Shrimp Fajitas
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This recipe for Shrimp Fajitas is sizzling, flavorful, and on the table in just 25 minutes! Tossed in a zesty homemade fajita seasoning and cooked with colorful peppers and onions, this quick and easy one-pan recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or weekend fiestas. Serve with warm tortillas and all your favorite toppings for a dinner everyone will love!
Why you’ll love these shrimp fajitas
Fajitas are a staple on our dinner menu at home. It’s one of my husband’s favorite meals, and ever since I perfected my fajita seasoning recipe back in 2019, I can’t stop making all different kinds of flavorful fajitas!
While chicken and steak fajitas are seen on the dinner table regularly, over the last year I’ve really gotten into shrimp fajitas. This recipe is the culmination of testing and perfecting my shrimp fajita recipe over the last year.
You’re going to love it because it’s full of flavor! The shrimp take a quick soak in a marinade while you slice and saute the veggies, then they get a quick sear on the stove. This creates shrimp with the perfect taste and texture. You’ll also love how easy it is to make this recipe in just one pot, in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this shrimp fajitas recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Shrimp – for this recipe I used large shrimp labeled 31-40, this means that there are 31-40 shrimp per pound. You can also use medium or jumbo shrimp, but I would not recommend small or extra jumbo. The small cook up super quickly and might get overcooked. The extra jumbo are really too large to eat in one bite, which is what we’re going for in this recipe.
- Bell peppers – I like to use one red and one green bell pepper to get a variety of colors in the recipe. You can also use orange or yellow, or any combination that you’d like.
- Red onion
- Olive oil – you can also use another neutral-flavored oil, like avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Fajita seasoning – you can pick up a packet of seasoning at the grocery store, but I highly recommend taking an extra 5 minutes to make my homemade seasoning. Head to the post and read the comments, people love this spice blend and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your spice cabinet! It’s made with pantry staples like cumin, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- Lime juice – I always recommend fresh lime juice for the best flavor.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate the shrimp. Don’t worry, it’s not a long marinade, we just want the shrimp soaking in all of the flavors while you slice and saute the vegetables. But first, start by patting the shrimp dry. After all, we don’t want to water down our delicious marinade! Next, add the shrimp to a large bowl and toss it with olive oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning.
- Slice and saute the veggies. Use a sharp knife to slice the bell peppers and onions into 3-4 inch strips. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. (Cast iron skillet preferred, if you have it!) Once the oil is hot, add the peppers and onions and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until they’ve softened. Transfer them from the skillet to a clean plate or cutting board, then place the skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Cook the shrimp. Add the marinate shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes per side. Move the cooked shrimp to one side of the skillet. Add the bell peppers and onions back to the skillet. Squeeze a little lime juice over the fajitas and toss everything together. Remove from the heat and serve.
How to serve them
These shrimp fajitas are delicious served in warm flour tortillas, or corn tortillas. They’re also super tasty made into fajita bowls with either cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice.
Whether you’re serving them as traditional fajitas or bowls, try adding any of these toppings or sauces to amp up the flavor!
- Toppings: sliced avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, diced onions, shredded lettuce
- Sauces: cilantro chimichurri (pictured above), salsa macha, chipotle sauce, tomatillo salsa, hot sauce
More Mexican recipes
With over 225 Mexican recipes on the blog, I know you’ll find a new favorite (or a dozen!) Let’s start with these four popular recipes.
Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons fajita seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
For serving (optional)
- 8 tortillas, corn or flour
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add the shrimp to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 3 tablespoons fajita seasoning. Set the shrimp aside to marinate while you prepare the veggies.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the sliced bell peppers and onions and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the peppers and onions from the skillet to a clean plate or cutting board.
- Add the marinated shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Push the cooked shrimp to one side of the skillet.
- Add the bell peppers and onions back to the skillet with 1 tablespoon lime juice. Stir to combine everything.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve the shrimp fajitas in warm tortillas topped with fresh chopped cilantro and slices of avocado.
Notes
- If the shrimp was frozen, make sure it’s fully thawed before starting this recipe. If it’s still partly frozen, run it under cold water in a colander until it’s fully defrosted, then pat it dry completely before tossing the shrimp in the marinade.
- You can also grill the shrimp fajitas, if you prefer. I recommend skewering the marinated shrimp before grilling so they don’t fall through the grill grates. To cook the veggies on the grill, simply add the sliced bell peppers and onions to a grill basket, or place them on a large sheet of foil with the sides bent up into a “foil basket”. Add the veggies to the grill over medium heat. Toss with tongs and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until they start to lightly char on the outside.
- This recipe is gluten free if the fajitas are served in corn tortillas, or over rice in a bowl. The homemade fajita seasoning used is gluten free. If using store-bought seasoning, always check the label.
Nutrition Facts
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