Air Fryer Vegetarian Fajitas

These vegetarian fajitas are packed with smoky, spicy vegetables and crispy halloumi - and best of all, they're cooked in an air fryer, so they're super low effort!

If you own an air fryer, you'll know how much they can transform the way you cook. They make all sorts of meals quicker and more hands-off (air fryer stuffed peppers cook in just 7 minutes!), while not compromising on flavour (and in fact, making things tastier!). Here's a super simple air fryer recipe that shows off the appliance perfectly - air fryer vegetarian fajitas!

What are fajitas?

I share quite a lot of Tex-Mex recipes here on the blog, but rarely fajita recipes! And since fajitas are one of the mainstays of Tex-Mex food, I thought this should be rectified.

Fajitas are usually made with strips of meat and vegetables, seared in a hot pan until they are sizzling. Then it's all wrapped up in a soft tortilla, along with all sorts of tasty toppings.

Vegetarian fajitas obviously forgo the meat, either by simply being vegetable-based, or by replacing it with an alternative. For these air fryer fajitas, I used strips of halloumi cheese to add a beautiful chewiness (read all about how to cook halloumi here!).

Why make fajitas in an air fryer?

Fajitas are easy to make and, of course, if you don't have an air fryer, you could totally cook this recipe in a frying pan instead.

But I do love using my air fryer for things like this, as there are lots of benefits:

• You don't need to concentrate on your dinner as it cooks - there's no stirring necessary. Just turn the machine on, and you can ignore it for a while.
• There's no risk of the ingredients sticking to the pan if you lose concentration (which makes washing up a breeze!).
• While the food cooks, you can be getting on with preparing the toppings (or dessert, or whatever) - it takes a job off your hands.
• It gives a really lovely char and crispiness to the ingredients that you don't always get in a frying pan, and only adds to the smoky flavour.

This is the air fryer I have, which I absolutely love.

How to make air fryer fajitas

If I've convinced you to give these a try, here's how you'll make them. It really couldn't be simpler.

Step 1: Mix the vegetables and spices

First, cut up your vegetables, and add some tasty Tex-Mex inspired spices.

I usually mix my ingredients in a bowl before adding them to my air fryer basket. It just makes it a little easier to stir it all thoroughly, and to make sure everything's well coated in the spices. You can mix everything directly in your air fryer, if you prefer (which is a bit more fiddly, but will save you from having to wash the bowl!).

Step 2: Cook in the air fryer

Pop your spice-coated vegetables in the air fryer. Allow them to cook for around 15 minutes or so - they really don't take long.

By this stage, your vegetables will be beautifully soft, with crispy bits beginning to form around the edges.

Step 3: Add the halloumi

After giving the veg a quick stir, place some sticks of halloumi cheese on top. Then, back into the air fryer it goes - just enough to cook the halloumi. It will be soft and gooey inside, with a crispy exterior.

Step 4: Serve in soft tortillas

You can use flour or corn tortillas to serve your fajita mixture. I prefer flour ones.

Here I used mini tortillas, but feel free to use the big ones if you prefer (they're definitely easier to wrap up!).

Step 5: Add your favourite toppings

And finally, the toppings!

No Tex-Mex meal is complete without plenty of tasty toppings, and these vegetarian fajitas are no different.

I like to serve fajitas as a sort of do-it-yourself meal, with each topping laid out on the table for people to serve up themselves. It allows everyone to customise their own fajitas, and keeps everyone happy!

What can you put in fajitas?

To make my vegetarian fajitas, I focused on my favourite fajita vegetable - bell peppers! The flavour is so beautiful when it becomes soft and sweet, and the crispy bits around the edges are extra tasty.

But of course, you can add all sorts of vegetables to your fajitas, such as:

• bell peppers
• onions (red or yellow)
• mushrooms
• aubergine (eggplant)
• courgette (zucchini)

I find it works best if you cut everything into strips, so it can easily be laid out along the centre of a tortilla.

And if you don't like the idea of using halloumi in your vegetarian fajitas, here are some alternatives you could try:

• black beans
• chickpeas
• vegetarian meat replacements (e.g. Quorn)
• tofu
• refried beans

Fajita topping ideas

For me, it's the toppings that really elevate Tex-Mex food from good to great (actually, make that great to excellent).

A few of my favourite fajita toppings are:

• guacamole
• fresh sliced avocado
• shredded iceberg lettuce
• sliced spring onions
• grated cheese (though perhaps not on halloumi fajitas!)
• fresh salsa
• sour cream
• fresh coriander (cilantro)

You don't need to offer every one of these toppings every time you make fajitas, otherwise it defeats the point of this being a quick and easy recipe. I usually choose just two or three toppings each time (perhaps an extra one if we have guests over!).

What can you eat with fajitas?

You don't need to cook any particular side dishes to serve with your fajitas. Especially if you're preparing a few different toppings, your fajitas will be a full meal in themselves.

But if you do want a few extras on the table, some Mexican-style spicy rice is always a nice addition (and can even be wrapped up inside the fajitas too, if you like), and a green salad is also a good idea. I love serving a few crispy tortilla chips on the side too, to add some extra crunch.

Can you prepare fajitas in advance?

If you want to prepare your dinner in advance, it's totally okay to cut the vegetables and add the spices ahead of time. You could even have all the toppings prepared and ready to go in the fridge.

I wouldn't cook the fajita mixture until you're ready to eat, though - they don't take long, so just pop the pan into the air fryer whenever you're ready.

Ways to use up leftover fajita vegetables

If you have any of the vegetable and halloumi mixture leftover, there are all sorts of ways you could use it up:

• make more fajitas!
• use it inside quesadillas
• mix it through some Tex-Mex pasta
• serve it on a taco salad
• make a 'bowl dinner' with your choice of grain, some extra salady bits, and some grated cheese

To be honest, there are very few ways that smoky, spicy vegetables wouldn't be tasty.

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