Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
These Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas are a quick and easy one-pan dinner where juicy shrimp, sliced bell peppers, and onions are tossed with fajita seasoning. Served in warm tortillas as tacos, and topped with avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
This dish combines some of my favorite elements: mouthwatering shrimp seasoned with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and more with crunchy sweet bell peppers and onions. The added bonus of cooking everything in the oven on a single sheet pan makes it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: The star of this dish, use large shrimp that are peeled and deveined. Shrimp are perfect for a sheet pan dinner; they cook fast, stay juicy, and soak up the seasoning.
- Bell peppers: Add sweetness, color, crunch, and that classic fajita bite as they roast. You can use any mix of colors.
- Red onion: Gives a savory-sweet flavor and soft, caramelized edges in the oven.
- Oil: Prevents the shrimp and veggies from sticking to the sheet pan and helps mix the spices together. You can use olive oil or a neutral oil like avocado or sunflower oil
- Lime juice: Brightens the fajitas and balances the spices.
- Chili powder: Gives the mild heat and deep color. Replace with additional paprika for a non-spicy variation.
- Ground cumin: Adds warm, earthy flavor.
- Smoked paprika: Brings a smoky, slightly sweet flavor.
- Garlic powder: Adds quick garlic flavor.
- Onion powder: Boosts savory flavor and rounds out the seasoning.
- Dried oregano: Adds a light herby note that pairs well.
- Salt: Brings out all the flavors.
- Black pepper: Adds gentle heat.
- Tortillas: To serve with the shrimp fajitas and veggies. You can use flour or corn tortillas.
- Toppings and sides: Guacamole or avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and your choice of salsas and side dishes such as rice, black beans, corn salad, etc.
How to serve these shrimp fajitas
The easiest way to serve fajitas is with corn tortillas or flour tortillas, topped with your favorite garnishes or sides. Avocado is a must have topping, you can use plain mashed avocado, or a homemade guacamole or an avocado salsa.
Fajitas are also usually served with sour cream; you can use plain sour cream or mix it up and use Mexican crema. For a spicy creamy sauce variation try my chipotle yogurt sauce. You can also serve them with a pico de gallo salsa, with mango salsa for a fruity variation, or with your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex salsas (homemade or storebought).
For a full meal, serve them with rice (plain white rice or a cilantro lime rice) and black beans on the side, or make a shrimp fajita bowl. If you have leftover shrimp and veggies, you can also use them as a filling for quesadillas or burritos.
Mexican Fajita variations
- The most popular fajitas are made with beef, chicken or shrimp.
- You can also make vegetarian/vegan fajitas by replacing the beef, chicken or shrimp with portobello mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, tofu, seitan, etc.
- Fajitas can be cooked on the grill, on the stovetop in a skillet, or in the oven.
- To make an extra spicy variation of these Shrimp Fajitas, you can add sliced jalapeños o sliced serrano peppers to the sheet pan veggies. You can also add cayenne pepper to the Fajita seasoning mix for an extra kick.
- For a non-spicy variation, omit the chili powder or replace it with additional paprika powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes you can, thaw completely, pat very dry, then season and bake.
Can I make this with chicken instead of shrimp?
Yes you can! Slice chicken thin and roast with veggies 18–22 minutes at 425°F (or until 165°F), then add lime.
Why roast the veggies first?
Peppers/onions take longer than shrimp, giving them a 10-minute head start keeps shrimp tender.
How to store and reheat the shrimp fajitas?
Yes, store shrimp/veggies in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently so shrimp don’t get rubbery.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
For the Shrimp and Veggies:
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp peeled & deveined (tails off) – 0.7 Kg
- 3 bell peppers red, yellow and orange, sliced
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Shrimp Fajita seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For serving and toppings:
- 8–10 small tortillas corn or flour
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream – 120 ml
- Guacamole or 1 avocado, mashed with salt
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce or salsa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- Combine the ingredients for the Fajita seasoning in a bowl and mix well.
- Add sliced peppers and sliced onion to the sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with half the fajita seasoning, and toss to coat. Spread into an even layer.
- Roast the veggies for 10 minutes.
- While veggies roast, pat shrimp dry. In a bowl, toss the peeled shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the rest of the fajita seasoning, and lime juice.
- Pull the pan out, and spread the shrimp out in a single layer.
- Roast 6–8 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
- Warm up the tortillas. Fill with shrimp and fajita veggies. Top with guacamole or mashed avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- If you are using frozen shrimp, thaw completely and pat them dry so they roast properly.
- To make the fajitas extra spicier, add sliced jalapeños or sliced Serrano pepper to the pan, or mix in some cayenne pepper with the seasoning mix.
- For more color, broil 1–2 minutes at the end but watch closely.
Step by step preparation process photos for Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas:
Additional Shrimp Recipes to Try:
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