These vegan sheet pan / traybake fajitas are filling and incredibly tasty with roasted vegetables and black beans in a sticky sweet chili fajita sauce! Easy to make and a winning, crowd pleasing fusion dinner.
This recipe was first published in April 2021, but updated with new photos + an improved recipe in March 2023.
Let’s talk vegan fajitas…
We have several options for meatless fajitas, but if pure vegetable fajitas have you feeling underwhelmed, and you just want to see some protein on the plate, I can confirm that adding black beans to your fajitas is a valid choice. In this recipe, you get the combo of charred vegetables and filling black beans sitting together in a sticky, smoky sweet chili fusion fajita sauce.
We’ve strayed quite far from authentic fajita vibes here but it is super tasty, easy, and can be made with supermarket staples. And versatile! It can be a taco filling or a quesadilla filling if you prefer.
Ingredient Notes
- Peppers and onions : a must-have for fajitas!
- Mushrooms : Two large mushrooms (portobellos or other large flat mushrooms) work best here because they can be cut into strips.
- A can of black beans : or 1-1.5 cups of cooked black beans, if you have some prepared from dry.
- Flour tortillas: though you are welcome to use corn and pivot these to fajita style tacos.
- Fajita sauce: We definitely need a sauce here, not just a spice mix, to keep it from being too dry. Use about 1/2 a cup of your favorite fajita sauce if you don’t want to use my recipe.
For the sweet chili fajita sauce…
- Sweet chili sauce – just any old bottled kind.
- Soy sauce – or tamari, adds lots of depth of flavor.
- Spices: smoked paprika to up the smoky vibes + dried cumin and coriander to bring in the more typical Mexican style flavor
The Method: These are Sheetpan / Traybake Fajitas
My favorite kind!
Like a couple of my other fajita recipes, these are roasted in the oven. You get your fajita vegetables all charred and fajita-like before adding the black beans in just to warm them up.
I definitely prefer the workflow when I am roasting things and can use the hands-off time to clean as I go, prepare my toppings and set the table, and it means you aren’t trying to add freshly rinsed beans to a hot wok which could turn into a sticky mess if you didn’t have everything just so. (I would not.)
The Perfect Toppings
I have pictured these with just simple toppings – avocado and some coconut yogurt – which works fine. But if you feel like making something special, this this peanut salsa and the coconut crema from this recipe are outstanding. It’s a little more work to make two toppings from scratch, but if you have the time it’s a great way to use it. The peanut and coconut flavors take it even more into the Asian fusion territory.
More Vegetarian Fajita Recipes
Black Bean Fajitas with Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 peppers, sliced into strips
- 2 onions, sliced into strips
- 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced into strips
- 1 can black beans, 400g or 14oz size
- 6 tortillas
Fajita Sauce
- 5 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder, more if you want it hotter
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
Instructions
- Prepare your fajita sauce by whisking the ingredients in a bowl.5 Tbsp sweet chili sauce, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cumin
- Toss together the peppers, onions and mushrooms with most of the sauce (leave 1 tablespoon's worth at the bottom of the bowl) in a large bowl, until they are all evenly coated.2 peppers, 2 onions, 2 portobello mushrooms
- Drain and rinse the black beans, then put them in the sauce bowl with the reserved bit of sauce. Mix to coat them in the sauce.1 can black beans
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- Coat the bottom of a large roasting dish with oil and add the peppers, onions and mushrooms. Give them another spray or drizzle of oil on top, then place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are nicely browned and charred. (Check in and give everything a mix at the halfway point).
- Once the vegetables are ready, add the black beans to the pan and give everything a mix. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes until warmed through.
- You can also place your tortillas, wrapped in foil, in the oven for this last 5 minutes to warm them.6 tortillas
- Serve with tortillas and your desired toppings.
