Fajita Veggies (Chipotle Copycat Recipe)

Name: Fajita Veggies (Chipotle Copycat Recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, and green); 1 red onion (white or sweet); 2 Tbsp. oil (avocado or olive); 2 cloves garlic (finely minced); ½ tsp. chili powder; ½ tsp. paprika; ½ tsp. cumin; ¼ tsp. oregano; 1 tsp. salt (to taste); ¼ tsp. pepper (to taste)

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By making Fajita Veggies at home, you can savor a delicious Mexican side dish while skipping the takeout lines and prices! Thin strips of peppers and onion are flavored with homemade fajita seasoning and perfectly sautéed in a cast-iron skillet. This simple Chipotle copycat recipe is perfect for serving with steak or chicken fajitas, tacos, or cilantro lime rice for an easy weeknight dinner!

Chipotle copycat fajita vegetables are shown in a cast-iron skillet.

While most believe the meat is what makes a good taco, I would have to argue that no taco is complete without a heap of fajita veggies on top!

Thankfully, it turns out that this simple and delicious accompaniment is super easy to make at home.

The subtle sweetness of the peppers and onions, tossed in a homemade Mexican seasoning mix, and finally sautéed in a skillet until a gorgeous, crusty char forms.

They’re so full of flavor that you can even skip the meat entirely, and go vegetarian or vegan with dinner!

And if you’re a fan of Chipotle, then you’re in luck. Because these fajita veggies taste just as good, if not better, than the restaurant version they’re copycatting!

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this Fajita Veggies recipe include:

Bell peppers. Using a mix of red, yellow, and green peppers creates a beautiful effect and gives a slightly more complex flavor. But all one color may also be used, if preferred.
Onion. A red onion is recommended for its strong, pungent flavor. However, a sweet or white onion may be subbed.
Oil. A neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, is ideal. If it’s all that’s available, vegetable or olive oil will also do.
Garlic. Fresh garlic is preferred, however for each clove ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder may be substituted.
Fajita Seasoning. A homemade mix of spices typical in Mexican cuisine, including chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Note: For more information on preparing these ingredients at home, see How to Cut an Onion and How to Mince Garlic.

A close-up picture is used to show all the different types of flavorful vegetables.

How to Make Fajita Veggies

The basic steps for making Fajita Veggies are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

Slice the Peppers

Using a sharp chef’s knife, find one of the bulbous sides of the bell pepper and slice it off. Repeat with the other sides, leaving the white membranes inside the pepper attached to the seeded core.

You should end up with 4-5 pieces of bell pepper flesh, and the stemmed core with the seeds and membranes attached. Discard the core, and repeat with the remaining peppers.

Trim away any lingering pieces of white membrane attached to the pieces of bell pepper flesh. These parts are called the pith, and while they’re perfectly edible, they don’t have much flavor and can have a slightly squishy texture.

Thinly slice the remaining pepper sections into ¼-inch thick strips.

The bell peppers is cut down the sides surrounding the stem. — Cut down the sides.

A knife is used to prepare the bell pepper. — Cut down the sides.

Cut the Onion

Before cutting, peel away as many layers of the thin, papery skin as possible from the onion by hand. You should be left with one final thin layer atop the thicker sections of onion flesh.

Setting the onion on a cutting board, use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully cut away ½-1 inch from the top and bottom of the onion. This removes the top and the root, to make slicing easier.

Make a shallow incision into the thin outer layer of the onion, and peel that piece away as well.

Place the onion flat-side down on the cutting board and slice it in half through the top, cutting through the core. Lay each half, cut-side down, onto the board and thinly slice them lengthwise into ¼-inch thick strips.

You should end up with pieces roughly the same size as the sliced peppers.

Red onions are cut into strips just like bell peppers.

Sauté in Skillet

Pour your oil into a large cast-iron skillet heated on medium-high, and wait for it to warm to the point of shimmering slightly.

Add the garlic, and sauté it for 30-60 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant and begins to brown. Watch it carefully, as it can burn very easily.

Add the sliced bell peppers, onions, and Fajita Seasoning, mixing to combine them. Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.

For a little more of a charred effect, let the vegetables sit for a minute or two between stirring. Charring helps to caramelize the natural sugars inside the vegetables, enhancing their flavors.

Keep a close eye on them, however, as they can very quickly go from charred to burned!

Garlic is cooked in a cast-iron skillet. — Sauté garlic in oil.

All of the vegetables are put into the cast-iron skillet. — Sauté garlic in oil.

Stir and Serve

When the vegetables are finished cooking, sample a few pieces and adjust seasoning level to taste, if needed.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the vegetables very well, trying to get up any browned bits clinging to the pan.

Serve the fajita vegetables immediately. They can be enjoyed on their own, or used as a topping for tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, or even on a burger or sandwich!

Vegetables are cooked until tender in a cast-iron skillet.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead: The vegetables can be sliced and stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge in advance. The onions may be cut up to 7 days ahead, and the peppers up to 3 days ahead.
To Store: Cooked fajita veggies may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe zip-top bag with all the air removed, to help prevent freezer burn. They can be stored in this manner for up to 3-6 months.
To Reheat: Frozen fajita vegetables should be thawed in the fridge overnight, but may also be defrosted in the microwave at 50% power. To warm them, place them back into a large skillet with a tiny bit of water and sauté over medium-high heat for roughly 3 minutes, or until heated through.

Fajita vegetables are served in tacos on a plate.

FAQs

How do you properly serve fajitas?

Fajitas are traditionally served on flour or corn tortillas with sliced chicken or beef, peppers, and onions. They can include any preferred toppings such as rice, black beans, cheese, sour cream, corn, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime juice, and more!

What can I use instead of peppers in fajitas?

While not traditional, the peppers in fajitas can be substituted with any other preferred option such as zucchini, eggplant, or portobello mushrooms. Keep in mind that this may affect cooking times, which you should adjust accordingly.

What is the difference between a fajita and a taco?

Fajitas are generally defined by the presence of grilled or sautéed vegetables like peppers and onions, whereas tacos are most often served with finely chopped raw ingredients. The two concepts may be combined, however, as fajita vegetables make for an excellent topping on tacos!

Expert Tips and Tricks

Experiment with ingredients. Trying out different vegetable combinations for your fajita mix is a great way to explore new flavors. Eggplant, mushrooms, squash, and zucchini all make great additions.
Go for cast iron. Using a cast-iron skillet is ideal for this recipe because it can retain the high heat needed for charring.
Get colorful… or not. Using multiple types of bell pepper is a great way to add color contrast to your fajitas, but not necessary.
Add a little spice. For an extra kick of heat, try including a hotter variety of peppers such as jalapeños or poblanos.
Let them sit. Allowing the fajita vegetables to char a bit in the pan caramelizes the natural sugars in them, enhancing their flavor.

The best Fajita vegetables are served with fajitas.

Make it a Meal

These veggies taste amazing on their own, but are best enjoyed alongside some of these classic sides and entrées:

More Mexican Recipes

A weeknight Mexican dinner doesn’t always have to be difficult or unhealthy. Here are even more wholesome, homemade recipes like this one:

A cast-iron skillet is loaded with flavorful fajita veggies.

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