Fajita Seasoning

By Lidey Heuck

Published January 17, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(131)
Comments
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Whether you use it to spice up a bowl of popcorn, season roasted potatoes or, of course, as a dry rub for steak, chicken, pork or shrimp in Tex-Mex dishes, fajita seasoning can wear many hats. This simple blend, made with common herbs and spices, will last about a year in the pantry and can be tweaked to your liking. Just before using, add a little freshly grated lime zest for some bright citrus flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:¼ cup 

  • 2 teaspoons chili powder 

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

7 grams carbs; 38 calories; 1 gram fat; 2 grams fiber; 84 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar, salt and cayenne in a small bowl and mix well with a fork until combined. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 year.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
131 user ratings
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Comments

RobS

I use Ancho Chili powder and Chipotle powder instead of Cayenne and regular Chili powder. it gives it a smokey flavor.

Peter

And how much do we use? Seems strange to leave that out.

GFJeff

Mexican oregano if you can find it. Much more authentic taste.

Laura

I used about half the mix with 1/4 cup lime juice and a tablespoon of olive oil to marinate 1 1/4 pounds of chicken strips. Worked great!

Scott

Why sugar? Back when I was much younger and bought pre-mixed fajita seasoning in packets, it was never sweetened. And there are four NYT recipes for chicken, shrimp, and steak fajitas. All of them include instructions for making the seasoning from scratch, but none of them include sugar.

Jess

I was thinking the same thing. Why sugar?

Mindi

We added some cornstarch to thicken ot. We want to try with less cumin next time. It tasted more like a taco seasoning than a fajita mix.

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