These Skillet Shrimp Fajitas come together in just one pan for minimal clean up. They take 10 minutes to cook and are PACKED with flavour!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any neutral oil will work in place of olive oil.
- Shrimp – any variety of shrimp can be used for this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is preferred but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Lime juice – use either fresh or bottled lime juice.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos and tamari are great gluten-free alternatives to soy sauce.
- Vinegar – lemon or lime juice can be used in place of vinegar.
- Red onion – shallots, white onion or yellow onion would also be good here.
- Red, green and yellow bell peppers – feel free to use more or less of one colour of bell pepper depending on what you have on hand.
- Fresh cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, leave this off altogether.
- Lime wedges – leave these off if you don’t have any on hand.
- Corn tortillas – serve with corn tortillas, flour tortillas or your favourite lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
Homemade fajita seasoning
- Chili powder – paprika, cayenne or chili flakes can be used instead.
- Paprika – cayenne will work in a pinch.
- Onion powder – replace with garlic powder or garlic salt.
- Garlic powder – use garlic salt if you don’t have garlic powder on hand, but be careful of any extra salt you add to this blend.
- Cumin – ground coriander, paprika or garam masala can be used in place of cumin.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Chili flakes – cayenne pepper will work well in place of chili flakes.
How to make shrimp fajitas
Step 1: Marinate the shrimp.
Mix together the lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and marinate for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Sauté the pepper and onions.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and once smoking, add the peppers and onions. Sauté until charred.
Step 3: Add the shrimp.
Add shrimp and all of marinade, and sauté until the shrimp is no longer translucent.
Step 4: Assemble your fajitas and dig in!
Heat up the tortillas in the microwave or oven. Add the shrimp to the tortillas, garnish with cilantro and lime wedges, then serve and enjoy.
What to serve with shrimp fajitas
These shrimp fajitas are a great stand-alone dinner option, but if you're looking to create a delicious Tex-Mex spread, here are some options:
- Mexican rice or Spanish rice
- Corn on the cob
- Pico de gallo, salsa or guacamole with tortilla chips
- Cowboy caviar
- Refried beans
There are so many delicious dishes that you can serve with your shrimp fajitas, so feel free to get creative!
Frequently Asked Questions
I like garnishing my shrimp fajitas with lime wedges and cilantro, but you can add pretty much whatever options you want. Popular toppings including avocado, guacamole, cojita cheese, Tex Mex cheese, refried beans, salsa, refried beans, sour cream and corn.
You can use a store-bought fajita seasoning or make your own homemade fajita seasoning and store it in the pantry for later. Mix that together with some lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic, and you’ve got an easy and flavourful shrimp fajita marinade!
Yes! If you want to use frozen shrimp for this recipe, just let it defrost in the fridge, then marinate and cook as normal.
All you need is 10 minutes to marinate the shrimp for these fajitas. You can marinate it for longer if you'd like, but 10 minutes is really all it takes.
You'll know the shrimp is done when it's no longer translucent and have an opaque pinky colour.
Storing and reheating
To store your shrimp fajitas, transfer the peppers and shrimp into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you're ready to enjoy your shrimp fajitas, warm them up in the microwave for up to a minute or reheat the mixture in a pan on the stovetop. Serve with fresh tortillas and dig in.
Freezing this recipe
Unfortunately, this shrimp fajitas recipe isn't a freezer-friendly meal. The peppers in this recipe don't freeze well and they’ll get extremely soggy when reheated, so I don't recommend it!
That being said, you can save some prep time by freezing fresh shrimp in the shrimp fajita marinade. When you’re ready to make your fajitas, just pull the shrimp out of the freezer, let it defrost in the fridge, then cook it as normal.
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this skillet shrimp into leftovers.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders to make marinating the shrimp easier.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Easiest Skillet Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 tbsp fajita seasoning storebought or homemade
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari if gluten-free
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 1 each red, green and yellow pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- 12 corn tortillas, to serve
Homemade fajita seasoning (if not using store bought) – use just 1 tbsp of this mix and save the rest for another time
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika smoked is preferred
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1 pinch chili flakes
Instructions
- Mix seasoning, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, salt & pepper and garlic together in a small bowl. Pour marinade over shrimp in a resealable plastic bag or in a large bowl and let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice peppers and onions. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once oil is smoking, add peppers and onions, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes until charred.
- Add shrimp and all of marinade, reducing heat to medium-high and sauteeing for another 2 minutes until shrimp is no longer translucent.
- Meanwhile, microwave corn tortillas or heat in the oven for a few minutes until soft and warm. Remove shrimp from heat and add to tortillas, garnishing with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Stacey Dimes says
I cannot wait to try this recipe! Quick question – does the total calorie count include the corn tortilla?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes it does 🙂