Vegetable Fajitas
A colorful and vibrant stir-fry of red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and red onions cooked over high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Served steaming hot and topped with a fresh bunch of cilantro leaves.
25 min
Tex-Mex / Mexicana
3 servings
The story behind
Fajitas are a Tex-Mex steakhouse favorite, legendary for their dramatic, sizzling entrance. This plant-based take focuses on capturing that smoky depth directly from a smoking-hot cast-iron pan. By searing the bell peppers and onions quickly over high heat, we caramelize their natural sugars to achieve those beautiful, slightly charred edges seen in the photo, rounded out by a burst of fresh cilantro.
Instructions
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1Prep all the vegetables by cutting them into uniform strips, roughly half a centimeter thick.
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2Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over high heat until it is smoking hot. Pour in the cooking oil.
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3Toss the sliced red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and red onions directly into the hot pan. You should hear an immediate, loud sizzle.
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4Cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal is to tenderize the vegetables slightly while keeping a crisp bite and achieving those glossy, charred edges from the image.
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5Season evenly with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
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6Just before cutting the heat, squeeze the lime juice over the fajitas to loosen and incorporate the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
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7Remove from the burner and serve immediately while still in the skillet to preserve the rising steam effect.
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8Bunch a generous cluster of fresh cilantro leaves right in the center and scatter a few smaller pieces around the pan to match the original presentation.
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