This authentic fajita seasoning is made with classic Mexican spices you probably have in your pantry and takes just 5 minutes to mix homemade instead of buying store-bought.
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“My daughter was buying a prepared seasoning in an envelope. I checked the ingredients and it had 2 spices max. I decided to try this recipe, winner WINNER chicken fajita dinner! I’ve made this many times and gifted it!” -Vee, FoodieCrush reader
Ditch the Preservatives and Mystery Ingredients by Making Your Own Fajita Seasoning Mix!
Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines — my family and I eat it at least once a week. Whether it’s these better than Taco Bell tacos, Mexican stuffed peppers, or taco soup, we’ve always got something yummy in our dinner rotation.
When we make Mexican food at home, it’s made even more delicious with the best spice blends. This homemade fajita seasoning recipe features a chili powder, paprika, and cumin base, and is the flavor builder for chicken fajitas or steak fajitas, with a rainbow of vegetables that give sizzling Mexican fajita platters their unmistakeable flavor.
You likely have everything in your spice cupboard to make this flavorful mix at home. So why bother with those seasoning packets from the store?
By skipping the preservative-heavy, store-bought stuff, you know exactly what whole ingredients are in the mix, and you can control the quality and amount of spices, salt, and sugar in your homemade blend.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Sniff those spices! If you can barely smell them, that means they’re old and have little to no flavor left. Although they’re not “bad,” the spice mix won’t taste very potent and your fajitas will end up tasting bland.
Tweak this recipe to suit your tastes. I kept this recipe super simple, but you’re welcome to doctor it up using any Mexican spices you love. Dried oregano or ground coriander would be great additions, for example.
Use high-quality spices. I like the Private Selection line at Kroger, but use your favorite spice brand.
What’s in Fajita Seasoning?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chili powder — Contains a blend of cumin, cayenne, ground chile powder, paprika, and a few other Tex-Mex spices that serves as the flavor foundation of this fajita seasoning.
- Paprika — I prefer using regular paprika for a pop of color and a subtle sweetness.
- Kosher salt — Seasons the meat and helps tenderize it.
- Onion powder — Has a mellow, savory sweetness that pairs nicely with the sautéed onions that typically accompany most fajita veggies.
- Ground cumin — Adds a warm, earthy flavor that’s a must in any fajita recipe.
- Garlic powder — Is much mellower than fresh garlic and won’t burn as easily.
- Sugar — Optional, but recommended to help the veggies and meat caramelize in the hot skillet.
- Cayenne pepper — Just a pinch adds a subtle kick of heat that adds flavor more than real spiciness.
Other Ingredients You Can Add
- Oregano — Adds a fresh flavor that cuts through the earthy cumin and chili powder.
- Ground coriander — Its bright, citrusy flavor amps up the Tex-Mex vibe of this seasoning blend.
- Brown sugar — The molasses in the brown sugar would create an even better sear once the meat hits the hot skillet or grill.
- Cornstarch — Keep meats extra tender by adding 1 tablespoon cornstarch if using this seasoning blend to make a wet marinade. Cornstarch in the marinade makes a slurry with the juices of the meat, keeping the moisture in the meat and extra juicy.
My Favorite Ways to Use Fajita Seasoning
As a Marinade
Add ¼ cup canola or olive oil to the fajita seasoning, then pour over beef, chicken, shrimp, onions, and bell peppers. Marinate for 30 minutes before cooking.
Heidi’s Tip: Bump up the flavor of your fajita marinade with lime juice (I recommend the juice of one lime), or add ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
As a dry seasoning
Even as a dry seasoning sprinkled directly on meats, this seasoning mix adds lots of flavor.
Recipes to Make with This Seasoning Blend
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Fajita Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar , optional
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to six months.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
The chili powder and cayenne definitely add some heat, but I’d label it as “flavorful” rather than “spicy.” To adjust the heat level, use more or less cayenne pepper.
Always season to taste, but a good rule of thumb is to use 1 tablespoon of fajita seasoning per pound of meat (or tofu or veg).
When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, your DIY fajita seasoning mix should last at least 6 months, if not longer.
The short answer: the two seasoning blends are nearly identical, and you can safely interchange them when cooking (I do it all the time!).
If you want to get into the nitty-gritty details, taco seasoning is usually a little spicier, with a bolder flavor (that’s the chili powder talking!) while fajita seasoning is milder and more balanced in flavor.
Storage Tips
Like most spices, this homemade seasoning mix will last longest when stored away from heat in a cool, dark cupboard so the spices don’t dry out.
Double the recipe and keep it in a glass jar with a screw cap for easy accessibility. Keep the jar tightly closed to ensure freshness.
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Tom O'Brien
So easy and quick to whip up
Excellent flavor. Definitely better than store bought. Did add some ancho powder because I love the flavor. Thanks for sharing this. This will be my go to for fajitas
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Tom. We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Vee
My daughter was buying a prepared seasoning in an envelope. I checked the ingredients and it had 2 spices max. I decided to try this recipe, winner WINNER chicken fajita dinner! I’ve made this many times and gifted it!
Add to chicken, taste and add more for desired taste. PS I add corn starch to the blend, just my preference to keep things thick.
and check for
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Vee! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed this. :)
Nathan Hordichok
How much season9ng per pound of steak?
Hayley
Hi Nathan! 1 tablespoon should be good. Hope you enjoy!
Kevin
how much do I use per pound of steak?
Hayley
Hi there, a tablespoon per pound is good. We hope you enjoy!
GeezLouise860
Excellent!!! After looking at this recipe I checked the fajitas seasoning packets you can buy pre-made. What I found was there may only be one seasoning and a bunch of Mono, dextrose kind of things. This made a super tasty fajita. So far have made Chicken several times. It’s a big hit at our house!
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed!
Patti
Better than store bought!
I’m glad you liked it Patti!
Melissa Williams
Just found this recipe and we have already tried it twice this week. It is fantastic.
Margene Berdine
Tried tonight and it was great, way better than store bought. In your instructions you say store airtight for 6 months and later on it says you can store airtight 2 to 3 years. Am I missing something? I want to make some up for my family as gifts.
Hayley
We’re glad you enjoyed it Margene! And thank you for bringing that to our attention – it should keep for about 6 months (possibly longer, but not 2-3 years). We’ve updated the recipe.
Sabrina
good to know! I’ve always wondered what’s in the store bought versions of this or taco mix, etc, and like being able to actually know, even tweak a few ingredients here and there, thank you!
Barbara Smith
How many pounds of chicken will this recipe marinade? Need to know how many times to multiply the ingredients. Fixing 18 pounds of chicken!