Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Homemade Fajita Seasoning made with basic spices that give you an amazing flavor, and will win next to store-bought seasoning every time!

Homemade Fajita Seasoning is really easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner recipe, made with a combo of spices that are perfect for your favorite fajitas! You can use this as steak or chicken fajita seasoning. This would also work well for vegetable fajitas if you’re vegetarian.

You can make this spice blend ahead of time, and store it in an airtight container in the spice cabinet. Adjust the cayenne pepper depending on how you like your spice level.

If you loved this recipe, you may also like my Homemade Italian Seasoning, or this Homemade Taco Seasoning! I really like using this on my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Gluten Free. You can be confident that this seasoning mix is gluten free because it is homemade! You can also customize it for other dietary restrictions.

Cost Effective. Making your own homemade fajita seasoning is faster and cheaper than store-bought seasoning packets because there’s no trip to the store, and we’re using basic spices you already have in your spice rack.

More Seasoning! This fajita seasoning recipe makes more than you’d get with store-bought mixes, so you can make a larger batch and store it in your cabinet to use anytime you want. 

Better Flavor. You also have the opportunity to change the flavor profile around, by adding more or less of any seasoning to fit your preferences.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Corn Starch. The main function of corn starch is to create a flavorful sauce when you’re cooking with this seasoning. It combines with the broth or drippings from the meat and thickens as it cooks.

It’s also an anti-caking agent, preventing the seasoning from clumping together when stored in the pantry.

Chili Powder. This is a blend of dried and ground chilis and sometimes other spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.

It adds a lot of flavor, and you can often find it made with smokey chipotle notes. Add extra chili powder if you like a nice strong spicy flavor.

Paprika. Besides for the chili powder, paprika adds some really nice color and a smokey savory taste to the seasoning.

Onion Powder. This is for flavor. You can also use some dried onion flakes in the seasoning mix.

For every 1 teaspoon onion powder, you’d need 1 tablespoon dried minced onion.

Garlic Powder. There is garlic powder, and granulated garlic. For this recipe, you can use either. Honestly, more or less garlic flavor won’t make a huge difference here.

Garlic powder is stronger than granulated garlic. I usually use garlic powder in my recipes, so you would need a little more granulated garlic if that’s what you have. 

Ground Cumin. This is one of the key spices if you want that nice earthy flavoring. Don’t leave this out.

Dried Oregano. We’re adding a small amount of oregano for flavor, but not as much as you’d add in a taco seasoning. Oregano has a really nice peppery, minty, earthy note.

Turmeric. You don’t necessarily need turmeric, but I like the flavor and the color it adds to the seasoning mix.

Cayenne Pepper. Add more or less depending on how much you like spicy food. You can also add red pepper flakes or chili flakes for extra heat.

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Add salt and pepper to your taste preference, or add it separately while cooking instead.

How to Make Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Recipe Variations

• For an extra kick, use more cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like your seasoning blend. It’s all about personal preferences.
• Try adding a few teaspoons of red pepper flakes to make this homemade fajita spice blend extra spicy.
• For a more smokey flavor, add some chipotle seasoning or a smokey paprika.
• You can also use this as a dry spice rub for recipes like Instant Pot Pork Shoulder!
• Mix 2-3 tablespoons of seasoning with extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon lime juice to make a fajita marinade! 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Homemade Seasoning Mixes

• Easy Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning
• Simple Homemade Ranch Seasoning
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Rub
• Blackened Seasoning

Storage

Store leftover fajita seasoning in an airtight container in the pantry. It’s best to store away from sunlight in a cool, dry place. The length of time depends on the expiration dates on your individual spices.

Make sure you use a good spice jar or air tight container for this spice blend to keep it fresh. This is one of my favorite homemade seasoning recipes to keep on hand for weeknight dinners!

Cooking Tips

• Don’t skip the cornstarch. It creates a really nice seasoned sauce on the fajitas, and also prevents any extra seasoning from caking together in storage. 
• This recipe works well with steak fajitas, which are usually made with flank steak or skirt steak. You can also use chicken breasts to make chicken fajitas, shrimp for shrimp fajitas, or onion and bell peppers for veggie fajitas. Then add your favorite toppings like sour cream, or fresh cilantro.
• When cooking, add few tablespoons lime juice to help bring out all of the flavors. I like to serve fajitas with lime wedges so everyone can squeeze their own fresh lime juice at the table.
• If your homemade fajita seasoning turned out too spicy, add a small amount of brown sugar when you’re cooking with it, to help balance out the flavors. If you don’t have brown sugar, regular white sugar would also work.
• Check the expiration date on your spices before using them. If they are past the expiration date, the flavor will not be as strong and may be off. You should use fresh spices (dried only) if possible.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

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