Since becoming a plant-based eater, the one type of food I continually find myself reaching for is Mexican and I’ve pretty much been able to veganize all of my favorites. Next up on the growing list in my brain were Vegan Fajitas.
I love that sizzling, smokey goodness as it arrives at my table when I order it out at restaurants. I like all of the side options and I like food I get to assemble myself (<– control freak :). But to duplicate that at home seemed a bit daunting. Nothing a hot cast iron pan and a homemade fajita seasoning couldn’t solve!
So I set out to find the perfect blend of seasonings. After a lot of research, I found that most mixes contain many of the same ingredients. Now, I must admit that when it comes to spice, I am every bit a lightweight!
This was pretty spicy for me, but you may find that it is either right on or…you may decide to tinker with the recipe a bit and add more of one or another spice. Go you! I am jealous.
To make this dish vegan, I went with my all-time favorite replacement – portobello mushrooms. They are the perfect texture, take on the seasoning really well and get all smokey and yummy. Trust me, you’ll find yourself eating this right out of the pan. Or is that just me 😉
First things first. Let’s get back to that fajita seasoning I was telling you about. I’ll provide some measurements in the recipe below, but please feel free to adjust these to your personal tastes. You can always add, but it’s pretty difficult to take it away afterwards.
Most of the recipes I researched utilized many of the same spices such as chili powder, black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic and onion powder, sometimes cumin or crushed red pepper and even a bit of sugar. Whisk them all together and store in a tightly sealed jar or container.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, may I ask why not? They are so incredibly inexpensive. Like $13.99 inexpensive and they are perfect for cooking dishes like these Vegan Fajitas! And also skillet cookies. And skillet brownies. And an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Skillet Hot Fudge Pudding Cake coming your way very soon 🙂
You can also make these on an indoor grill pan.
Portobellos are, in my opinion, the only real choice for this recipe. Again, it comes down to taste and texture. I add another small amount of oil to the hot pan and add the mushrooms which I have sliced on the bias. Oh, and scoop out the gills of the mushroom. They are completely safe to eat, but they just make everything look messy. Your best tool is a soup or dinner spoon for this job.
I sprinkle the fajita seasoning on the mushrooms and again after I’ve turned them. You want both sides to get that smokey char. Then add back the onions and peppers. Serve on a trivet family style right in the pan.
Side items for these Vegan Fajitas are your call. Vegan shredded cheese, vegan sour cream, salsa or guacamole are just a few options. Top with cilantro (unless you are one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap – it’s a real thing. Google it!) As a cilantrophobe myself, I will 10 times out of 10 substitute Italian Parsley. As it turns out, scientists are finding a genetic link to those of us who attribute it to soap. See, it’s not our fault. It’s just genetics LOL Just a fun little tidbit for you there 🙂
As a final note on this recipe, try it on a sub roll with a bit of vegan sour cream (or my favorite, vegan mayo). Or add a slice of melty vegan cheese. I enjoyed the leftovers this way. Sooo incredibly good.
If you try these Vegan Fajitas or any variation of this recipe, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @theveglife1 or leave me a note in the comments section below. I love to hear how you make these recipes your own.
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Did you make this recipe for Vegan Fajitas? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought!
If you liked this recipe, PIN IT FOR LATER!
VEGAN FAJITAS
Ingredients
FOR THE FAJITA SEASONING:
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional
FOR THE FAJITAS:
- 2 Large Portobello Mushrooms gills removed & sliced on the bias
- 1 each Red Green, Yellow & Orange Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 Red Onion cut half and into slices
- Oil for cooking
FOR SERVING:
- Tortillas
- Sides such as vegan sour cream salsa, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the fajita seasoning ingredients. Set aside.
- In a hot cast iron skillet or fry pan, add 1-1/2 tsp of oil and the sliced red onions. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add all of the sliced red peppers and cook until tender and charred. Remove from the pan.
- Add another teaspoon of oil and the prepared mushrooms. Sprinkle seasoning and cook until the first side is charred and mushroom is beginning to get tender. Flip and repeat.
- Add the peppers back to the pan and cook for a few more minutes. Serve sizzling hot.
- Add sides such as tortillas, vegan sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc.
Ron @ fasthealthycooking.net says
I want to eat that whole thing right now, these look so good!
Rachelle says
These look amazing! My spouse isn’t a fan of portobello mushrooms though. Do you think I could substitute tofu?
aimee says
Absolutely! I think that would work really well. If you try it, would you leave a note in the comments section? I’d love to hear how it turned out 🙂
Kristal says
You could substitute with other veggies. I often add tomatoes, zucchini, Summer squash, even broccolini sometimes.
aimee says
That sounds great! I often improvise with this recipe as well. depending on what I have on hand 🙂
Tiffany says
Is he just not a fan of portobello mushrooms, or all mushrooms? I made this with white button mushrooms.
Ronda says
You recipe looks wonderful! What would you suggest as a substitution for the bell peppers. Neither my husband or I can eat them without have digestion problems. Thanks for your great recipes. I am starting this new year off by doing more vegetarian recipes. (the hubby needs his meat, though)
aimee says
Hi Ronda, Thank you for the kind words! I think if you were to substitute the peppers, I might say zucchini, yellow squash, onions come to mind.
susan bourdeau says
Just made these and they were excellent!
Bella says
Wonderful recipe with a lot of flavour!! A must for this summer!!
Deb says
I just made this and it was delicious. My husband and I ate the whole thing in one sitting. The only problem I had is that the directions aren’t exactly clear. It says to add the red pepper but it doesn’t say when to add the rest of the peppers. I would definitely make this again. I would even try it with zucchini.
Thanks!
aimee says
I’m going to go clarify this. In fact, I’ll be updating the whole recipe soon. But all of the peppers go in at the same time. Sorry for the confusion 🙂
Ella says
these look great. How many will one portion serve? I.e. are the ingredients list set just for one person?
aimee says
Easily four people! Just depends on how full you stuff those tortillas 😉
Deborah says
This is the best seasoning! I make a big batch so I can use it for many recipes. I highly recommend it.
aimee says
Thanks Deborah! 🙂
Dana says
I made this last night and it was fantastic! I used white mushrooms as that’s what I had, and added black beans in with them for more protein. Served with guacamole it was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
aimee says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Love the addition of black beans & guac 🙂
Victoria says
Made this tonight and wow, absolutely gorgeous. Way better than any spice mix that comes in those shop bought kits. The only thing I changed was the amount of chilli powder- the listed 1 Tablespoon seemed way too much so I used 1/2 tsp. And I added 1/4 tsp of smoked chipotle chilli powder.
Just about fed 3 of us alongside some refried black beans I made – the guys loved it, even me carnivore son. Will make again !
aimee says
This made my day Victoria 🙂 I’m so glad you all enjoyed it and thank you for stopping by to let me know!
Rue says
I added afresh jalapeño, additional chili powder, and courgette/zucchini. I cooked it in a wok and pushed the first veggies up to the sides instead of removing them. It was delicious!
aimee says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Daphne says
These were outstanding! I skipped the oil and used veg broth for saute’. We all agreed they were delicious and we’ll make them one of the regular dishes. Thanks!
April says
Whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Pat says
These are so good. I never leave comments but this recipe deserves a comment. I added King oyster mushrooms sliced the long way and regular oyster mushrooms in place of one Portabella. Delicious.