These Shrimp Fajitas are a zingy, spicy, seafood-filled option for your next Taco Tuesday!
Who among us doesn’t love sitting at a Mexican restaurant, watching a server come out with a sizzling hot skillet of fajitas, and knowing that it’s headed your way? To me, it’s like a spicy, warm version of Christmas morning, with tortillas instead of cookies.
My local Mexican restaurant has a killer plate of fajitas, and I order them on special occasions. Recently, they added a “surf and turf” fajita option with steak and shrimp, and my favorite special occasions meal might end up becoming more frequent because it is incredible. So much so, in fact, that I came home and immediately made plans to figure out my own version the following evening. Figuring I’d get the shrimp right first before adding in the beef on another night, I made shrimp fajitas, and y’all, I honestly just stopped there. It’s perfect with just the shrimp!
These fajitas are lime-infused, garlicky, full of the bright flavors of cilantro, and filled with savory onions and peppers. The avocado slices add a wonderful texture to each bite of shrimp, all served in a warm, fluffy tortilla. My shrimp fajitas don’t have a sizzling hot plate or a dramatic entrance, but they’re every bit as satisfying as the restaurant version!
The key to cooking shrimp
Now, let’s talk about the main ingredient: shrimp! The most common mistake people make when cooking shrimp is overcooking them, which basically turns them into rubber. The rubbery texture comes from dehydrating the shrimp too much during the cooking process. So, the most important rule of thumb in cooking shrimp is to keep to the recommended one to two minutes of cook time in the recipe! An easy way to know they’re done is their color: they conveniently turn pink.
Some like to soak their shrimp in brine before cooking to keep it juicy. For this recipe, soaking your shrimp in the marinade for just a few minutes will be sufficient. Plus, that’s where all the flavor is going to come from—the fajita seasoning in the marinade.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftover shrimp can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Preferably, store the shrimp mixture in its own container, and the avocados and tortillas each in their own containers. Use the avocado quickly, as it will turn brown within 2 days. Reheat tortillas on a dry skillet or in the microwave with moist paper towels between tortillas and on top. Reheat the shrimp mixture on the stove until warm.
Serving suggestions
Serve your fresh fajitas with a couple of traditional staples: Refried Beans and Elote (Mexican Street Corn). Or, you can make some simple Corn On The Cob instead of elote.
Why stop at dinner? Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine have some incredible dessert offerings. For example, try some delicious Mexican Flan, a Chocolate Flan Cake, or Sopapillas!
Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more for squeezing over the veggies and shrimp
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bell peppers any color, sliced
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1 avocado sliced, for serving
- 1 lime cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, lime juice, fajita seasoning, and salt to create the marinade.
- Place the sliced bell peppers and onion in a bowl. Pour half of the marinade over them and toss to coat evenly.
- In a separate bowl, combine the shrimp with the remaining marinade and gently stir to coat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and slightly charred.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet with the vegetables. Add chopped cilantro and squeeze additional lime juice over the top. Toss everything to combine.
- Warm the flour tortillas on both sides in a dry skillet. Serve the shrimp and vegetable mixture with the tortillas, sliced avocado, and lime wedges.
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