Name: Vegetarian Fajitas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked rice; 2 cups water; 2 limes; 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro; Salt and pepper; 2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 large potatoes); 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided); 1 red onion; 4 bell peppers (I use 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 green); 2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 can black beans (and/or corn, drained and rinsed, optional); 1 cup mayo (good quality, full-fat); 3 limes; 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce; Toppings as desired (see note 1)

The best Vegetarian Fajitas with seasoned sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onions. You can have it over rice or in tortillas. Plus, get tips to make it a quick meal prep for your week.

After you’ve gotten hooked on Vegetarian Fajitas, you’ve got to try these other vegetarian meals: Vegetarian Tacos, Roasted Butternut Squash Couscous Bowls, or this Quinoa Salad.

Vegetarian Fajitas in a bowl

Vegetarian Fajitas

As I’ve brainstormed recipes for the new year, I keep going back to some of the favorites that I’ve shared here. One of the recipes that we make over and over again is these Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls. They’re quick to make, don’t require many ingredients, are packed with flavor, and have plenty of great ingredients.

This fajita bowl recipe has all the same things — fast, easy, and protein-packed. I’m sure they’re going to join the burrito bowls in regular rotation.

Ingredients In Vegetarian Fajitas

For these fajitas, I replace the meat with sweet potato and black beans. Both ingredients provide plenty of fiber and protein that will leave you feeling full.
The rest of the ingredients are pretty standard for what you’d find in regular fajitas. Try bell peppers, onions, and your favorite toppings: avocado (or guac), fresh lime, fresh cilantro, and rice.
I finish these fajitas with an incredible sauce made up of seasonings, fresh lime, Sriracha (for some heat!), and mayo.
Other options to put in fajitas: sour cream (low-fat or fat-free works), pico de gallo (or just fresh tomatoes), freshly grated/crumbled cheese

Now that we’ve talked a bit about what goes into a fajita, let’s talk about how to make them. First up: veggie prep!

Prepping green peppers for Vegetarian Fajitas

Cutting bell peppers:

Cut off the stem and bottom of the pepper: This allows you to place the pepper upright on your cutting board. No more worries about it moving (and you’ll avoid cutting yourself).
Cut off each side (4 cuts): Cut close to the edges to get rid of as much of the core and ribs as possible. Discard the core and seeds.
Cut each piece into strips: Create strips of even thickness for this recipe. (More here: How to Cut a Bell Pepper)

Cut all the bell peppers into strips and then cut the red onion into strips. You’ll also want to cut the sweet potato into long strips like you’re making sweet potato fries.

Quick Tip

To easily cut the red onion, first slice in half and then remove the outer peel of each half. Thinly slice each half to get strips of onion.

Once all the veggies are prepped, we’re going to toss them in a quick homemade fajita seasoning mix. Don’t be scared to make your own mix; I promise it is so easy! We’ll use this seasoning mix on the peppers, sweet potatoes, and sauce, so it’s well worth the extra couple of minutes to throw together.

Fajita Seasoning Mix

To make your own (EASY) fajita seasoning mix, add the following spices in a bowl and stir to combine:

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon white sugar (helps even out the spice!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

As mentioned, the seasoning mix goes on the sweet potatoes and the pepper/onion mixture. Toss each tray of veggies with the seasoning and some olive oil, and it’s ready to roast.

You can prepare everything else while the veggies are getting roasted:

Either char some tortillas (flour or corn) on the grill or on the stovetop or prepare some rice
Prep the sauce: Take the rest of the seasoning mix and whisk it with some fresh lime juice, Sriracha, and mayo.
Prep the black beans: Drain and rinse the black beans. To save time (and dishes!), I toss the washed beans with the pepper/onion mixture straight out of the oven to warm them through and add some extra spice.
Assemble toppings: Get ready to add whatever you want to your bowls or tortillas!

If you’re looking to make the peppers/onions in a skillet instead of the oven, Here’s how we do it. I prefer oven roasting, but you can use a skillet in a pinch. I wouldn’t recommend cooking the sweet potatoes in a skillet. If you want to cook the sweet potato in a skillet, make sure to cube it into bite-sized pieces first.

How do you make Veggie Fajitas in a Skillet?

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is hot, add in the peppers, onions, and 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Stir the veggies often to evenly cook.
Cook until the peppers and onions are softened but aren’t mushy (“crisp-tender”). Serve immediately from the skillet!

How to Meal Prep Vegetarian Fajitas:

These fajita bowls are delicious in a meal prep, but honestly, they’re best eaten within 3 days. Obviously, the fresh avocado/guacamole doesn’t last day to day, but I like to just add the avocado right before eating. (Store leftover avocado in a plastic bag with lime juice squeezed on it in the fridge.) The veggies/peppers are not as crisp on day 2 or 3, but if that doesn’t bother you; you’ll love this meal prep!

If meal prepping, I found that cubed sweet potatoes and cubed peppers ended up being the best (instead of cutting in strips). Cut the peppers, onion, and sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces and roast them if meal prepping.

To store in meal prep containers: Place rice down first, add roasted veggie topping on top, and black beans on top. Store the dressing in a separate container. Keep the avocado/guacamole in a separate container. Add fresh lime or cilantro on the side.

Serve Vegetarian Fajitas With:

Cucumber Salad easy to make
Italian Salad customizable
Super popular Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Chicken Salad also meal preps great
Roasted Sweet Potatoes readers favorite

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5 from 1 vote

Vegetarian Fajitas

By Chelsea Lords

These Veggie-Packed Fajitas are loaded with seasoned sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Serve them in tortillas or over rice for a delicious meal—perfect for meal prep too!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Small pot heavy
2 large sheet pans
Parchment paper

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Rice

▢ 1 cup uncooked rice
▢ 2 cups water
▢ 2 limes
▢ 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
▢ Salt and pepper

Veggies

▢ 2 pounds sweet potatoes 2 large potatoes
▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
▢ 1 red onion
▢ 4 bell peppers I use 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 green
▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 can black beans and/or corn, drained and rinsed, optional

Sauce

▢ 1 cup mayo good quality, full-fat
▢ 3 limes
▢ 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
▢ Toppings as desired see note 1

Instructions

Cilantro Lime Rice

In a small, heavy pot, combine rice, water, and a teaspoon salt. Follow package directions to cook. Zest and juice limes to get 1 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice. Fluff the rice and stir in lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

Veggies

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place oven racks 6–8 inches from the heat source. Line two extra-large sheet pans with parchment paper (helps avoid sticking).
Toss seasonings together: chili powder, paprika, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside—you’ll use this mix 3 times in this recipe.
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into fry-shaped pieces (see note 2) about 1/4-inch wide and 1/4-inch thick. (Cut in similar sizes for an even bake). Add to one sheet pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix over the potatoes. Toss until potatoes are covered and arrange the “fries” in an even layer without overlapping. (Otherwise, they won’t get crispy!) Place in oven 20 minutes, flip around, and cook another 10–15 minutes or until crispy!
Cut onion and pepper into slices, then add to the other sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons of seasoning mix. Again, make sure all veggies are well coated and evenly spaced so they get crispy! Bake 15 minutes, toss, and bake another 7–14 minutes or until crisp-tender. If using beans or corn, toss (completely drained and dried) with the peppers as they come out of the oven to warm through.

Sauce and Serve

Zest and juice limes to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 6 tablespoons juice. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, lime juice, lime zest, Sriracha, and any remaining seasoning (you should have about 3 teaspoons leftover). Whisk to combine.
Assemble: In a tortilla or on a plate, layer rice, sweet potatoes, and peppers; add any additional toppings (avocado/guac, cilantro, and/or cheese). Top with additional lime as desired and drizzle sauce over everything. Enjoy immediately.
Meal Prep: Layer rice, top with sweet potatoes and peppers (and black beans/corn if desired). Store the dressing in a separate container. Add fresh ingredients such as avocado, cilantro, and lime the morning of. To keep avocado fresh, squeeze generously with lime juice before packing it in the meal prep container. If possible, add avocado right before eating.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Optional toppings: fresh avocado/guacamole, extra cilantro, extra lime juice, cheese, etc.

Note 2: If meal prepping, I recommend cutting the potatoes and peppers into chunks instead of strips.

Nutrition Note: Nutritional information includes rice but not optional black beans, corn, or guacamole.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Veggie packed fajitas in a bowl with perfectly seasoned sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onion. The pictures for this recipe show these vegetarian fajitas served over rice, but you can serve them in corn or flour tortillas. Plus tips to use this recipe as a weekly meal prep via chelseasmessyapron.com #vegetarian #veggie #fajita #easy #quick #lunch #meal #prep #pepper #avocado #onion #blackbeans #rice

2 Comments

Sarah says:

March 13, 2020 at 7:04 pm

I love this recipe! I’ve made it at least 4 times and found it to be great for meal prep. I serve mine as bowls with the cilantro lime rice and black beans. The roasted sweet potatoes are one of my favorite parts of this dish – I love how they taste with the other flavors.

1. Chelsea Lords says:
  
  March 17, 2020 at 3:07 pm
  
  YAYYY!! I’m sooo happy to hear this!! The sweet potatoes are my faves too! Thanks for your comment! 🙂

Vegetarian Fajitas

Vegetarian Fajitas

Ingredients In Vegetarian Fajitas

How do you make Veggie Fajitas in a Skillet?

How to Meal Prep Vegetarian Fajitas:

Vegetarian Fajitas

Equipment

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Rice

Veggies

Sauce

Instructions

Cilantro Lime Rice

Veggies

Sauce and Serve

Recipe Notes

Nutrition

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