Vegan Fajitas

This vegan fajita recipe is not only easy to make but super delicious! If you've been missing fajitas in your plant-based diet, give these tasty ones a try. 

We absolutely love fajitas in this house, and when I say we, I actually only mean my husband and me because our kids can't do the onions and peppers. Their loss, someday they will learn.

These are so good our friends that aren't vegan always enjoy eating these.

This dish is also great for taking camping. You can do all your prep and marinate, then bring the marinated bag and grill on the skillet—a perfect easy-to-clean camping meal.

Why you'll love this recipe

• They are delicious
• It's an easy recipe
• It can be made gluten-free very easily
• Made with simple ingredients
• Full of flavor
• Even meat eaters love this dish
• Is very versatile

Ingredients and substitutions

Fajitas Marinade

• Cornstarch helps keep the coating on the soy curls and makes the soy curls crisp up when you're cooking them.

• Chili powder- this is a classic flavor for making fajitas. Chili powder adds flavor without adding heat. If you have to, you can substitute regular paprika for this, but I suggest sticking with chili powder.

• Sea salt- speaks for itself. Salt helps the flavors pop in a recipe. You can use any salt.

• Smoked paprika- I like the smoked paprika flavor in this. It's not overly smokey; it just adds a little touch of smoky flavor.

• Sugar- I like to use white sugar in this; you can use brown sugar, maple syrup, or whichever sugar you like. It's just a tiny hint of sweetness.

• Onion powder- this helps all the flavors blend.

• Garlic powder- I like to use garlic powder in this. You could replace it with regular garlic for more garlic pop, but the garlic powder is quick and easy.

• Cumin- has a distinct flavor, and I wouldn't leave this out. If you have just run out, you can try using coriander, but I prefer cumin.

• Cayenne pepper- this small amount does not cause them to be spicy. If you want it to be spicier, you can add more if you're afraid of spice, you can leave it out altogether.

• Oil- you can leave out the oil if you want to make this oil-free, but I prefer a little bit of fat in the recipe, which makes the soy curls crisp up better. You can use olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted (unflavored) coconut oil.

• Lemon juice- I know it's weird to hear a recipe with fresh lemon juice and not fresh lime juice. You can use lime, but I prefer the lemon in this recipe.

• Soy sauce- I use light soy sauce just to cut down on the saltiness. You can use half regular and half water if you don't have light soy sauce. If you're trying to keep this gluten-free, you can use coconut aminos or tamari.

• White vinegar- adds a slight tang to the recipe. I prefer using white vinegar, but you can use apple cider vinegar if that's all you have.

Vegan Fajita filling

•  Soy curls- I love using soy curls in this recipe, but I have also used vegan chicken nuggets, vegan Daring chicken strips, or whatever plant-based protein alternative you like for your fajitas. I've also used portobello mushrooms which make a great whole foods meat alternative.

• Bell peppers- use green, red, or yellow bell peppers. I usually use different colors just for the color pop, but they all taste the same to me.

• Onion- whatever your favorite onions for fajitas, I typically use a yellow onion, white onions, or you could even use red onion.

Extras

• Guacamole- I have a hard time eating Mexican food without guacamole, so it's a must. I have delicious homemade vegan guacamole if you need one. You could also use sliced or mashed avocado if you don't like guacamole.

• Warm tortillas- you can use corn or homemade vegan flour tortilla here. Whichever is your favorite. If you want to make these gluten-free, keep with the corn or use gluten-free tortillas. If you want to keep things really healthy, you can use a lettuce wrap, but I love tortillas too much.

• Salsa- you can use fresh salsa (pico de Gallo) or your favorite. There is enough flavor in the homemade fajita seasoning, but some people still like to salsa it up, and that's fine too!

• Vegan sour cream- you can use a store-bought vegan sour cream or a cashew cream to mimic sour cream if that's your thing.

• Vegan cheese- I don't usually eat vegan cheese with my fajitas, but you might like that as a topping, and that's totally fine!

• Fresh cilantro- if you love cilantro, feel free to add some.

• Hot sauce- my husband loves hot sauce on anything, so you may also.

You can use any of your favorite toppings to make these delicious vegan fajitas.

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Taste and Texture

These tastes and textures will vary depending on your choice of vegan protein. All of the options I listed have a meaty texture and taste very similar to what a chicken fajita would taste like.

The homemade fajita sauce is lightly sweet and smokey and has a little zing from the lemon.

The fajita veggies can be made crunchy or soft, depending on your cooking method.

All in all, these taste just like you would expect a fajita recipe to taste.

How to make

Step 1-

Start by soaking your soy curls. Take a medium-sized bowl, place your 2 cups of dried soy curls, and cover them completely with warm water. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, go ahead and strain them, you want to hand squeeze the water out and place it in a bowl or large ziplock bag.

Step 2-

While your soy curls are soaking, make your marinade. Take a small bowl and combine your marinade ingredients; stir until combined well.

Step 3-

Pour the marinade over the soy curls making sure they are all coated—place in the fridge for preferably an hour up to 24 hours.

Step 4-

Prepare a large frying pan or cast iron skillet on the stove on high heat.

After the hour is up, cut your onions and peppers into slices. If you prefer your onions and peppers to be softer, take a skillet, place a little bit of oil in it and cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Then add the marinated soy curls, cooking on medium-high heat until they start to crisp up. If you prefer harder vegetables, you can add the vegetables and soy curls simultaneously.

Step 5-

To serve, use corn or flour tortillas. Add your extras guacamole, salsa, black beans, or whatever you like on your fajitas.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Lightly grill your tortillas before loading them up with the fajita filling.
• If you're using soy curls, make sure to really squeeze all the water out so that it can take on the other flavors.
• Let these marinate for at least an hour, but preferably longer. I like to prep them in the morning and then let them marinate until dinner. I also have brought these camping many times and pre-marinated them.

How to Serve

These are best served warm in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings. I prefer corn tortillas, but everyone has their preferences regarding fajitas.

How to store and freeze

Store-

Place the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don't store them with toppings or tortillas for the best flavor and reheating.

You can reheat them in the microwave or a skillet with a little oil.

Freeze-

You can freeze these if you want to use leftovers for an easy weeknight dinner. Let them come to room temperature before placing them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Let them defrost in the fridge before reheating them in a large pan with a little oil.

Variations and Ad-ons

• For the protein, you can choose a variety of things like I talked about above; soy curls, vegan chicken, portobello mushrooms, or just all veggies by adding button mushrooms and whatever else you like.
• You can use whichever type of onion you like.
• Feel free to add half protein and half black beans.

Nutrition Benefits

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These easy vegan fajitas have a ton of flavor. They are full of delicious vegetables and high protein from the soy curls. If you use guacamole, they also have some great healthy fats.

Recipe FAQS

What do you serve with fajitas?

You can serve Mexican rice, taco salad, refried beans, seasoned pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, or whatever your favorite Mexican sides are.

Should fajita veggies be crunchy?

This is a personal choice, in my opinion. I don't like them too crunchy, but I don't like them soggy. They should still have a shape to them but be overall soft.

Recipes you may like

• Vegan Enchiladas
• Vegan Taquitos
• Vegan Nachos

If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.