Grilled vegan fajitas have an incredible smoky taste and are so easy to make that you won't want to ever eat them away from home again.
When I'm craving Mexican food, we have our favorite "go-to" vegan restaurants in town that we love. Since we live in Arizona, we are fortunate to have a lot of vegan-friendly Mexican restaurants. However, the only struggle I encounter is avoiding oil since one of my favorite dishes is vegan fajitas. Unfortunately, even when I order vegan fajitas without oil, they still arrive at the table swimming in oil.
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Even though I love going out to dinner, I've learned the value of cooking at home to keep it clean and healthy. And, despite my desire to go out, eating at home is not only healthier, but it's also way cheaper!
So, let's make it simple, to die for vegan fajitas at home and make them oil-free and healthy.
Ingredients
- Portobello Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms are larger and firmer than standard mushrooms. I like them because they are "meaty" and stay firm when cooked.
- Jalapenos: Whenever I cook with jalapenos, I wear gloves and remove the seeds before cutting.
- Red Peppers: Red peppers bring beautiful color to fajitas and a sweet flavor that pairs with the jalapenos.
- Onions: I prefer white or yellow onion if fajitas because when they are grilled, they take on a deep, caramelized flavor.
- Zucchini: I prefer zucchini in fajitas because they are a bit firmer than summer squash and grill very well.
Although you can choose any vegetables to grill for vegan fajitas, I kept it consistent with one of my favorite Mexican restaurants near my house. I love our local Mexican restaurant, Salt and Lime, because they have a lot of vegan options, and they serve portobello mushrooms, which I consider vegan meat.
Another reason I chose these ingredients is because they are in season, which is also cost-effective. Because I am grilling the vegetables together, I want to ensure they are about the same size when I cut them. As a result, the vegetables will cook at the same rate without becoming soggy or overcooked.
Substitute or Additional Ingredients
- Use red onion for a sweeter taste profile.
- I love grilled avocado as a possible addition. However, ensure the avocado is firm so it doesn't fall apart when grilled.
- Cauliflower absorbs flavors well when marinated.
- Choose green onions for a lighter onion flavor.
- Green peppers are often used in fajitas.
- Summer squash is a possible substitute for zucchini.
Marinade Ingredients
As a rule, I like to marinate pretty much everything overnight. In my opinion, marinating overnight gives the vegetables time to absorb the flavors of the marinade, making them perfect for grilling without oil.
- Hatch Green Chilis: hatch green chilis are the perfect chile-loving balance of flavor and heat. They taste very harsh raw, so they are nearly always roasted. Flame roasting creates the caramelization of sugars, which adds a tantalizing smoky flavor to the chile.
- Fresh Lime Juice: If possible, I suggest using fresh lime juice.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro brings a freshness to the marinade.
Once the three magic ingredients are mixed, pour over the raw chopped vegetables, cover them and shake them. Then, refrigerate overnight, or as long as you can wait.
How to Grill the Vegetables
- Preheat the grill to 400 degrees
- Using a grill basket, place all the marinated vegetables in the base of the basket.
- Leave any remaining marinade in the base of the container to use later
- Place the grill basket directly on the grill
- Close the cover and cook for 20 minutes; open the grill, and toss the vegetables every 5 minutes.
- Return the grilled vegetables to the container with the remaining marinade.
Suggested Toppings
Since we are keeping it healthy and vegan, I skipped the traditional cheese (not even vegan), nor did we have vegan sour cream. But feel free to use vegan cheese, sour cream, or your favorite fajitas toppings. My favorite restaurant also serves rice, but since we had tortillas, I also skipped the rice.
I did, however, make homemade guacamole. To take a shortcut, you can buy guacamole already made; make sure it doesn't contain dairy, as some brands do. Also, I cut up tomatoes and Romaine lettuce and heated some vegan refried beans to serve as well.
Other Suggested Toppings
- Vegan cheese
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Red onion
And, when it was all said and done, there wasn't a morsel of anything left on the platters.
Recipe FAQs
Hatch green chilis are found in the Mexican section of the store in a small can. Or if you are looking to buy fresh green chiles, summertime is when they are often picked and found at the farmer's market.
While tacos come to the table already filled with ingredients, fajitas are compiled by diners at the table. Then the person generally chooses between soft corn or flour tortillas and adds desired toppings.
In Spanish, a fajita is a form of the word "faja" which translates to "belt" or "girdle" in English. The fajita is truly a Tex-Mex food (a blending of Texas cowboy and Mexican panchero foods).
Tips
- I suggest marinating overnight, or minimally 4-6 hours for the best flavor.
- Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook at the same rate.
- Using a grill basket helps keep the vegetables from going through the grill's grates.
- Prepare the toppings in advance.
- While the fajitas are cooking on the grill, warm the tortillas.
- Serve fajitas family style so that everyone can choose their toppings.
Your family will love this quick and easy vegan fajita recipe!
Other Great Mexican Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini cut into coins and then cut in half
- 2 large portobello mushrooms gills and steam removed, sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 white onion cut into strips
- 1 jalapeño deveined, seeds removed, sliced into strips
Vegan Fajitas Marinade
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup hatch chili sauce or salsa of choice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Tortillas choose corn, flour or gluten-free
Instructions
Marinate Vegetables
- Combine ingredients by stirring together
- Cut vegetables into similar sizes and combine them in a refrigerator safe container with marinade overnight.
Cooking the Fajitas
- Preheat the grill to 400 degrees
- Using a grill basket, place all the marinated vegetables in the base of the basket.
- Leave any remaining marinade in the base of the container to use later
- Place the grill basket directly on the grill
- Close the cover and cook for 20 minutes, making sure to open the grill, and toss the vegetables every 5 minutes.
- Return the grilled vegetables to the container with the remaining marinade.
Vegan Fajita Toppings
- Guacamole (homemade or store-bought)
- Romaine lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Vegan refried beans
- Tortillas (flour, corn or gluten-free)
Notes
- Cut vegetables the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Marinate the vegetables overnight if possible for the best results.
- Preheat the grill before placing the grill basket on the grate.
- Save the extra marinade to pour over the vegetables after grilling.
- Prepare toppings and warm the tortillas before grilling the fajita vegetables.
- Serve fajitas on a platter with the tortillas and toppings on the side.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
jo
My husband can't tolerate anything too spicy. If these are hot, can you recommend any chiles that are mild?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Jo, red bell peppers are not hot at all. Just skip the grilled jalapeno. You can add green peppers as well as a mild alternative. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Stay safe and healthy.