Fajitas originated as a part of Tex-Mex cuisine, which takes Mexican cuisine and fuses it with Texan flavors and foods. They are usually made with chicken or beef, along with lettuce, cheese, refried beans, and other ingredients.
Like many types of foods from Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, fajitas have lots of room for variety. You’ll need to take all the ingredients you have in your fajitas into great consideration when coming up with the best side dishes to serve.
That’s where we’re going to help you out; we’ve curated a list of seventeen side dishes that we feel are perfect for serving with fajitas, taking the above issue into consideration.
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17 Side Dishes to Serve With Fajitas
Without any further ado, let’s dive straight into our selections for the best side dishes to serve with fajitas.
1. Refried Beans
If you aren’t already including refried beans in your fajitas, then we highly recommend serving them as a side dish with your meal. Refried beans are another food item that’s popular in Tex-Mex, so we’re keeping with the theme!
You can even try dipping your fajitas in refried beans to get a brand new combination of flavors and textures that we’re sure you’ll absolutely die for.
2. Spicy Roasted Potatoes
A lot of people love potatoes, particularly roasted red potatoes. This idea takes that and makes it more appropriate to serve alongside fajitas, which are normally somewhat spicy and bold in flavor themselves.
Chili powder and garlic are what make these potatoes pop; the flavors of these potatoes are sure to stand out strong and proud alongside your best fajitas.
3. Tomato Corn Salad
This is a light side dish that makes use of ingredients you’re likely to already have on hand, especially if you’re making fajitas in the warmer months. Sometimes, fajitas can be quite filling, so a light side dish like this can be perfect.
In addition to being light on the stomach, this side dish is fast and cheap to make, both bonuses for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time or money on their hands to make a really elaborate side dish.
4. Mexican Rice
Serving traditional white rice with fajitas might be a bit boring, so that’s why we’re suggesting this instead! Mexican rice is full of spice and flavor, which will help it not be overpowered by the strong tastes of good fajitas.
Plus, Mexican rice is relatively simple to make. If you’re low on time, you can probably even find a boxed variety in your local grocery store. It wins on all fronts!
5. Mexican Street Corn
Mexican street corn is really, really popular in Mexico, so if you’re trying to keep with the theme when picking out a side dish, this will really hit it home.
Mexican street corn is really tasty, so that’s also a great bonus! The combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, and cheese will create a dynamic mix of flavors that will burst in your mouth.
6. Salad
Almost any meal can be paired with salad as a side dish, and fajitas are no exception. While an ordinary salad certainly won’t be maintaining the whole Tex-Mex theme, that doesn’t mean it’s any less viable of an option!
Salad is light and refreshing and can be done dozens of different ways, so it’s a great choice for someone who wants something simple, flexible, and healthy.
7. Guacamole
Making a nice batch of creamy guacamole will surely take your fajita meal to new levels. Guacamole is really popular, and for good reason: it’s flavorful and has an amazing texture that’s sure to always please.
You can serve your guacamole with tortilla chips for dipping, or even dip your fajitas themselves in it! If you want to spice up a guacamole side dish, try adding just a little bit of salsa to it.
8. Queso
Some people aren’t guacamole fans, and that’s just fine. Taking that into consideration, we’re offering an alternative on this list. Try out some queso alongside your fajitas!
Just like with guacamole, you can serve your queso with some tortilla chips for dipping. Or, of course, you can dip your fajitas in them for a great and powerful taste. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from doing both, either!
9. Tortilla Chips
You don’t need to have guacamole or queso on hand to serve tortilla chips alongside fajitas. In fact, we believe that they can stand out just fine on their own! The saltiness and crunch will contrast the spiciness and softer textures of fajitas.
We recommend going with lightly-salted tortilla chips so that the salty taste isn’t overwhelming in comparison to your fajitas.
10. Fresco Salsa
This is the last dip we’re offering as a potential side dish for your favorite fajita dish. This take on salsa adds sweet onion and lime juice to the recipe, creating a bold and bright dish that’s as visually stunning as it is tasty.
As always, pair it with some tortilla chips for the ultimate experience. Or, additionally, slather it on your fajitas themselves to add some extra bold flavors to your meal.
11. Sweet Corn Tomalito
This is an absolute classic within the world of Tex-Mex cuisine. Also known as steamed corn pudding, it’s relatively simple to make and can be done on the stovetop.
Fluffy and pleasantly simple in taste, this side dish will be a lovely addition to your fajita dish. If you happen to be making vegan fajitas, we highly recommend using this side dish.
12. Couscous
Couscous is getting increasingly popular as an alternative to rice. You’ve likely figured out by now that we’re not huge fans of plain old white rice, so this is an awesome alternative.
There are many different ways to do couscous, so you’ll definitely be able to find the perfect way to do this side dish to match any fajita recipe out there. We wish you the best of luck in your exploration!
13. Grilled Avocado
A lot of people know about grilled corn, but have you ever tried grilled avocado? This side dish is really simple to do, so it’s excellent for anyone that wants a unique side dish without having to go through tons of hassle.
Grilling avocado will add a great smoky flavor to an already-flavorful food, so you’ll be introducing brand new dimensions to your meal that you’ve likely never experienced quite this way before!
14. Chorizo con Papas
Potatoes are a popular American side dish and Chorizo sausage is really popular in Mexico. Considering that Tex-Mex is fusion cuisine, it’s no surprise that this side dish is on this list.
Mixing Chorizo sausage with roasted potatoes will create a blend of awesome textures and truly scrumptious flavors. For an added bonus, try adding some spices to the dish to really give it some power.
15. Grilled Peppers
If grilled avocado doesn’t really sound up your alley, then try out grilled peppers. You might be worried that the spiciness of peppers as a side dish will overpower the fajitas; don’t fret, since the spiciness will die down once the peppers have been grilled.
If you’re interested in bringing more savory flavors into your fajita dish, we recommend adding some cheese to your grilled peppers. You’ll get the great crunch of pepper and the amazing taste of cheese, all in one!
16. Nachos
We have several suggestions on this list that use tortilla chips, and here’s another one! Have you figured out yet that tortilla chips are amazing with fajitas?
There are plenty of ways to do nachos, so we’re sure this side dish will work fantastically with pretty much any fajita recipe you’ve got on hand. For best results, we recommend trying out this side dish with spicy fajitas, but feel free to experiment!
17. Black Beans and Rice
If that Mexican rice still feels just a bit too plain for your liking, then try adding some black beans into it. Black beans are quite healthy and will offer new dimensions to the side dish that are sure to please.
Of course, you can always try adding black beans to other kinds of rice, but we personally feel that they will work best when added to Mexican rice, considering the tastes present in typical fajitas.
Wrap-Up
We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors to make the best fajitas! When picking out a side dish, keep the particular ingredients in your fajitas in mind, and always remember the spice! Share a photo down below of your finished meal!
What To Serve With Fajitas
Ingredients
- Refried Beans
- Spicy Roasted Potatoes
- Tomato Corn Salad
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Street Corn
- Salad
- Guacamole
- Queso
- Tortilla Chips
- Fresco Salsa
- Sweet Corn Tomalito
- Couscous
- Grilled Avocado
- Chorizo con Papas
- Grilled Peppers
- Nachos
- Black Beans and Rice
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe from the list above.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prepare and enjoy in 30 minutes or less!