Why Spices Can Trigger Symptoms And How We Do It Differently

Anyone who's tried to order fajitas out while managing IBS knows the drill: the sizzling platter looks incredible, but the sauce is a mystery, the "seasoning" is a mystery, and you spend half the meal doing mental gymnastics instead of enjoying it.

The good news? Fajitas are actually one of the easiest restaurant favourites to recreate safely at home  and this version comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes.

Why Restaurant Fajitas Are Usually a Gamble

Most restaurant fajita seasoning is garlic and onion powder heavy, and the vegetables are almost always cooked with sliced onion straight in the pan (not to mention the marinades, which frequently include onion or garlic as a base). Even asking for "no onion" doesn't always solve it, since the pan and oil have usually already been used for onion heavy dishes.

Making fajitas at home means you control every ingredient and you don't lose any of the flavour.

Low FODMAP Chicken Fajita Bowls

Serves: 4 Prep + cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast or thigh, sliced into strips
• 2 tbsp Friendly Blends low FODMAP Mexican Blend  
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, divided
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 1 yellow capsicum, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• The green tops of 3 spring onions, sliced (skip the white bulb)
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar
• Fresh coriander and lime wedges, to serve

Method

1. Toss the chicken strips with the spice blend and 1 tbsp of the garlic-infused oil.
2. Heat a large pan or wok over high heat. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and cook the capsicum and zucchini for 4–5 minutes until just softened with a bit of char.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, add the spring onion greens, and toss everything together for 1 minute.
5. Divide the rice between bowls and top with the chicken and vegetable mix.
6. Finish with avocado, cheese, coriander, and a good squeeze of lime.

Tip: Keep portions of capsicum to around 1/2 cup per serve - a low FODMAP amount for most people and stick to the green tops only for spring onion, since the white bulb is high in fructans.

Make It a Weekly Win

This is exactly the kind of meal that removes the "what's actually in this" stress that makes eating out so exhausting. Once you've got a reliable spice blend on hand, the format is endlessly adaptable - swap the chicken for prawns, or turn it into a fajita-stuffed baked sweet potato.

If capsicum or zucchini portion sizes are still something you're figuring out, our post on zucchini and FODMAPs covers exactly how much is considered safe. And if you're newer to the diet and want to understand why certain spice blends cause symptoms while others don't, our breakdown of why spices trigger IBS symptoms is a good place to start.

For portion sizes beyond what's covered here, Monash University's FODMAP app is the most reliable reference - it's built directly from their own lab testing rather than general estimates.

Friendly Blends makes low FODMAP spice blends so restaurant-style flavour doesn't have to mean restaurant-style risk. Shop our spice range and bring fajita night home.