You only need a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make delicious, flavorful Vegetarian Fajitas.
Vegetarian, vegan-friendly, and an oil-free option, these Vegetable Fajitas are still hearty while being an incredibly healthy meal! Serve with Mexican Corn, Homemade Salsa, and Healthy Pina Coladas for one delicious, wholesome meal.
Vegetarian Fajitas
One of my favorite plant-based meals to make is vegetarian fajitas.
For me, the star of fajitas has always been the peppers and onions. The sweetness of the onions and the char on the peppers is what makes a fajita to me and what keeps me craving fajitas again and again. So it only makes sense that Vegetarian Fajitas would be one of my favorite meals.
This recipe is light, flavorful, and simple to make. I add portabello mushrooms to the mix, for their meaty flavor and to add a bit more substance to the fajita mixture. Seasoned boldly with homemade fajita seasoning and finished with fresh lime juice, these Vegetable Fajitas are not lacking for anything! In fact, my meat-loving husband can't get enough of these meatless fajitas. The mushrooms add just the right flavor and texture to keep him satisfied.
When topped with creamy avocado and fresh cilantro, these fajitas are simple, yet perfect. They are a great recipe for incorporating more plant-based or vegetarian meals into your dinner rotation--or just need a quick meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Notes on Ingredients
- Peppers: Use any large, ripe peppers you like. I love a mixture of red and yellow bell peppers, but green and orange peppers are also great options.
- Onions: A regular yellow onion or sweet onion, like a Vidalia onion, are both great options for fajitas. They both caramelize beautifully and lend the fajitas delicious flavor.
- Portabello Mushrooms: Portabello mushrooms give these fajitas texture, meatiness, and make them feel more substantial. I don't remove the gills from the mushrooms, as I like the meaty taste it gives these fajitas. But if the texture bothers you, by all means, scrape the gills from the mushrooms before adding to the skillet.
- Garlic: A bit of garlic is always a must in my book!
- Fajita Seasoning: I use a homemade blend of fajita seasoning. It is earthy, a bit smokey, and a bit spicy.
- Limes: The zest and juice of fresh limes will make the filling come to life. I strongly recommend not skipping this ingredient.
- Tortillas: Use any tortilla you like. Homemade flour tortillas, corn, or gluten-free tortillas all work.
- Toppings for Fajitas: Diced avocado, diced tomatoes, diced onions, and cilantro are all great toppings. If you are not dairy-free or vegan, these fajitas are also delicious topped with cheese and sour cream.
Tips for the Best Vegetarian Fajitas
There are four things to remember when making fajitas that will help you achieve the BEST vegetarian fajitas.
- Cut everything into strips. You want your vegetables to run the length of the tortilla, so it is crucial to cut your peppers, onions, and mushrooms into thin, long strips. The vegetables will have more contact surface with the skillet when cut in this manner, meaning more opportunity for char and flavor. They also will fit perfectly into the fajitas, filling every bite with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Plus thin strips cook fast, making this meal super fast to pull together.
- Use the right pan. Cast Iron skillets are best for authentic fajitas. The char that is achieved on the peppers and onions in a cast-iron skillet is hard to beat. However, you can use a nonstick skillet if that is all you have. Just be sure your pan is heated fully before adding your peppers and onions. This will let your vegetables caramelize on the outside, while still maintaining some of their crispness.
- Add lime zest and fresh lime juice. The zest and juice of the lime bring these fajitas to life. Always zest your lime before cutting. Once you zest the lime, roll it around on the counter to get the juices flowing and then cut the lime open and squeeze the juice over the vegetables. It is a game-changer when it comes to flavor in fajitas.
- Serve with a slotted spoon. Even though most of the liquid will evaporate as the vegetables cook, there may be some residual liquid in the pan. And while that juice is flavorful, that same juice could make your tortillas soggy--and no one likes soggy tortillas!
More Vegetarian Tex-Mex Favorites
If you enjoyed these Veggie Fajitas, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.
Vegetarian Fajitas
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil see note for oil free version
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 bell peppers seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 portabella mushrooms sliced into ½ inch slices
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lime zest and juice
- minced cilantro optional
For serving: tortillas, avocado, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, etc
Instructions
- Preheat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in oil, onions, and peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until onions begin to soften and caramelize.
- Add in garlic, portabello mushrooms and spices. Saute for 4-5 minutes longer until mushrooms soften and the liquid that was released into the pan mostly renders off (it will not all render off and that is okay!)
- Turn off the heat and add in the zest and juice of one lime.
- Use a slotted spoon and serve on top of your favorite tortillas and top as desired.
J Parker
Have made this twice and it is delicious. My husband asked me to keep this in our meal rotation. Thanks for this easy and quick recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome! I love hearing this a regular meal at your house.
Jerry V
Question: I just put together your "homemeade fajita spice blend". How much of that should I add to this recipe in lieu of the listed spices? Maybe 2 teaspoons?
Kristen Chidsey
I would add 2 teaspoons 😊 Enjoy
Jerry H Vandiver
Thanks, Kristen! Thought you'd enjoy knowing that I'm making this recipe for a 7 day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. The entire trip is a vegetarian menu. I'm dehydrating the meal and will reconstitute it in the wilderness camp! I'm sure we'll all enjoy it out there!
Kristen Chidsey
That sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
Renee Goerger
It's amazing how the mushrooms take the place of meat in these fajitas and my husband didn't even object. Love this recipe!
SaraB
I didn't have mushrooms or paprika ( of which I KNOW it was REALLY missing!) but it was still super flavorful! I would add a few minutes on to the cooking time, depending on how you like your veggies cooked.(they were still a bit too toothsome for us after cooking time had elasped) The taste though with the lime was so bright and delicious!! Added diced avocado, a bit of cheese, and sour cream on the side with corn tortillas. Thank you for this easy and tasty recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I am glad you still enjoyed it! I am all about making meals work with what you have on hand.
Aimee Berrett
I love topping these with some shredded cheese and a big dollop of sour cream. YUM!
Kristen Chidsey
That is how my husband enjoys his as well!
Naveen Kapur
Seems great if some sharp cheese is addeded the flavours would arise
Kristen Chidsey
Cheese does make a great addition if you are not dairy-free for sure!
Katlhy Gray
These were very good. I'm not a vegetarian, but I will use this recipe again. It was not nearly as salty as fajitas I've had in restaurants, which was a nice change. I think it serves more than four people as the recipe stated.
These are things I did a tiny bit differently:
2 Tbsps. of oil
8 ozs. of white mushrooms (sliced) instead of portabella
1 red bell pepper
1 orange pepper
BY MISTAKE I added the lime juice when I added the spices, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan, BUT I would do it that way again the next time. (I did not use the lime zest because I forgot to zest my lime before squeezing).
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed.
Ashley
These are really and perfect for weeknights when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We will definitely make these again!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Ashley. I love how fast they are myself.
Jessica Formicola
I made these for dinner last night and they were incredible! I loved how quick, easy and DELICIOUS they were!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed so much Jessica! Thank you for letting me know.
Jen
These fajitas were absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Jen! Thank you for leaving a review.
Toni
I made these today and was very pleased with how they turned out. I added 1/2 each green and yellow zucchini along with the onions, peppers, and cremini mushrooms, and served it on whole wheat flour tortillas with a bit of shredded cheddar, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I didn't have a lime on hand, which would have really piqued up the flavor, but I dropped in the liquid from the chopped tomatoes at the end instead, to prevent the veggies from getting too dry. Whenever I try to make veggies for fajitas at home, I always seem to mix up the spicing by trying to add too many different spices: chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano in addition to salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders, and it ends up muddying both the flavor and the texture. Cutting the spices down to only cumin, paprika, and onion powder really made a difference. Actually, I happen to have acquired some smoked cumin, and I used that instead of regular cumin - it gives it a really nice, smoky flavor that vegetarians don't often find it easy to come by. I recommend the smoked cumin in this if you should have any on hand. Thanks for a great, simple recipe!
Renee Goerger
Such a smart idea for keeping things light and flavorful. Great recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
Glad you enjoyed Renee!