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My shrimp fajitas recipe combines taco-seasoned shrimp with tender peppers and onions, all piled on tortillas. It’s healthy, restaurant-worthy, and full of flavor. My family begs for this weekly!
Looking for more Mexican-inspired dishes? Try my chicken al pastor, carne asada, and carne picada next.
We love cooking with shrimp at home because it’s a blank canvas you can season however you want. It cooks up quickly and pairs with anything and everything.
For this recipe, I took inspiration from my sister’s #1 go-to every time we get Mexican food: shrimp fajitas. Using a simple but reliable seasoning blend, the results are buttery soft, well-seasoned shrimp sautéed with peppers and onions until caramelized. Okay, if I wasn’t hungry before, I am now!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It cooks up fast. I love cooking shrimp because they cook faster than any other protein. This entire recipe barely takes 20 minutes.
- Very healthy. Shrimp is a lean protein source, and the veggies add a generous amount of fiber.
- Easy to modify. You can use my seasoning blend or buy one at the store. As for the veggies and toppings, you can use whatever you have on hand.
Ingredients needed
- Shrimp. Use jumbo shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Frozen shrimp works, but they’ll need to be thawed overnight or submerged in cold water for 20 minutes.
- Olive oil. To sauté the shrimp and veggies.
- Taco seasoning. To toss the shrimp and veggies in. It’s a mix of ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and chili powder. I made my own, but a store-bought spice blend would work just as well.
- Fresh lime juice. For essential acidity.
- Red onion. Thinly sliced.
- Bell peppers. Thinly sliced. I used a trio of peppers.
- Flour tortillas or corn tortillas. To make your fajitas.
- Toppings. I used guacamole, cilantro, sour cream, sliced avocado, and salsa, but feel free to use any toppings you desire.
How to make shrimp fajitas
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Season the shrimp. Combine the shrimp, olive oil, lime juice, and taco seasoning in a large bowl.
Step 2- Cook the veggies. Heat oil in a large skillet, then add the veggies and remaining taco seasoning. Sauté until tender.
Step 3- Cook the shrimp. Set the veggies aside and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until they’re no longer pink.
Step 4- Assemble and serve. Add the veggies to the skillet and combine. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Know when the shrimp are done cooking. Shrimp can go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in seconds, so keep an eye on them. As soon as they begin to curl and turn pink, go ahead and pull them from the heat.
- Make a fajita bowl. Ditch the tortillas and pile everything on a bed of cauliflower rice or salad greens for a low-carb option.
- Serve the fajitas with refried beans and Mexican rice for a legit restaurant-worthy meal.
Variations
- Swap the seasoning. Try my fajita marinade instead.
- Swap the protein. As much as I love shrimp, you can easily make steak fajitas or chicken fajitas with this recipe!
- Use different veggies. Try zucchini, carrots, or corn instead.
Storage instructions
To store: Store any leftover shrimp and vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last about 1-2 days.
To freeze: Let everything cool, then store leftovers in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Reheating: Microwave or reheat on the stovetop until warm.
Frequently asked questions
The two are very similar, though taco seasoning usually has more chili powder and oregano, whereas fajita seasoning is more cumin-heavy. If you’re making your own, you can follow my taco seasoning recipe and double up on the cumin.
Technically, yes. However, I would suggest only adding it to the fajita vegetables towards the end of the cooking process until the shrimp is warm.
More favorite shrimp recipes to try
Shrimp Fajitas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 small lime juiced
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 2 large bell peppers sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, one tablespoon of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and mix well. Add the lime juice and mix that through.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the onion and peppers, along with the remaining tablespoon of taco seasoning, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
- Remove the vegetables from the skillet and add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet and mix everything together until combined.
- Serve with tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated July 2023, updated and republished November 2024
I started to cook a lot like Mexica. After seeing recipes of yours like this!
An exceptional well prepared dish, we love this presentation
This is amazingly fast and delicious
Thank you Arman, for all your delicious work you do. I have followed you for 2 years now, and you have been part of my family many many times.
Your recipes bring you right in my kitchen. Thank you for all the good instructions, cooking on different appliances.
I just bought an airfryer. You are teaching me. Thank you.
I wish you all the best, have a good life.
Sincerely Jette from Canada.