If there’s one way to elevate cooking at home, it’s with homemade sauce recipes. There’s nothing better than a drizzle or a dip to add a little kick and excitement. This fajita sauce is no exception, either.
It’s a versatile sauce that can be used as a marinade, cooked with fajita veggies, or simply drizzled on top of tacos for an added boost of flavor. It’s easy to make in just minutes with an optional simmer on the stovetop.
What’s in Fajita Sauce?
This fajita sauce recipe is a blend of fajita seasoning and some liquids to make a tangy, spice-forward sauce that can be drizzled, marinated, and more.
- Fajita Seasoning: the easiest way to make the sauce is to use some of the DIY spice mix you already have in your pantry (wink, wink). You can use a storebought mix if that’s what you have.
- Lime Juice: for zest and tang, which pairs so well with the earthy spices. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
- Water: helps to thin out the sauce without adding competing flavors. If you want more savory-ness, feel free to sub vegetable stock.
- Oil: use a neutral oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, or extra virgin olive oil. It adds a little richness to the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: totally optional, but a little sweetness helps to balance out the flavors. You can substitute honey or granulated sugar, too.
How to Make Sauce for Fajitas
It’s really as simple as mixing together the sauce ingredients to make the sauce. You can even take the super simple and quick hack that I use for this 5-star stir fry sauce and shake it all together in a jar!
The flavor is quite intense because it’s intended to be added to other ingredients, which will then mellow out the flavors for the *just right* balance of spice, tang, and savoriness.
Use as a Marinade
To use this fajita sauce as a marinade, place it in a large bowl with your protein of choice. If you’re making traditional steak or chicken fajitas, you can marinade them, thinly sliced, for 30-60 minutes. It will help to tenderize meat, too.
If marinating shrimp, do not let them sit in the sauce for more than 30 minutes. Since it is so acidic from the lime juice, it will begin to cook the shrimp (we’re not going for ceviche here!).
For plant-based proteins like tofu or jackfruit, or even fajita veggies and beans, let it rest in the marinade for around 30 minutes as well.
Cook with Fajita Veggies
To make vegetarian skillet fajitas, I cook the veggies with fajita sauce to create a flavorful, saucy filling. As the sauce cooks down, the flavors develop and it gets thicker, creating the ideal coating for all the nooks and crannies in the peppers.
You can also use the sauce in place of fajita seasoning in our sheet pan fajitas!
Simmer to Enjoy
If you’re looking for a fajita sauce to drizzle over taco toppings or otherwise, I do recommend giving it a quick simmer on the stovetop. This, similar to cooking veggies in the sauce, will develop the flavors and mellow out the harshness that sometimes comes with raw spices.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Get the Recipe 5-Minute Homemade Fajita Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons fajita seasoning, see note
- 4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 4 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk or stir until completely incorporated together. Or, shake them together in a jar until combined.2 Tablespoons fajita seasoning, 4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice, 4 Tablespoons water, 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
- Use as a marinade for proteins or fajita veggies. To thicken for a condiment, simmer for 3-4 minutes, or cook with fajita veggies to coat. If not using immediately, store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Serving Size: This recipe yields approximately 1/2 cup sauce before simmering.
- Fajita Seasoning:Â this recipe uses a half-batch of my homemade seasoning blend. Here are the measurements for half of that recipe, if you don’t have it premade:
- 1/2 TBSP cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch black pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Salt:Â there’s just enough salt in this recipe to round out the seasoning, but I do recommend using your judgment to also season any protein/veggies you’re using for additional flavor.
