A ‘free from’ Mexican Feast with Gluten Free Old El Paso Fajita Kit

Hands up if you enjoy Mexican food as much as I do! I’ve got great news for you if you’re avoiding gluten: Old El Paso is launching its first gluten-free meal kit, the Gluten Free Smoky BBQ Fajita Kit. It’s the most popular flavour in Old El Paso’s range and it’s now available for everyone. We’ve tried it (a few times already) and it’s epic!

Just to make sure it wasn’t just me who loved these gluten-free beauties, I asked my children (without mentioning the gluten-free element) as well as a few fellow foodies who’d tried them what they thought. We also had a bit of a ‘free from’ Mexican Feast with friends a few days ago. We made chicken fajitas, guacamole, vegan nachos and vegan fajitas. Check our little video below and scroll down if you’re after the recipes.

Our thoughts about the new Gluten Free Old El Paso Fajita Kit & Recipes

If I remember well, I first had Old El Paso fajitas when I was 16 or 17 years old. Since then, fajitas have become a staple for me and I really like making the flavoursome chicken wraps as a quick and easy Monday dinner using Sunday roast leftovers. It’s the kind of food everyone loves, so it means no arguments, moaning about dinner or hours spent by the stove.

Why we love the new Gluten Free Old El Paso Fajita Kit so much

The new gluten-free kit by Old El Paso means you don’t have to sacrifice your favourite meal choices even if you’re avoiding gluten. It’s refreshing to get a kit for everyone to sit together and enjoy a delicious allergy-friendly Mexican dinner, whether they be gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, nut-free or dairy-free. In fact, the kit is free from 13 out of the top 14 food allergens (contains soy).

Over the past five years, Jumpy and I have tried a lot of gluten-free food and the majority of ‘free from’ wraps and tortillas we tried were dry, brittle and tasted like cardboard. That’s honestly the best word I can think of to describe them. Not only do Old El Paso’s gluten-free flour tortillas taste the same as our regular ones when warmed in the oven or microwave, but they also fold without breaking, which makes the whole experience pretty enjoyable!

The Crossed Grain symbol on the kits is an internationally recognised seal of assurance for those who have to follow a gluten-free diet. “A recent Coeliac UK Membership survey indicated that Members actively seek out the Crossed Grain symbol as a source of trust and reassurance when making product choices.” Coeliac UK

Don’t just take my word for it!

Here is what a few fellow bloggers thought of the the new Gluten Free Old El Paso Fajita Kit:

“Having used Old El Paso kits before, the new gluten free version is a blessing, finally the whole family can sit down to a favourite family meal together without having to scour the shops for alternatives for our daughter.” Rebecca at ‘Glutarama‘

“My son (3 YO) is under a dietician as he has suspected Coeliac Disease. We are trying these on Sunday as a change from the classic roast dinner.” Jennii at ‘Life with Three and Me’

“Haven’t had a chance to actually cook with it yet, hoping to next week when I actually can use a kitchen. But impressed with the lack of allergens!!” Nina at ‘Eat Allergy Safe’

“We tried it this week and I was pleasantly surprised! I usually find gluten free alternatives taste quite different to the regular versions but this is utterly delicious and every bit as tasty!” “GF wraps are so cardboard like normally! I always think the true measure of GF success is when Gaz and the kids don’t notice it’s GF at all!” Laura at ‘Five Little Doves’

“I haven’t seen this in shops yet but have been hoping a gluten-free version would appear at some point!” Julie at ‘Pondering Parenthood’

“Ahhh! We literally JUST ate this tonight! I wanted to try it as I’m wondering what cutting gluten out would do for me. I thought they were great – we eat fajitas nearly every week [addict] and I’d gladly choose these over the normal kits.” Sara-Jayne at ‘Keep up with the Jones Family’

“Cooking with it again tomorrow! I was impressed with it, Jon couldn’t tell it was GF and it was all Callum safe apart from the salsa which is a big plus for me!” Nath at ‘The Intolerant Gourmand’

With no further ado, here are our recipes. If you cook it all, it will serve 4 adults. They’re pretty much ‘chuck it all in recipes’ so if you want to see how quick and easy it is all to make, watch our little video above.

4.61 from 28 votes

Print

A ‘free from’ Mexican Feast

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Chicken Fajitas

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 300 g chicken cut into strips
• 1 red onion chopped
• 2 sweet pointed peppers sliced
• 1 Gluten-free Smoky BBQ Fajita Kit
• Optional to serve: guacamole, soured cream, sliced vegetables and coriander

Easy Peasy Chunky Guacamole

• 2 avocados - peeled stones removed and sliced
• 1/2 red onion finely chopped.
• 1 clove garlic minced.
• 1/2 red chilli pepper seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes chopped.
• juice and zest of a lime
• Chopped coriander, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• To serve: gluten-free tortilla chips, lime slices and crunchy vegetable slices.

Gluten-free Vegan Fajitas

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 peppers
• 1 red onion cut into thin half moons
• a dozen baby chestnut mushrooms stems trimmed, wiped clean and sliced
• 1 Gluten-free Smoky BBQ Fajita Kit
• To serve: guacamole, chopped vegetables and lime slices
• Coriander to garnish

Gluten-free Vegan Nachos

• 100 g gluten-free tortilla chips
• 4 tablespoons salsa
• 1/2 a finely sliced chilli
• 1/2 a red onion finely chopped
• 80 g vegan ‘cheese' grated

Instructions

For the Chicken Fajitas

1. In a medium pan over a high heat, warm the oil for 30 seconds. Add in the chicken strips and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
2. Throw in the onions, peppers and sprinkle over half of the seasoning mix for a mild dish, or the entire sachet for a kick.

3. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in a tablespoon or two of water if it gets too dry. 

For the Guacamole

1. Mash the avocado on a plate, using the back of a fork. Add all other ingredients on top and fold. 

2. Serve with gluten-free tortilla chips, lime slices and crunchy vegetables.

For the Vegan Fajitas

1. Heat a pan over a medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the vegetable oil to the pan, then the onion and 30 seconds later, the peppers.
2. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened and slightly browned, then add the mushrooms and half the seasoning mix. Stir and cook for another two minutes, stirring. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

For the Gluten-free Vegan Nachos

1. Tip the tortilla chips onto a baking tray. Drizzle the salsa over the chips and sprinkle the chilli, 'cheese' and onion. 

2. Place under the grill for a couple of minutes or until the ‘cheese’ is melted. Serve with guacamole.

3. Warm all the tortillas together in the microwave (pierce the pack & give them 35 seconds) or the oven (10 minutes at 140ºC wrapped in foil).

What’s your favourite Mexican dish?

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A few other members of the ‘Free From Gang’ have been trying the kit too. Check out their posts and recipes:

• Jenna at ‘A Balanced Belly’ went for Turkey Fajitas with Courgettes, Onions and Avocado.
• Nath at ‘The Intolerant Gourmand‘ particularly liked how allergy-friendly the kit is, and the soft tortillas.
• Lauren at ‘Dilan and Me‘ served them with vegan cheese and they went down a treat in her dairy-free household!

Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Old El Paso but all opinions and photos are my own. The Gluten Free Smoky BBQ Fajita Kits by old El Paso are available in Tesco and Morrisons (RRP £4.49).