Simple Shrimp Fajitas
on Aug 18, 2024
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Shrimp, onion, and bell peppers are cooked and seasoned to create a bright, fresh, and warm dish! Shrimp fajitas can be ready in 20 minutes and are the perfect weeknight meal.
Shrimp fajitas are definitely a recipe that you should add to your go-to list of meals that can be ready in 20 minutes or less! This dish is simple and easy to make but carries so much flavor, which is why I always go back to it.
Shrimp fajitas have a bright and fresh flavor that can be complimented by a wide variety of toppings. Full of veggies and protein, this meal comes together in no time and will be a hit with the whole family every single time!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Using shrimp is a fun way to take a classic fajita recipe and add a seafood twist.
- The veggies are perfectly seasoned and cooked for a nice crisp texture.
- You can add a variety of different toppings and customize your fajitas.
Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp—Deveined and peeled.
- Olive Oil—To cook the shrimp and veggies.
- Minced Garlic—You can also use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.
- Bell Peppers—We use one of each color: red, orange, and yellow.
- White Onion—Cut into thin strips.
- Cumin—To season the dish with a warm, earthy flavor.
- Salt and Pepper—Measure with your heart here!
- Lime Juice—To add a nice, bright flavor to your dish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Shrimp Fajitas
Step #1. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Add the butter and garlic and stir until the butter is melted. Add the shrimp to the pan.
Step #2. Cook until the shrimp turns pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and wipe it clean.
Step #3. Throw in the peppers and onions to the pan. Cook until the peppers are tender and crisp. Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Stir to combine.
Step #4. Add the shrimp back to the pan, stir, and cook until the shrimp are warm again. Serve with your choice of toppings and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Of course! Fajitas taste wonderful with different types of meat or protein. If you are not a fan of shrimp, you can substitute it with chicken or steak. Be sure to season and cook the meat properly before adding it to your fajita mix. You can also use leftover meat if you are in a hurry or have some on hand. I would avoid using any type of ground meat, as that will change the texture and feeling of the finished dish!
There are so many toppings you can use for fajitas! Our favorite way to assemble the fajitas is to lay everything out buffet style, and allow everyone to make and customize their own. We tend to start out with a tortilla, then add the shrimp fajita mix. You can throw in some cheese, salsa or pico de gallo, black beans, or avocado. Wrap it all up and you are good to go!
Your shrimp will most likely become tough if it has been overcooked. Once it is done, the exterior of the shrimp should be pink and the flesh opaque. It is important to note that it only takes about 2-3 minutes for shrimp to cook, depending on the size. But stir often and keep an eye on the color, and remove as soon as it’s done to avoid tough or rubbery shrimp! You should also be cautious as you reheat your shrimp. It is best to reheat it slowly on the stovetop, otherwise quick heat can affect the texture of the shrimp as well.
How to Serve and Store Shrimp Fajitas
Shrimp fajitas are kind of an all-in-one package! They can be served as a lunch or dinner, and we typically don’t worry about any side dishes as they are very filling on their own. However, you can add fresh fruit or rice on the side if you’d like. Add a garnish of fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime juice for extra zest. You can serve with these yummy homemade tortilla chips or whole wheat tortillas.
Transfer any leftover shrimp fajita mix to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It is best to store the fajita mix on its own, ready to assemble once it has been reheated!
Expert Tips
- You can either use fresh or frozen raw shrimp in this recipe. If you decide to use frozen, make sure to safely thaw it before you start cooking.
- While the vegetables are cooking, you can remove the tails from the shrimp if they come with them on!
- When you cook the onion and bell peppers, be sure that the oven is set to a medium high heat, to avoid the veggies from becoming soggy. The heat will keep them crisp yet still tender.
- If you are using frozen shrimp then it will take a little longer to cook, but will taste just as good!
- If you don’t have fresh garlic then you can use about ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of minced garlic you are replacing.
More Seafood Recipes To Consider
Seafood Recipes
Tuna Patties Recipe
Seafood Recipes
Baja Fish Tacos
Seafood Recipes
Butterfly Shrimp
Seafood Recipes
Baked Salmon
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Simple Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw frozen shrimp, thawed (deveined, peeled, tail-on)
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
- 1-2 tablespoons cumin
- salt and pepper
- juice of one lime
To Serve
- Cooked fresh tortillas
- Grated cheese
- Your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
- Black beans
- Avocado
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and garlic and stir until the butter is melted. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp turns pink, about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and carefully wipe out the pan.
- Return the pan to medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the peppers and onions and cook until the peppers are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, remove the tails from the shrimp if they came with them on. Add the cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and the juice of one lime, stir to combine. Add the shrimp back to the pan, stir, cook until the shrimp are warmed again and then remove from the heat and serve right away. Serve on warm cooked fresh tortillas with cheese, salsa/pico, avocado and/or black beans.
Hello!! I’m the sorta busy Mom with two kids under the age of 3. I am the Mom that knows home cooked meals are best, but hasn’t come to love cooking yet. I love when I come across a blog who has a meal plan for their family for the week and shares the meal plan and shopping list. It makes me excited to cook when I see how others are feeding their families for the week. Sometimes meal planning and cooking seem so overwhelming. To me it seems like you have to have the main dish and what seems like a handful of different side dishes + dessert. Whew.. I guess I feel like I can’t manage all that with two little ones hanging on my legs. Mornings I seem to have more motivation. Crock pot meals take a large amount of stress off my shoulders. I guess I ought to try to prepare dinner earlier in the day that way when evening comes around we aren’t all so anxious and ready to give up and just go out.
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Yep, you know your audience 🙂 I find it helpful when you demystify the less-common ingredients that I’m scared to try on my own (like quinoa, brown rice, healthy stuff like that.) I also like hearing how you tackle family issues and how you’re working towards your dreams with the house and your farming and all that. It’s encouraging!
Yup, the big question….what’s for dinner? Tonight it was Shrimp Fajitas…thanks! Next time I will back off on the cumin….the poor shrimp were overpowered. A fresher, juicier lime would have been better too….mine should have gone to the compost monster a week ago, but hey, you do what ya gotta do! Mr. Picky wouldn’t eat the peppers and I couldn’t pull the mom card on him. Yes, you are right, I am already trying to figure out what is for dinner tomorrow night! Grrrr… its a never-ending problem! I have just started learning about freezer crock pot cooking….. your book will be a blessing! You have done all the experimenting and fine tuning for me….I like you! I hope you aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel….your wheel has been rolling just fine! How’s the chickens?
Yep, that’s exactly who I am. I love easy, normal ingredient food.
I am a working mom who has always been a collector of recipes. I first cooked dinner for my family when I was 6 years old. I used to read cookbooks for pleasure, but now I just collect recipes. I have lots of cookbooks and love to cook from them. I can’t remember how I found your blog, but it has been fun for me to get ideas from you. Because I am busy, I usually try to have something quick in the pantry or fridge to make. We do Dream Dinners, but not every day of the week. Your blog helps me have an idea in the back of my mind for when we’re just cooking dinner from scratch. I used a bunch of your stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. I also enjoy seeing how you do what you do and knowing that there are other busy moms out there making life fun for the kids.
A book! How exciting!!!! You nailed it on the head with who I am. I am the busy mom who lives less than a mile from five different fast food places, with another three only two miles away. It’s literally faster, and usually cheaper for me to go get food for my family instead of prepare it. Good thing I know how important good food is! But it still needs to be fast 😛 Our main meal of the day is lunch since my husband works nights, and with homeschooling in the morning, I often lose track of time. So it’s usually either something super fast, or fast food. I love all that you do here – keep up the good work!