One of my favorite quick pick up meals is a veggie bowl from Chipotle. I love their fajita veggies so I set out to recreate them. After nailing a ‘copycat’ I had to figure out a way to share them, hence this cheesy Shrimp Fajita Quesadilla! Easy, simple, and made in under 15 minutes, this recipe has become a quick favorite in my house 🙂
I love making these with shrimp because it’s one of my favorite proteins, but you can use steak, chicken, or beef. When using shrimp, I like to buy raw white shrimp. If you aren’t sure what type to buy, tell the person as the seafood counter what you’re making and ask what they think would be best! I find this really helpful and I always learn something new! They’ll tell you which seafoods are best for what, as well as how to prepare them.
How to make the fajita veggies:
Making these fajita veggies really takes this quesadilla over the top. The main factor in replicating that flavor is using a very hot pan. I like to use a cast iron but you can use whatever saute pan you prefer. Heat the oil up until it just starts to smoke and then add the veggies. You want to stir every 30 seconds, allowing the veggies to get a good char but not overly burn. Remove from heat after they are cooked through but still have a bit of a bite to them, about 2-3 minutes. These really are the star of this dish!
It doesn’t get much better than a recipe that is easy, simple, and on your table in 15 minutes. I top mine with sour cream, chives, pice de gallo, cilantro and loads of guacamole! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Shrimp & Veggie Fajita Quesadillas
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 small white onion
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
For the shrimp:
- 1 lb raw white shrimp peeled and deviened
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp ancho chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Extra ingredients:
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 cup queso
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
For the veggies:
- Peel and devien all of the shrimp and add to a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle on all of the seasoning under shrimp.
- Slice all of the peppers and onions and add to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and all of the seasonings listed under the vegetables. In a cast iron skillet or large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high heat until it just begins to smoke, about 1 minute. Once hot add the veggies. It will immediately start to sizzle so you need to move quickly! Occasionally stir to ensure the veggies don't burn one only one side, but you want to blacken them! Once the veggies are cooked through, 2-3 minutes, remove from the pan.
- In that same pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add in the shrimp. Cook each side for 1 minute, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add 1 quesadilla. Spread on ¼ cup quasi ,¼ veggies, ¼ of the shrimp and ½ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese. Add second quesadilla on top and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the bottom starts to turn golden brown. Flip and cook until this side is golden brown. Remove from the pan and repeat this process until all 4 quesadillas are made. Cut each into 4 pieces and serve immediately.
Great copycat recipe! I love the fajita veggies at Chipotle as well and this caught my eye so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I only had red and green peppers, so didn’t use the orange, just increased the red and green to make up for the quantity. With only that deviations I followed all else as stated and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the end dish. Family LOVED it as well and trust me they are picky eaters. Oh just one more thing, did I mention that I LOVED this, lol. No regrets in spending the extra for the raw shrimp and I’ll definitely be making this again and again and again.
Was looking for a Mexican dish for dinner and came across this recipe. Since we aren’t big seafood people I substituted in strips of flank steak. OMG it was delicious. Hubby asked that I keep the recipe in the queue. Great recipe, definitely a keeper.