These Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas are an easy weeknight dinner when you need to get a delicious meal on the table fast. The tender, juicy shrimp and flavorful peppers and onions are perfectly seasoned with fajita seasoning and roasted together in the same pan. Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings for a simple restaurant-quality meal.
What we love about Shrimp Sheet Pan Fajitas
When we go out to eat for Mexican food, I almost always order shrimp fajitas, or a chicken and shrimp combo. It’s a favorite combination of flavors for me. The truth is, they are sooo easy to make at home without all of the waiting of going out to eat. I love preparing dinners with shrimp because they cook so quickly, making dinner prep a breeze, and I can get dinner on the table fast. My kids really like shrimp, so it’s always a win.
I have kids who don’t like peppers and onions but love these shrimp fajitas. The combination of the shrimp, fajita seasoning, roasted veggies, tortillas, and your favorite toppings is just a big old flavor bomb. We love serving this with avocado or guacamole, sour cream, and sometimes I’ll throw together a chipotle mayo for an extra topping that’s good with it.
This is a meal that is restaurant-quality good, and also an easy, perfect weeknight meal. It’s easily prepared in about 30-35 minutes, and one of the best parts of it all roasting in the same pan is that it’s also easy cleanup.
If you are looking for other easy weeknight meals, try our Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream, our Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs, Cheesy Mini Meatloaves, or our Chicken Bruschetta with Mozzarella
What you need to make this Recipe for Sheet Pan Fajitas
You will need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Extra-large shrimp
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Yellow bell pepper
- Orange pepper
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Chipotle chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Oregano
- Garlic powder
- Sugar
- Corn or flour tortillas
Sheet Pan Fajitas Shrimp Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can use smaller-sized shrimp (or larger) if desired.
- You could substitute chicken for the shrimp.
- You could serve with rice and beans instead of tortillas (or in addition to)
- You can use store-bought fajita seasoning instead of your own.
- You can honestly use different colored peppers, use 3 of your choice, or 2 of one and 1 of another if that is what you have.
- You can substitute vegetable oil or another cooking oil for the olive oil.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and sugar to make the fajita seasoning.
Step 2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the peppers, onion, 1/2 of the seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 3. Spread onto the sheet pan in an even layer and bake for 8 minutes. While the peppers bake, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the shrimp, remaining seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 4. Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. With tongs or a spatula, move the peppers and onions down to one side of the pan and place the shrimp in an even layer on the empty part of the pan. Bake the shrimp for 6-9 minutes. Once the shrimp are slightly curled in a loose C shape and are opaque and pink/orange, they are done.
Garnish with cilantro and/or lime juice if desired. Serve immediately with tortillas and optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, avocado, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, or jalapeños.
Tips
- Frozen shrimp is easy to use in this recipe. I prefer using frozen shrimp; the shrimp is frozen at its peak quality. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before, and if the shrimp is still slightly frozen at dinner time, cut two small holes in the bottom of the shrimp bag and rinse the shrimp with cold water so the water escapes out the bottom of the bag. Continue to rinse for a few minutes until the shrimp is no longer frozen.
- If there’s no time to thaw, frozen shrimp can be placed in a large bowl in the sink. Run cold water over the bowl continuously, so the water fills the bowl and spills out for about 5 minutes to defrost. The bowl should be about twice the size of the amount of shrimp to defrost. Alternatively, put the frozen shrimp in a sealed bag in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes, weighing down the shrimp with a plate so it doesn’t float above the surface of the water.
- My favorite sheet pan to use for baking and roasting is the USA Half Sheet Pan (17. 25 x 12. 25 x 1.75 inches). It’s made with commercial- grade and heavy-gauge aluminized steel. It has a nonstick silicone coating, and everything cooks evenly and beautifully on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas? |
| Leftovers should be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the tortillas and the fajita ingredients separately, or the tortillas will get soggy. Cooked shrimp that has been previously frozen does not refreeze well. |
| How to reheat Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas? |
| Reheat gently on low heat in a skillet or microwave to avoid overcooking the shrimp. |
| Can you make Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas in advance? |
| a. I recommend serving the shrimp right after cooking it, as reheating it can cause the shrimp to overcook and become tough or rubbery. You can, however, do a lot of prep in advance by slicing the onion and peppers or mixing together the fajita seasoning up to 24 hours in advance (the seasoning can be made several months in advance and stored in an airtight container). b. Assemble the fajitas just before serving so the tortillas don’t get too soft or soggy. |
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
These Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas are an easy weeknight dinner when you need to get a delicious meal on the table fast. The tender, juicy shrimp and flavorful peppers and onions are perfectly seasoned with fajita seasoning and all roasted together in the same pan. Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings for a simple restaurant-quality meal.
6
servings20
minutes15
minutes35
minutesIngredients
Shrimp & Veggies
12 Corn or 6 Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 pounds XL shrimp (21-25 shrimp per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 onion, sliced and halved.
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Fajita Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Optional garnish: cilantro and/or lime juice
Optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, avocado, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, or jalapeños
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and sugar to make the fajita seasoning.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the peppers, onion, 1/2 of the seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread onto the sheet pan in an even layer and bake for 8 minutes.
- While the peppers bake, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the shrimp, remaining seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. With tongs or a spatula, move the peppers and onions down to one side of the pan and place the shrimp in an even layer on the empty part of the pan.
- Bake the shrimp for 6-9 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. I start checking between 6 and 7 minutes. Once the shrimp are slightly curled in a loose C shape and are opaque and pink/orange, they are done.
- Toss the shrimp and veggies together if desired and garnish with cilantro and/or lime juice. Serve immediately with tortillas and optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, avocado, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, or jalapeños.
Notes
- I recommend setting a timer when cooking the shrimp to ensure that it doesn’t overcook. It will continue to cook slightly after removing from the pan. Overcooking the shrimp results in a rubbery, chewy texture. You can tell it’s cooked when it starts to form a loose “C” shape (an “O” shape would be overcooked) and turns from gray to slightly pink or orange and opaque, depending on the type of shrimp.
- I buy the shrimp already peeled and deveined to cut down on preparation time. You can also sometimes find shrimp with the tails removed. I do suggest removing the tails to make the shrimp easier to eat in this dish.
- Frozen shrimp is easy to use in this recipe. I prefer using frozen shrimp; the shrimp is frozen at its peak quality. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before, and if the shrimp is still slightly frozen at dinner time, cut two small holes in the bottom of the shrimp bag and rinse the shrimp with cold water so the water escapes out the bottom of the bag. Continue to rinse for a few minutes until the shrimp is no longer frozen.
- If there’s no time to thaw, frozen shrimp can be placed in a large bowl in the sink. Run cold water over the bowl continuously, so the water fills the bowl and spills out for about 5 minutes to defrost. The bowl should be about twice the size of the amount of shrimp to defrost. Alternatively, put the frozen shrimp in a sealed bag in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes, weighing down the shrimp with a plate so it doesn’t float above the surface of the water.
- I use XL-sized shrimp in this recipe, 21-25 shrimp per pound. The baking time for the shrimp is based on their size. I recommend roasting for 6-9 minutes, checking at 6-7 minutes.
- You can line your sheet pan with parchment paper if you like, and grease the parchment paper. The veggies and shrimp will brown a little better without the parchment paper.
