I got that craving for fajitas the other day and just had to have ’em. I decided to switch things up a bit from my usual sheet pan fajitas and use portobello caps in place of the chicken. I also added a little smoky chipotle powder to the spice mix to keep things interesting. These Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas are a new and welcome twist on the classic. A little squeeze of lime on top and a slice or two of creamy avocado, and you have a really tasty veggie-filled dinner.
Portobello Mushrooms on a Budget
Portobello mushrooms aren’t the cheapest item in the produce aisle, so it’s important to use some of our budget byting principles here. First, make sure you compare prices both between available grocery stores and even within the store. If your grocery store sells them both packaged together and loose, be careful to compare the per-pound price because it might be cheaper to buy them loose!
Second, we’re going to combine the portobello mushrooms with other ingredients that are much less expensive, like onions, bell peppers, and tortillas to balance out the total price and keep the price per serving on the low side.
Make it Spicy or Mild
The recipe, as written below, is a little smoky and spicy thanks to the chipotle powder in the fajita spice mix. If you prefer a mild fajita, skip the chipotle powder and make sure to use a chili powder blend that is mild. If you want your fajitas to be smoky but not spicy, replace the chipotle powder with smoked paprika.
Meal Prep It!
The filling for the fajitas works great as a meal prep. Just pack up the roasted mushroom, pepper, and onion mix in a lunch container with a slice of lime and a couple of tortillas. When it’s time for lunch, remove the tortillas and lime, reheat, then fill the tortillas, squeeze your lime, and enjoy!
For the avocado, I suggest slicing a few slices off the whole avocado each day. Only the exposed surface will darken, and it only darkens slightly (it doesn’t turn completely black like mashed avocado). The darkening of the avocado does not mean it is spoiled, it just means that it has been exposed to oxygen (like a brown apple), and is still perfectly safe to eat.
What to Serve with Portobello Fajitas
Sweet Corn Salsa or Summer Sweet Corn Salad would be a wonderfully light and fresh contrast to these portobello fajitas. And if you want to dress them up a little bit more you could whip up a quick batch of Guacamole or Pico de Gallo!
Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas
Servings 4 (two fajitas each)Ingredients
FAJITA SPICE MIX
- 1 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1 tsp sugar** ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
FAJITAS
- 2 portobello mushroom caps ($3.99)
- 2 bell peppers (any color) ($2.29)
- 2 yellow onions ($0.64)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil ($0.38)
- 8 small flour tortillas (6-inch) ($1.00)
- 1 avocado ($1.09)
- handful cilantro (optional) ($0.25)
- 1 fresh lime ($0.59)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the fajita spice mix
- Slice the portobellos, bell peppers, and onions into 1/4 inch wide strips. Place the sliced vegetables on a large sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables then sprinkle the fajita spice mix over top. Use your hands to toss the vegetables until everything is well coated in oil and spices.
- Roast the vegetables in the fully preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly wilted and the edges have a nice brown color. Stir the vegetables half way through the roasting time to make sure everything gets even exposure to the hot air.
- After removing the vegetables from the oven, squeeze fresh lime juice over top. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the vegetables. To serve the fajitas, scoop a small amount of the roasted vegetables into each tortilla and add a slice of avocado.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, stir together 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt.
I used 8 oz. portobello caps (2-3 depending on their size), two bell peppers (any color), and two yellow onions for my fajitas.
Slice the vegetables into strips about ¼-inch wide. I also cut the portobello strips in half, so the pieces aren’t quite so large. Place the sliced vegetables on a large sheet pan.
Drizzle 3 Tbsp olive oil over the vegetables, then sprinkle the prepared fajita seasoning over top.
Use your hands to toss the vegetables in the oil and spices until everything is evenly coated, then make sure the vegetables are spread out over the baking sheet in an even layer.
Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until they are slightly wilted and have browned on the edges. Stir the vegetables halfway through the roasting time to make sure everything gets even exposure to the hot air.
After roasting, squeeze lime juice over the vegetables and top with chopped cilantro.
To serve, scoop a small amount of the fajita vegetables into each small tortilla and add a slice of fresh avocado.
Seriously, these Chipotle Portobello Oven Fajitas are probably one of my favorite vegan recipes!
Oh. My. God. I have sworn by your recipes for probably about 3 years now, I own your book, and I’m CONSTANTLY telling people that I love this blog. That having been said, I think this is my favorite Budget Bytes recipe yet! I didn’t have Chipotle spice, so I used Cayenne instead, which was still delicious. Thank you for helping me trick my family into thinking I’m a good and creative cook for all of these years!
Thank you!! :)
These are INSANELY good, thank you!! Healthy, easy and delicious
Omg.. Made these the other night and they were amazing!! Instead of dried chipolte seasoning I had a can of chipoltes in adobo and I used the sauce they come in along with some dried spices to season. Used the leftovers in quesadillas the following night. Definitely a keeper! Thanks, Beth, for sharing all your awesome ideas!
I made this up the other night when I had a couple bell peppers I needed to use. Hubby wasn’t too keen on it at first since there was no meat. But he ate half the pan! He even said that with the big thick mushrooms he didn’t feel like he was eatting a vegan meal. And after running the recipe through my calorie app it turns out to be less then 100 calories per serving before adding the tortillas. That was a win for me!
Original fajitas, I love it!
Great with the additions of mushrooms and chipotle. I thought it was perfectly seasoned and spicy, my kid disagreed.
The original recipe ( which I make a lot!) uses cornstarch in the spice mix to help it thicken. Does this not need any?
I did it without this time and I felt it was just as good. :)
Did you find these loose mushroom caps at Rouses? If so I must not be looking hard enough!
Yep! The one in mid-city, too. :) They’re usually on the bottom shelf of the mushroom area. This time, though, they were the last couple of caps in the bin, so hopefully they’re not going to stop selling them that way!
Thanks – will have to check the one by me out on Airline. I really hope they still have them loose, I bring my own reusable produce bags so they would be perfect for this. I (very unfortunately) left MidCity 2 moves ago. Still my favorite neighborhood! :)
It’s still my favorite neighborhood, too. :) There is a Rouse’s less than 2 blocks from my new place, but still go to the Mid-city location. LOL
These look amazing! I’ve made a veggie roast like this before for gyros, but I never thought to add sugar to it to increase the caramelization . I’ll have to try that!
Thanks!
Yum! This looks easy delicious and affordable. Best combo basically :) I especially love seeing the avocado in there. Avo just makes everything better, doesnt it?
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
Looks delicious! Great recipe!
Another trick to save money on mushrooms is to use crimini mushrooms instead of portobellas. Crimini mushrooms aren’t as strong in flavor as portabellas but have more flavor than white/button mushrooms. Criminis are usually cheaper than portabellas and not much mpre than white.
Yummy!!
Beth – my mouth is watering – another good (and easy) recipe for me. You rock!
These look unbelievably good! And great tip on checking prices of prepackaged vs. per pound. I need to remember that more often.