When I want fajitas but steaks are not in my budget, it means I have to get creative. Introducing these quick and easy Ground Beef Fajitas! They’re made with lean ground beef chuck, a simple homemade fajita seasoning, and lots of colorful bell peppers. This recipe is ready in just 30 minutes, and everything cooks in the same skillet. There’s no need to fire up the grill, marinade the meat, or use multiple pans with this easy Tex-Mex recipe. It’s a fun and simple way to have fajitas any night of the week, and my family loves it!
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My budget-friendly take on beef fajitas might use simple ingredients, but I promise the flavor is anything BUT simple. I use my homemade fajita seasoning mix for this recipe. It’s made with pantry staples and it’s way cheaper than buying store-bought fajita seasoning in a grocery store. Then, all you need is ground beef chuck, fresh bell peppers, an onion, and tortillas, and you’re all set to make these delicious fajitas in no time!
Budget-Friendly Tips!
- Use any color bell peppers that you want. I chose a combination of red, yellow, and green bell peppers because it gives the final dish lots of color. But keep in mind green bell peppers are usually the cheapest, whereas red, yellow, and orange bell peppers often cost a little bit more. You can also just use 2 bell peppers instead of 3 to save even more money!
- If you’ve got another meat in your fridge to be used up, you can substitute it for the ground beef. Ground chicken, pork, or turkey are easy swaps. You can also use thinly sliced chicken breast, like we use in our popular sheet pan chicken fajitas recipe. Just be sure to fully cook it before mixing it with the bell peppers and onion. The seasoning mix in this recipe makes enough to season 1 lb. of meat.
- Have everything else you need but don’t have fajita-sized flour tortillas? Larger flour tortillas will work if that’s what you’ve got, but they’ll turn out more like a burrito than a fajita! Just keep in mind using larger tortillas might reduce the total serving size. My recipe, as written, makes 4 servings of 2 ground beef fajitas each. Larger tortillas will need more filling, so you’ll likely end up with one large fajita per serving instead.
Ground Beef Fajitas Recipe
Servings 4 servings (2 fajitas each)Ingredients
- 2 tsp chili powder ($0.20)
- 2 tsp ground cumin ($0.20)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.10)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.08)
- 1 lb. ground beef chuck* ($5.99)
- 3 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.86)
- 1 red bell pepper ($1.48)
- 1 yellow bell pepper ($1.48)
- 1 small yellow or white onion ($0.43)
- 2 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro ($0.12)
- 1 lime ($0.25)
- 8 flour tortillas, fajita size ($1.39)
Instructions
- Mix all of the spices for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper). Then slice the bell peppers and onion into thin strips and set them aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown the ground beef chuck. Drain any excess fat.
- Once the beef has browned, add the prepared fajita seasoning and water. Stir and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Transfer the seasoned ground beef to a separate plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the cooking oil, sliced bell peppers and sliced onion. Sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Try not to over cook the veggies. They should be slightly tender, but still crisp.
- Now add back in the seasoned ground beef. Stir everything together and allow the ground beef to heat through. Finish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with warmed fajita-size tortillas** and all your favorite toppings***. Enjoy!
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Equipment
- Large Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Ground Beef Fajitas — step by step photos
Add 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a small bowl and mix to combine. Then, slice 3 bell peppers and 1 small onion into thin strips. Set the seasoning mix and the prepared vegetables aside for now.
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 lb. ground beef chuck and sauté until fully browned. Drain away any excess fat from the meat once browned.
When the ground beef has browned, add your prepared fajita seasoning and 3 Tbsp water. Stir together and cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the seasoned ground beef to a separate plate and set aside.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil, the sliced bell peppers, and sliced onion to the same skillet you cooked the ground beef in.
Sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp. Be careful not to overcook them, or they’ll become too soft.
Return the seasoned ground beef to the skillet with the peppers and onions.
Mix to combine and allow the ground beef to heat back through. Sprinkle over 2 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice from 1 lime. Divide the filling between 8 warmed fajita-size tortillas and add all your favorite toppings! Serve and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
I usually go for a side of rice when I want to bulk out this meal for my family. Our Spanish rice recipe is ready in the same amount of time as these fajitas and is INCREDIBLY simple to make. I also really like a side of tortilla chips and dip (usually sour cream, guac, or black bean dip). But after I made this recipe again the other day, I had some leftovers and added the ground beef filling to a burrito bowl made with white rice, black beans, and salsa, and it was SO good!
Storage & Reheating
Once cooled, store any leftover ground beef and veggie filling (not the tortillas) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop with a splash of water over medium heat until fully heated through. You can also freeze any leftover filling for up to 3 months, but bell peppers and onions can get a bit mushy when thawed and reheated. If you don’t mind this, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
