Shrimp Fajitas

By Maria Lichty

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Quick Summary

Shrimp Fajitas are easy to make at home, you can have them on the dinner table in 30 minutes. Serve the spiced shrimp and vegetables with tortillas and all of your favorite Mexican toppings for a fun and delicious dinner!

Easy Shrimp Fajitas

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We are all about quick and easy dinner recipes at our house and one of our favorites, FAJITAS! We are a fajitas family because they are easy to make and fun to eat. Chicken fajitas and Vegetarian Fajitas have always been a staple at our house, but our boys are currently loving Shrimp Fajitas.

Shrimp Fajitas make a great weeknight dinner because they only take 30 minutes to make and they are just as good, if not better, than any fajitas you can order at a restaurant. So stay home for dinner and make this easy shrimp fajitas recipe! It is a family favorite!

shrimp fajitas in bowl

Key Ingredients

  • Shrimp-we like to buy fresh shrimp that are peeled and deveined. Look for shrimp that are medium in size. You can use shrimp that have the tails on or off, it is up to you! Fresh shrimp is highly perishable so buy it the same day you are going to cook it or the next day. If you want to use frozen shrimp, you can thaw frozen cooked shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or, if you’re short on time, place frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over it until thawed. Usually between 10 and 15 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp.
  • Lime juice– adds a citrus kick!
  • Spices– chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and, cayenne pepper
  • Olive oil– for cooking the shrimp. You can also use avocado oil.
  • Bell peppers– we like to use red and yellow peppers, but orange and green bell peppers will work too.
  • Onion– to go with the peppers!
  • Garlic– for flavor!
  • Cilantro– to freshen things up!
  • Tortillasfor serving. You can use flour or corn tortillas.

How to Make Shrimp Fajitas

These skillet shrimp fajitas are made with shrimp, colorful bell peppers, onions, and homemade fajita seasoning that is easy to make with spices you already have in your pantry.

  • Squeeze fresh lime juice over the shrimp and let sit while you make the homemade fajita seasoning.
  • For the fajita seasoning, you will need the following spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular paprika, but the smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness to the fajitas and makes them extra delicious. It is one of our favorite spices and can be found at any grocery store in the spice aisle.
  • Mix together all of the spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the shrimp and stir until the shrimp are well coated.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t over cook the shrimp. Shrimp are done when they are opaque and pink in color. Look for a C shape. If your shrimp are curled tightly in an O shape, they’ve cooked too long. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and place on a clean plate.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Stir in peppers and onion. We use red and yellow bell peppers, but orange or green peppers also work well. Sauté the vegetables for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Turn the heat to low and add the shrimp back into the pan with the vegetables and stir until shrimp is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the cilantro.
  • Serve the spiced shrimp and vegetables in warm tortillas and add desired toppings.

Tortillas

Flour tortillas are usually used when making fajitas because they hold up better when you are piling in the shrimp, veggies, and all of the toppings.

If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use corn tortillas, just don’t pack them as full. You don’t want the tortillas to fall apart. And if you want to skip the tortillas, you can enjoy the fajitas without a tortilla, just add all of the toppings. You can even make a fajita salad by starting with a bed of greens.

Shrimp Fajitas in tortilla with avocado

Fajita Toppings

The best part about fajitas? The toppings! You can top your fajitas with whatever you like to jazz them up. Here are a few of our favorite fajita toppings:

  • Pico de Gallo or Salsa
  • Avocado slices or Guacamole
  • Cilantro
  • Lettuce or shredded cabbage
  • A squeeze of fresh lime juice
  • Jalapeño slices
  • Radish slices
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheese or Queso Fresco

Serving Suggestions

If you want to make a full Mexican meal, here are our favorite side dishes that go great with shrimp fajitas. You can’t go wrong with any of these recipes!

shrimp fajitas with toppings

More Fajitas Recipes

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Easy Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp Fajitas are easy to make at home, you can have them on the dinner table in 30 minutes, and they are better than restaurant fajitas! Serve the spiced shrimp and vegetables with tortillas and all of your favorite Mexican toppings for a fun and delicious dinner!
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • Tortillas, for serving
  • Optional Toppings: fresh lime juice, avocado slices, chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream, cabbage or lettuce

Instructions
 

  • Place the shrimp in a large bowl and squeeze the lime juice over the shrimp.
  • In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper.
  • Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the shrimp and stir until the shrimp are well coated.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and place on a clean plate.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Stir in peppers and onion and add the remaining fajita seasoning. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Turn the heat to low and add the shrimp back into the pan with the vegetables and stir until shrimp is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the cilantro.
  • Serve warm in tortillas with desired toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 285mg, Sodium: 1492mg, Potassium: 303mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1665IU, Vitamin C: 102.2mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 3.7mg
Keywords fajitas recipe, shrimp fajitas

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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    1. I used to make fajitas frequently, but they kind of fell by the wayside when a new food obsession came along. Thank you!!! for the reminder, and for anyone who hasn’t made these, this is an excellent recipe. And one little tip: I use corn tortillas for the simple reason that I prefer them to flour. Best way to warm them is to wrap them in a damp tea towel and microwave them for 45-60 seconds, depending on how many you are heating at one time.

    2. I left out the salt, only added a pinch to the sautéed veg. The spice level is perfect without extra salt, to me.