Last Updated on 20th July 2022 by
Making great fajitas doesn’t just take quality chicken or beef. You also need the right veggies cooked well. When you cook vegetables for fajitas, you want to make sure that they’re flavorful and not overcooked or undercooked.
The vegetables should add to the dish, enhancing the flavors and textures, and I’ll show you how to cook vegetables for fajitas that are perfect for making authentic Mexican cuisine.
What Vegetables Do You Use for Fajitas?
Everyone has their preferences for fajita veggies, but let me give you a few recommendations that will work really well for this dish.
Bell peppers are a must for a classic and traditional fajita veggie mix. I recommend a variety of colors to give the dish some visual appeal. A mixture of red, green, and yellow will really help your meal look fantastic.
Portobello mushroom caps are a superb addition because they give you some great meaty texture. If you prefer vegetable fajitas, completely forgoing the meat, then portobello mushrooms are a must.
Onions are excellent for fajita veggie mixes as well, with red onions being my personal choice. They are kind of the standard onion people use for fajitas and par to that is their mellow flavor. They also help bring some color to the fajitas with their purple hue.
What vegetables are for fajitas that aren’t as traditional and standard fare? You could add potatoes for a more filling fajita. Small red potatoes are pretty good in these wraps, and they cook up quickly as well, making them perfect for fajita veggie blends.
What Seasonings to Use?
When you are making veggies for fajitas, don’t forget to season them. Veggies can be a bit bland on their own, but when they are cooked up well and seasoned to perfection, you will be glad to eat your veggies.
You can use a fajita seasoning mix that has all the ingredients already, if you like. That will save you some extra work, or you can add the seasonings yourself. Be sure to season the veggies before they cook so that the seasonings cook into the vegetables.
Which seasonings to use for your fajitas? A combination of garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin will give you that classic fajita flavor. And you should add in a bit of salt and pepper as well to help enhance the flavors and bring out the taste of the veggies.
How to Cut Vegetables for Fajitas
An essential part of preparing the veggies for fajitas is ensuring that they have been cut properly.
Onions can be diced small or sliced into long, thin pieces. Long and thin is the name of the game with fajita veggies, and you will want long strips of bell peppers as well.
The mushrooms can be chopped into small pieces, and you don’t need to worry about making long strips from them.
As for the potatoes, if you are using them, you can dice or chop them small so that they are bite size. Baby red potatoes can be quartered and then each of those pieces cut in half for the perfect size for fajitas.
How to Prepare Vegetables for Fajitas
To prepare your veggies, you’ll need to wash them thoroughly under running water and slice them thinly. Get rid of the stems from the portobello mushrooms, to discarding them completely.
Cut the top off the bell pepper at the ends of the onion, remove the outer shell from the onion and then slice everything small.
If you want to get just right for presentation’s sake, it’s a good idea to slice the onion and pepper down the middle and then take your halves and cut thin slices from those lengthwise.
Also make sure that you’re using fresh vegetables. Check them over for any dark spots or signs of decay so that your fajitas are using top quality veggies.
How to Sauté Vegetables for Fajitas
After you’ve sliced your veggies, put them in a bowl with your seasonings and mix them all together. The chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika can all go in the bowl with your onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
Toss all of that together with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then heat up a skillet on the stovetop. Add a tablespoon of olive oil two skillet and warm on medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot, you can add the veggies and keep the heat at medium high. Cook them for about 15 minutes, giving them a stir every so often.
How do you know when the fajita veggies are done cooking in the skillet? They should be slightly charred and blackened and completely tender. You should be able to pierce them easily with a fork with little resistance.
Taste the veggies once they’re done cooking and see if you need to add a little salt or black pepper to make them more flavorful.
How to Roast Vegetables in Oven for Fajitas
You could also roast your veggies in the oven for fajitas rather than cooking them up in a skillet on the stovetop. This is less work, as you won’t have to keep stirring the vegetables as they cook.
You can preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking pan by greasing it lightly or placing parchment paper down on it.
Prepare your sliced fajita veggies and seasonings on the baking pan. Make sure you’re tossing all of your ingredients together, along with some olive oil to help with the cooking process.
Cook the veggies for 20 to 25 minutes, checking them at the 20-minute mark to see if they’re done cooking. You don’t want them to overcook and become dry and burnt.
Once they’re done cooking, you can take them out of the oven and add them to your tortilla shells and serve a medium with a topping of guacamole, cheese, or sour cream. Then, comes the most important step, which is enjoying your fajitas.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!