FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• Why You’ll Love My Homemade Fajita Seasoning Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• How To Make Fajita Seasoning
• How To Use It
• Storage Instructions
• More Homemade Seasoning Recipes
• Homemade Fajita Seasoning Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

Anyone that knows me knows that I love my spice mixes! You can certainly buy them pre-blended — and sometimes I do when I can find them with clean ingredients — but oftentimes, it’s even more convenient and cost-effective to just make them yourself. If you love Mexican flavors like I do, whip up my homemade fajita seasoning recipe with me, and you can use it for chicken fajitas , steak fajitas , or shrimp fajitas in no time!

Why You’ll Love My Homemade Fajita Seasoning Recipe

• Classic fajita seasoning flavor – This seasoning mix has all the flavor you’d expect from restaurant fajitas! It’s very similar to how I make taco seasoning , but with a stronger emphasis on garlic and onion powder rather than cumin and paprika.
• Clean ingredients, and not too many – My homemade fajita seasoning uses just 7 simple spices you probably have on hand if you have your spice drawer or rack stocked. It’s gluten-free, and has none of the MSG, starches, or fillers you sometimes see in store-bought mixes. Plus, there’s a tenderizer…
• Perfect tenderizer – I added a kind of “secret” ingredient commonly found in store-bought seasoning packets that will make your meats extra tender. You might not have it, but it really makes a difference if you want to pick it up.
• So easy – Just mix the ingredients and enjoy in only 5 minutes! Plus, it stores well, so I always keep a batch pre-mixed.

Ingredient Notes

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade fajita seasoning recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

All you really need are some spices, but I have a couple optional ingredients here to take it up a notch:

• Hot Spices – The primary ingredient in fajita seasoning is chili powder , but I also add cayenne pepper for additional heat. You can omit or reduce the cayenne if you don’t like much spice.
• Savory Spices – I reverse engineered the spices found in store-bought blends, but skipped the fillers. My version includes garlic powder , onion powder , paprika (or feel free to use smoked paprika), ground cumin , dried oregano , and sea salt. (You can also use kosher salt or table salt in place of sea salt.) All spice rack staples!
• Sweetener (optional) – Most grocery store spice blends use sugar to a hint of sweetness to balance out the spicy and savory ingredients. I use Besti Granulated , since it replaces sugar 1-to-1 without the sugar spike or any aftertaste.
• Bromelain Powder (optional) – This is the secret ingredient in most store-bought fajita seasonings! It’s a meat tenderizer that makes your fajita meat super tender. My small jar has lasted me what seems like forever, and I highly recommend it, but you can skip it if you like.

IMPORTANT: If you use the optional bromelain powder, be sure to cook your meat right away after seasoning.

The enzyme reaction will continue until you cook it, so if you let meat sit in a bromelain-containing seasoning for too long, it will be mushy.

If you use my fajita seasoning recipe to make steak fajitas and like them cooked less than medium-well or well done, it’s best to skip the bromelain powder, because it won’t stop working until the meat reaches 160 degrees F.

How To Make Fajita Seasoning

There’s not much to it. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and you’re done!

How To Use It

There are two main ways to use fajita seasoning:

Simply Season

Not surprisingly, I use this blend to season chicken fajitas and shrimp fajitas most often. You can also use it for my recipes made using other methods, including Instant Pot steak fajitas and sheet pan fajitas .

But who says you have to stop there? My homemade fajita seasoning mix recipe can also add flavor to your regular sauteed shrimp , sauteed veggies , or simple healthy baked chicken breast . I’ve even used it in place of taco seasoning when I ran out of it to make my taco salad .

Marinade

To make this seasoning into a fajita marinade, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil , 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of my spice mix. Then, marinate your chicken , steak , fish , or shrimp .

Anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours is a good marinating time for chicken or beef. The closer to the 24-hour mark, the juicier they will be! (Don’t go over that time, or your meat will become mushy.) But for fish and other seafood, limit marinating to 30 minutes, or it will turn into ceviche .

Wondering how much fajita seasoning to use? My rule of thumb is 2 tablespoons per pound of protein.

This is perfect for chicken or steak, but sometimes I use a little bit less for seafood (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons), as it tends to take on the flavor more strongly.

Storage Instructions

I store my homemade fajita seasoning in these little jars , but any airtight container will do. It will last for 1-2 years, but tastes best within the first year.

More Homemade Seasoning Recipes

Cajun Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Blackened Seasoning

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1/4 cup Chili powder ▢
• 5 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 4 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 2 tsp Onion powder ▢
• 2 tsp Paprika ▢
• 2 tsp Cumin ▢
• 2 tsp Dried oregano ▢
• 1 tsp Sweetener of choice (optional; I use Besti ) ▢
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper ▢
• 1/2 tsp Bromelain powder (optional) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Stir all ingredients together. Store in an airtight jar.
2. Use 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of chicken or beef, or 1-1.5 tablespoons per pound of shrimp.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 1/2 teaspoons (amount of seasoning per 1/4 lb of meat)

Makes about 10 tablespoons, or enough seasoning for 5-6 pounds of protein, depending on if it’s chicken, beef, or shrimp.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Fajita Seasoning Recipe

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Make this flavorful homemade fajita seasoning recipe with simple pantry staples, like chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin & oregano.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/fajita-seasoning-recipe/

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Chili powder
• 5 tsp Sea salt
• 4 tsp Garlic powder
• 2 tsp Onion powder
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Sweetener of choice (optional; I use Besti )
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Bromelain powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Stir all ingredients together. Store in an airtight jar.
2. Use 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of chicken or beef, or 1-1.5 tablespoons per pound of shrimp.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 1/2 teaspoons (amount of seasoning per 1/4 lb of meat)

Makes about 10 tablespoons, or enough seasoning for 5-6 pounds of protein, depending on if it’s chicken, beef, or shrimp.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)