Recipe: Fajita Seasoning


Updated 6/08/10 and 7/17/10

Making your own spice blends is the hallmark of a great cook.... commercial blends.. while some are very good... they may or may not totally mesh with your tastes.... so why not try making your own blends...it's quick and easy.. and far less expensive than buying commercial blends..

This recipe for Fajita Seasoning was given to me from a friend a number of years ago… I don’t know the original source … and I have tweaked it a bit myself over the years. The biggest advantage to making your own... you control the ingredients.. no msg... you can use less salt if you want... if you want a bit more zip..add more cayenne... you can do what you want with this recipe... use mine as a guide and go from there.

UPDATE: As one reader pointed out to me... chicken bouillon can contain MSG... in fact almost all of them do.... I know of one chicken bouillon on the market that doesn't contain any amount of msg... it's from Organic Horizons... otherwise the only other way to have a truly MSG free seasoning... is to use a canned chicken broth that doesn't contain MSG (Swanson is one) or you can make your own chicken broth (substitute a 1/2 cup of the broth for 1/2 cup water).

Special thanks to Alexandra Altman for bringing the MSG problem in chicken bouillon cubes to my attention.. I truly appreciate it...

TIPS

I gave the most basic quanitities I could break it down to... so you can double.. triple... quadruple this recipe easily to fit your needs... I usually make up 4 or 5 times the recipe and store it in a jar...as you can see above...

The seasoning is really terrific in many things not just Fajitas... use it in what ever you want... it's easy to measure out..

You can store this in a zip loc bag but it really does keep best in an air tight jar... I get my jars at Walmart and they really are cheap and well worth the cost.
If you do use a jar... choose a wide neck jar so it's easy to get a measuring spoon in.

Approximately 2 heaping tablespoons equals a seasoning pack you would buy....again.. making this yourself leaves the option up to you to use more or less depending on the amount of meat you are using.

I mix my spices in a bowl by using a wire whisk to blend... I found it's the best way to get everything evenly distributed.

I've included directions for using it when making your Fajitas... the directions are standard directions used on commercial blends... but I wanted to give it to you so you have them.






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Recipe: Fajita Seasoning

All you need:

¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne (amount depends on how much heat you want)
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed

All you need to do:




Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.



Store in an airtight container or Zip Loc bag until needed.

Directions for making fajitas with this seasoning:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add 1 pound chicken or beef and cook until meat is completely cooked (no longer pink) and drain off excess fat.

Add 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tablespoons of Fajita Seasoning and stir well.

Add 1 bell pepper (cut into strips) and 1 medium onion (thinly sliced).. cook 2-3 minutes until vegetables are tender but still have a little crisp to them.

Serve with tortillas... toppings include sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cut-up tomatoes, chopped green onion and guacamole.

24 comments:

Alexandra Altmann said...

I just wanted to comment on your fajita seasoning recipe. Bouillion cubes contain msg. Perhaps you might want to you boil the chicken in well seasoned water and use 1/2 cup of the resulting broth to replace the bouillion and the 1/2 cup of water. If the water is well seasoned, the broth is TERRIFIC and so is the chicken (finger lickin good!)

Alexandra Altmann said...

I forgot to also mention that using Redmond RealSalt sea salt has given a flavor to my foods so wonderful that any msg seasonings pale in comparison! So if you use Redmond you will likely get a full flavor and never miss the bouillion cubes at all

Linda said...

Thanks Alexandra... I appreciate the information... I updated the post to include the warning.. however.. there is at least one chicken bouillon on the market that doesn't have MSG in it... it's from Organic Harvests.. (see the post.. I included a link)... which is good for those that don't want to make their own broth... and there are canned broths without MSG as well...

Thanks again for your comments.. they are appreciated.

Vicki said...

I found this today and my son made these for his girlfriend tonight, The smell from the kitchen was amazing can't wait to try them (quadrupled the recipe as suggested and stored in a screw top jar)

Tiffany said...

Thanks for the recipe!
Just for the benefit of those who want to eat healthy (not trying to be critical) MSG is in even "natural" products. It's in the Organic Horizon's product too. Unfortunately, it's disguised with other names such as "yeast extract" and " yeast extract." Do a quick search and you'll see what I mean. Those who react to MSG, have also found they react to the substance in it's slightly different "forms" or names. Check out your "no MSG" boasting chicken broths. They probably have it under one of it's different names. I'm looking for a bullion or broth that doesn't have it.

Linda said...

Thanks Tiffany for your comments... I will do more research ... I am not aware that yeast extract is the same as MSG... as far as No MSG marked products... I was under the impression they could not contain MSG... I will see what I can find out

Thanks again for stopping by and taking the time to comment...

Please come again.

Haley Hale said...

After thawing chicken and cutting up bell peppers and onions, I realized that I didn't have my normal fajita seasoning packet in my spice drawer tonight! After a quick seasoning search, I found your recipe and gave it a try. We LOVED it! One of my three year old sons had THREE fajitas! I did add some garlic salt while cooking the chicken and added a little more cumin once I mixed the peppers and onions and chicken. I also threw some sour cream, cheese and avocado on top of mine. It was so delicious- I am never buying another fajita seasoning packet again!

Linda said...

Great Haley! Glad you and your family liked the seasoning!

Making your own spice gives you the chance to tweek it to your family's tastes... always a great idea.

Thanks for stopping by!

GG said...

All your recipes and pics look great, mouth watering. I'm going to try your fajitas tonight. Can't wait thanks for all the tips and honest feedback.
Take care

Linda said...

Thanks GG! I appreciate your kind comments.. i hope you try some recipes... and please come again!

Thanks for stopping by!

GG said...

I made the fajitas seasoning, it was great and so easy. I have been trying different ones and so far this was the best and easiet. Thank so much can't wait to try more recipes.

Linda said...

GG.... Glad you liked it!

bushcraftchef said...

i like this recipe alot! nice simple and blows pre made blends out of the sky!! i find if you use good quality smoked paprika aswell it really gives the blend that extra something.. thanks alot x

bushcraftchef said...

great ricipe!! blows pre made blends brains out! i find if you use good quality smoked paprika aswell it really gives the mix that exta kick in the chops you desire when cooking mexican food

Linda said...

Thanks! Glad you like it!

Thanks for stopping by and come again!

Linda

usnret said...

After reading these comments I did some research into MSG and found this on wikipedia

United States

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of several forms of glutamic acid found in foods, in large part because glutamic acid, being an amino acid, is pervasive in nature. Glutamic acid and its salts can also be present in a wide variety of other additives, including hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, which must be labeled with these common and usual names. Since 1998, MSG cannot be included in the term "spices and flavorings". The food additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are ribonucleotides, are usually used in synergy with monosodium glutamate-containing ingredients. However, the term 'natural flavor' is now used by the food industry when using glutamic acid (MSG without the sodium salt attached). Due to lack of FDA regulation, it is impossible to determine what percentage of 'natural flavor' is actually glutamic acid.

The FDA considers labels such as "No MSG" or "No Added MSG" to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamate, such as hydrolyzed protein. In 1993, the FDA proposed adding the phrase "(contains glutamate)" to the common or usual names of certain protein hydrolysates that contain substantial amounts of glutamate.

In the 2004 version of his book On Food and Cooking, food enthusiast and author Harold McGee states that "[after many studies], toxicologists have concluded that MSG is a harmless ingredient for most people, even in large amounts."[34]

Linda said...

USNRET... Thank you for all the research and information you posted in your comment... I appreciate it.

I absolutely agree that there are some manufacturer's that are misleading consumers by hiding MSG under natural flavorings...

I also agree that in general .. trace or small amounts are fine for the general population...

I happen to have a sensitivity to MSG... and unfortunately have had a few "attacks" but.. those few attacks have been over the course of 30 years and none posed a true risk... I can tell you it was not pleasant...and that I can tolerate small amounts.. I just have to be careful about consuming large amounts...

With that said... I personally feel that my recipe using a commercial bouillon cube should be fine... those that wish to avoid MSG at all costs would need to adjust the recipe accordingly... if I was that allergic to MSG that it posed a health risk.. I would think I would research the ingredients I use and make any necessary omissions and changes that needed to be done.

This blog is not intended to provide recipes appropriate to all diets... it is simply a blog of family recipes and tips to help and share.

Anyone that has dietary restrictions whether allergy or health related needs to be prudent about what they include in the foods they prepare and consume... it is up to them to determine if adjustments need to be made.

I merely tried to help a reader that commented on the MSG...

Thanks again for all your information .. I hope that those interested in learning about and avoiding MSG read it and find it as helpful as I did.

Thanks for stopping by and please come again!

Linda

Beverly said...

Just a quick thank you for the seasoning recipe, it's fab and goes down a treat with the family I work for!

Dawn - Milwaukee said...

I realized I had everything to make fajitas, except fajita seasoning. I randomly came across your recipe after doing a search for fajita seasoning recipes. It looks simple enough, and I can't wait to try it. Also, I don't have onion powder, so I plan on adding minced onions, and I also plan on replacing the water with chicken broth. I am super stoked!

Linda said...

Good Luck Dawn... sounds good!

Thanks for stopping by and let me know how they came out.

Linda

debrucey said...

This is a great recipe. however, just for my own amusement, I added about half a teaspoon of powdered MSG. it tasted yummy.

Jenna said...

Debrucey, I wish I could like your comment.

Unknown said...

Hi, I want to use ur recipe tonight for dinner.. but I don't have the chicken bouillon cube... is there anything else similar? If not then to the market I go.

Linda said...

Sorry for the delay in responding.... we have been away. I don't know of anything similar... I keep some in the house.. it's a great emergency item for the pantry... I use it in a pinch for gravies... I'd recommend keeping some on hand anyway...sorry I couldn't be of help.

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