Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas
9. Shrimp Fajitas
10. Turkey Fajitas

Fajita Toppings

Check out the Best Fajita Toppings for all your fajita recipes, including toppings for beef, steak, chicken, shrimp, and vegetarian fajitas.

What Other Seasoning Mixes Can I Make

If you keep the basic spices on hand then you can make many of your own seasoning blends and not have to spend the money on store-bought spice blends.

In addition, you won’t have to worry about artificial flavors or preservatives or any ingredients you don’t like.

You can keep everyone happy no matter what diet they follow.

Other Seasoning recipes:

1. Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning for Roasted or Rotisserie Chicken.
2. Easy Homemade Greek Seasoning Mix
3. Cajun Blackening Seasoning Recipe
4. Homemade Taco Seasoning

It is your turn now. Be sure to make up a batch of this Fajita Seasoning and come back and let me know in the comments which recipes you used it in. I look forward to hearing from you.

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