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Skillet Night
Mexican 2 min read

Skillet Shrimp Fajita Rice

Skillet shrimp fajita rice cooks juicy shrimp with peppers, onions, and seasoned rice in one pan in about 30 minutes. Bright Mexican weeknight dinner.

Fajita night usually means a pile of pans. This skillet browns shrimp, softens peppers and onions, then cooks rice in the same seasoning so every grain tastes like the skillet.

You get fajita flavor in about 30 minutes without heating the oven or dirtying a second burner.

Ingredients

Shrimp, peppers, and rice

  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb (454 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
  • 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 bell peppers (mixed colors), sliced (about 3 cups / 300 g)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
  • 1/4 cup (10 g) chopped cilantro
  • Avocado, sour cream, and warm tortillas, optional

Method

  1. Toss shrimp with 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and smoked paprika.
  2. Heat remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sear shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque; transfer to a plate.
  3. Add onion and peppers with remaining salt; cook 4–5 minutes until softened with charred edges. Stir in garlic, remaining chili powder, and cumin 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in rinsed rice; toast 1 minute. Pour in broth; scrape the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and cook 15–17 minutes until rice is tender.
  5. Nestle shrimp on top for the last 2 minutes to warm through. Off heat, drizzle lime juice and fluff gently.
  6. Scatter cilantro. Serve with avocado, sour cream, and tortillas if you like.

Cook's note

Pull shrimp early so the rice simmer does not overcook them. A mix of red and green peppers looks like restaurant fajitas without extra work.

What to serve with it

Lime wedges, tortilla chips, or a bagged cabbage slaw. Hot sauce and extra cilantro finish the bowls.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Slice peppers and onion up to 1 day ahead. Leftovers keep 3 days; reheat shrimp gently. Not great for freezing — shrimp texture suffers.

Troubleshooting

**Rice crunchy?** Add 1/4 cup broth, cover 3–5 minutes. **Shrimp rubbery?** They sat too long in the hot pan — warm them only at the end. **Bland?** Bloom the spices in the vegetables before the rice goes in.