These quick and easy fajita veggies are the perfect way to bring vibrant, caramelized flavor to your next taco night. Whether you're making vegetarian fajitas, loading up a burrito bowl, or just looking for a delicious side dish, these sautéed peppers and onions will take your meal to the next level.
Why You'll Love It
The best thing about this easy fajita veggies recipe is how simple it is while delivering restaurant-quality flavor.
With just a handful of fresh ingredients and a few simple seasonings, you’ll have tender, slightly charred vegetables that taste like they came straight from your favorite Mexican restaurant.
These homemade fajita veggies are one of my favorite ways to add a burst of flavor and color to any Tex-Mex meal. Whether you're enjoying them as a vegetarian main dish or a great recipe for meal prep, these delicious sautéed peppers will quickly become a household staple!
And best of all, these colorful vegetables are not only packed with flavor but also incredibly versatile. Serve them in warm tortillas for classic vegetable fajitas, pile them onto a burrito bowl, or mix them into Tex-Mex recipes like quesadillas and nachos.
This recipe is also a great addition to your vegetarian main dish lineup, offering a nutrient-packed alternative to steak fajitas or chicken fajitas.
Plus, if you love copycat Chipotle fajita veggies, you’ll appreciate this recipe so much if you know what I mean... wink, wink!
Ingredients & Substitutions
FOR THE VEGGIES
- Olive oil: Helps the veggies caramelize while adding a rich depth of flavor. You could also swap for avocado oil or another neutral oil if you wanted to!
- Red onion: Adds a mild sweetness and deep color to the mix. You could also add white onion, yellow onions or sweet onion if you preferred.
- Bell Peppers: I'm using Red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, yellow bell peppers, and green bell peppers: A mix of peppers gives this dish its signature color and flavor balance.
- Kosher salt: Enhances the natural sweetness of the veggies. Sea salt also works but tastes saltier than kosher salt so keep that in mind during the cooking process.
- Garlic powder: Adds a hint of savory depth without overpowering the fresh vegetables. Fresh garlic also works but has a tendency to burn before the fajita veggies are tender.
- Cumin: Gives the dish a warm, earthy flavor.
- Smoked paprika: Adds a subtle smoky undertone. Chili powder also works in place but adds heat so keep in mind if you're feeding kids.
- Oregano: A pinch of Mexican dried oregano ties everything together with its herbaceous notes.
- Optional Additions: Want even more delicious veggies in your homemade fajitas, try adding portobello mushrooms for a meatier texture, corn or zucchini. You could also add a sprinkle of onion powder, black pepper, or a mix of chili powder can add an extra kick.
- NOTE: You could also skip these herbs and spices and use your favorite store-bought fajita seasoning for ease.
FOR SERVING THE VEGGIE FAJITAS
This is just a recommendation of what to serve with your fajita veggies but for the best results, you should definitely add your favorite toppings even if they're not listed here.
- Tortillas: When making this easy recipe, I always serve flour tortillas, but you could also serve it with corn tortillas. As long as you're using a warm tortilla, you're good to go!
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt works well if you're trying to eat healthier.
- Cheese: From shredded cheddar to queso fresco - choose whatever cheese you and your crew prefer.
- Guacamole: Or sliced avocado are a must in my opinion when making your own fajitas at home.
- Beans: My go-to is my brown beans (aka pinto beans or refried beans) but you could also use my one pot black beans and rice.
- Rice: Yellow rice, mexican rice, cilantro lime rice - the world is your oyster! I don't even like rice on my fajitas but my husband loves it... lol.
- Salsa: I always make spicy salsa recipe because it's an incredibly simple recipe that tastes ten times better than anything from the grocery store.
- Hot Sauce: Cholula is my go-to but you do you when it comes to picking a hot sauce.
- Fresh Lime Juice: A squeeze of lime juice is a must when making these perfect fajita vegetables.
How to Make It
PREP INGREDIENTS: Thinly slice all of the bell peppers and red onion.
HEAT THE PAN: Add olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
SAUTÉ THE VEGGIES: Add the thin strips of sliced veggies (the red peppers, green peppers, yellow and orange peppers and onions) to the pan along with my homemade fajita seasoning blend which is kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano (and chili powder if you like spice). Toss everything together to coat evenly.
CARAMELIZE: Let the veggies cook down until they are slightly charred and tender. For crispy veggies, cook for about 8 minutes. For softer, more caramelized vegetables, let them go for 12-15 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent burning and to help scrape up any browned bits for added flavor.
SERVE: Remove from heat and serve with warm flour tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole, Mexican rice, and brown beans. You can also enjoy them as a side dish or use them in burrito bowls.
SAVE: You can store leftover fajita veggies in an airtight container or wrap them in aluminum foil and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What to serve with them
Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve with Veggie Fajitas.
- Easy Brown Beans Recipe (The Best Pinto Beans)
- Simple and Easy One Pot Black Beans and Rice Recipe
- Easy Hot Salsa Recipe (The Best Fresh Homemade Spicy Salsa)
- Cherry Tomato Salsa
- Elote in a Cup Recipe (Esquites - Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe with Easy Cornbread Crust
And if you've got meat eaters that need to eat, too, try my Instant Pot Chicken Taco Recipe or my Easy Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe (Instant Pot).
Recipe
Quick and Easy Fajita Veggies Recipe (Peppers & Onions)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 large Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium Orange Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium Yellow Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium Green Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 pinch Oregano
FOR SERVING
- Flour tortillas
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Guacamole
- Brown Beans
- Mexican Rice
- Spicy Salsa (or hot sauce)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat evenly.
- Let the veggies cook down until caramelized and slightly charred, adding a little splash of water if needed to prevent burning. If you want crispy veggies, cook for about 8 minutes. If you want more tender veggies, cook for about 12-15 minutes.
- Once tender, remove from heat and serve with a platter of warmed flour tortillas, sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole, rice, and beans.
MacKenzie Smith says
HOope you enjoyed these as much as my fam did!!!