Colorful and savory, these tasty Fajita Veggies will be the star of any Tex-Mex dishes they accompany!
When I think of fajitas, I can never picture them without their signature vegetables of seasoned and sautéed green bell peppers and red onions. There’s a dripping sweetness to these ingredients that I can feel running down my hand as I hold the tortilla and take a juicy bite that is entirely reliant on the proper preparation of these fajita veggies. No fajita is complete without them!
The very first fajitas are believed to originate with Mexican cowboys in the Rio Grande Valley and now fajitas are a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine. Back in the day, fajitas were made with what was available. Sometimes, this was a plant-based dish, featuring not just bell peppers and onions, but mushrooms as well. It could also have included strips of meat considered at the time to be of a less desirable cut, such as skirt steak, to make the most of everything available.
Fajita veggies are an incredibly easy dish to make. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes from preparation to completion, doesn’t require many ingredients, and gives you a healthy addition to your main meal or meal prep for the week. You too can feel like a cowboy or cowgirl by making the most of your veggies all week long!
Sauté Today…
To avoid vegetables that get too mushy, stir your pan until your vegetables are just getting soft then turn up the heat to get some sizzles going for the last minute. You want to stop cooking when the vegetables look a bit underdone so that the carryover cooking will get them to a tender texture. My personal preference is getting some charring on my bell peppers and onions because the flavor of that char mimics veggies that have been grilled. As a bonus, it makes my kitchen smell like an outdoor party.
If you’re interested in making your cooking a bit closer to Mexican food, you can swap out olive oil for corn oil. Since corn is a plant native to the American continents and olives come from the Mediterranean region, using corn oil will get a more authentic-to-origins taste. Corn oil has a neutral flavor that allows the natural essence and taste of your bell peppers and onions to shine through without being overpowered by the much less neutral flavor of olive oil. Another option for a Mexican taste authentic to the region is avocado oil, which has a mild and buttery flavor.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Fajita veggies can easily be stored in your refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can also put them in your freezer for up to 9 months, but this will soften the veggies when they defrost.
Serving Suggestions
Fajita veggies don’t have to be used exclusively in fajitas! You can cook these up and use them for rice bowls, wraps, tacos, or even on burgers. Or, they can just be a great side dish to provide for your guests to pile on their plates. For a fajita, serve these veggies with flour or corn tortillas alongside strips of skirt steak, chicken, or other quick vegetables such as portobello mushrooms. More fajita toppings can include sour cream, salsa, and avocado. For a little extra flavor, be sure to spritz a bit of fresh lime!
If you need a burger recipe to top with fajita veggies, check out these Black Bean Burgers or maybe just this Classic Beef Burger recipe.
Fajita Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large green bell peppers
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice off the tops and bottoms of the green bell peppers, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and then cut into thin strips.
- Peel the red onion and slice into thin strips.
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bell pepper and onion strips, sautéing for 7-10 minutes until they are softened and begin to brown.
- Season with dried oregano, salt, and black pepper, stirring for an additional minute to distribute the flavors evenly.
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