Fajitas are Tex-Mex dishes consisting of soft tortillas that have been filled with meat and/or veggies such as onions and bell peppers. Depending on the flavor you’re trying to get, you can use the following onions in fajitas:
- Yellow onions
- White onions
- Vidalia onions
- Red onions
- Shallots
What Are the Best Onions for Fajitas?
The onions you choose for your homemade fajitas will depend on your personal preferences and tastes. Below are some pros and cons of the most popular types of onions.
1. Yellow Onions
If your fajitas recipe doesn’t specify what type of onions to use, you’re better off using yellow onions. They are easy to find, affordable, and have a great taste. They are a bit smaller and firmer than white onions and have a savory but strong flavor.
If you make vegetarian or chicken fajitas, yellow onions are the best type to buy because their taste complements those types of fajitas very well. If you put these onions in dishes that are very rich, the flavor might be overly powerful because the onions are also very rich.
2. White Onions
For most recipes that teach you how to make fajitas, a good white onion is going to be on the list of ingredients. White onions are versatile onions that go great in fajitas for numerous reasons. They are great in chicken fajitas and even in fajitas made with beef. Keep in mind that in many recipes for Mexican dishes, yellow and white onions can be used interchangeably, which is convenient.
3. Vidalia Onions
Vidalia onions are known for their slightly sweet taste, which complements the rest of the ingredients in your fajitas perfectly. If you like caramelized onions in your fajitas, this is the type of onion you want because the sugar content lends itself perfectly to this method of cooking. If you want the sweetness but cannot find Vidalia onions, look for Walla Walla onions instead. Both of these onions tend to be easy to find. For these and other reasons, using Vidalia onions with beef fajitas does especially well.
4. Red Onions
Red onions have a stronger flavor that is savory and spicy. They’re not too expensive, but they do cost more than the other onion types, which is something to keep in mind when making fajitas. Red onions can also add some pizzazz to your fajitas because of their bright red color. Try them with beef fajitas for great results. It’s best not to add them to chicken fajitas because they are a little on the sweet side, and sweetness and chicken rarely go together well.
5. Shallots
Not everyone thinks of adding shallots to their Mexican cuisine, but it’s actually a very good idea. Shallots are sometimes difficult to find, can be a bit pricey, and require proper storage, but they’re well worth it because they taste great and have a nice texture. They are perfect for fajitas that contain either beef or chicken, and you can slice them any number of ways. They also have a mild garlic-like taste, which is yet another reason why they are popular.
As a side note, if you ever need a substitute for mushrooms in beef Wellington, shallots are a great choice.
The right onions for fajitas depend on your personal preferences, but the tastiest ones that best complement fajitas are red, white, and yellow onions, the sweet Vidalia onion, and shallots.