Once upon a time, Pat and I would make chicken fajitas by opening a bag of store-bought, frozen and previously “grilled” fajita chicken. True story! We’d thaw them in a skillet and fill our soft taco shells with the chicken, shredded lettuce and cheese.

That’s it. Obviously that was way before this little blog of mine took over our lives and we discovered we like lots of different toppings.

These days, I make my own fajita seasoning. Instead of frozen, we grill fresh chicken and we top it with caramelized bell peppers and onions, thinly sliced romaine lettuce, pickled jalapeños, diced red onions, pepper jack cheese and hot sauce. Allthehotsauce.

As you can see, we’ve come a long way and I’m happy to share with you the recipe for the most unfussy kitchen-made fajita taco seasoning ever.

To cook this Kitchen-made Fajita Seasoning blend Gather:

chili powder – Adds flavor and can be mild to moderately spicy.
kosher salt – Enhances the flavors of the spices.
paprika – For color and subtle flavor.
sugar – Lends a touch of subtle sweetness and caramelization when grilled or seared.
onion powder – Lends bold oniony flavor.
cumin (ground) – Lends earthiness and warmth, with an edge of citrus.
garlic powder – Adds flavor that’s sweeter yet milder than fresh garlic.
cayenne pepper – Adds a spicy kick.

There’s no right or wrong brand. I will first say, buy what you can afford. However, not all spices are created equal as you tend to get what you pay for. Currently I use Morton & Bassett (not sponsored) because I find their spices to be top notch in texture, color and flavor. Worth keeping and respect what their company stands for not only with charitable work but also quality control. With that said some other pleasing brands I’ve used over the years are Simple Organic, Frontier Co-op and Penzys.

In a small bowl, or my personal fave a glass jar, add 2 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Mix it well until thoroughly combined and you’re good to go. Seriously it’s crazy good and simply as unfussy!

I’ve used it to make chicken fajitas or bowls, vegetarian Portobello fajitas and if you have my cookbook then you’re familiar with the steak version.