This Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe is a great recipe for a weeknight dinner or when you want to impress your friends. Chicken fajitas are one of my all-time favorites and when they are easy to make it is even better. The flavorful chicken, fresh bell peppers, onion, and simple spices come together perfectly!
This easy chicken fajitas recipe is one of the best chicken fajitas recipes we have tried. The ingredients are simple, and the cooking process is straightforward. The result is a delicious, flavorful dish that will be enjoyed by anyone who tries it.
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Finish these chicken fajitas with any of your favorite toppings such as chopped tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, and lime wedges for garnish. Serve these homemade fajitas along with Spanish beans and rice, a side of black beans mixed with red onions, cilantro and cotija cheese, or my epic Mexican street corn recipe.
Our easy chicken fajitas recipe uses a simple combination of seasonings that make these really flavorful chicken fajitas. If you want restaurant style chicken fajitas at home, this is your recipe.
An Easy Healthy Meal
The ability to create delicious and healthy meals at the end of a long day can be challenging. Fortunately, with this Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe, you can have a flavorful, family-friendly dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!
This chicken fajitas recipe is easy to make and healthy. A combination of lean chicken breast, fresh bell peppers, onions, homemade fajita seasoning, a dash of oil, and your choice of tortillas and you have tasty authentic Mexican fajitas (fajitas de pollo).
These fajitas are one of my favorite recipes to make for my family, friends, or for an easy meal for one - with leftovers.
How To Prep and Season Chicken for Fajitas
- Slice the boneless skinless chicken breasts into ½-inch strips. If the chicken breast is thicker in some areas, it would be a good idea to slice those sections horizontally before cutting into the strips. The key is to make sure you have chicken strips that are approximately even in size and thickness.
- Make the fajita seasoning by combining the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and sugar for blending with the chicken breast strips, the bell pepper slices and the sliced onions. The exact measurements for these ingredients are in the recipe card.
How To Make Chicken Fajitas
- Season the chicken breast strips with half of the fajita seasoning.
- Cut the bell peppers and onions into half-inch strips.
- Cook the chicken in oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet or another heavy skillet. When browned, transfer to a plate.
- Sauté the onions. After a few minutes, add the bell peppers and cook everything until softened.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet, add water and remaining seasoning and cook a few more minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Warm tortillas. Either flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or both will work. This is all a matter of your personal preference.
- Serve this easy chicken fajitas recipe with your favorite toppings.
Ingredient Substitutions
Taco Seasoning Substitute: You can use a 2 tablespoons of a ready made taco seasoning. Add 1 teaspoon, more or less to taste, of cumin to more closely match the fajita seasoning.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Use chicken thighs for their richer flavor, if you prefer. They will take slightly longer to cook because of their higher fat content.
Variations
Chicken Fajita Marinade: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon of oil to the chicken strips and fajita seasoning; tossing well to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Omit 1 tablespoon of the oil when sautéing, but follow all the remaining steps using the marinated chicken.
Add a Poblano pepper: Poblano peppers are extremely popular in Mexican cuisine. The add a small about of spice to these easy chicken fajitas. Slice a poblano pepper very thinly and remove the seeds. Add them to the skillet along with the green peppers.
Cook's Tips
Cut your chicken, peppers and onions into thin slices of approximately the same size. Not only is this the authentic Mexican style, but this will make it easier to eat the filled tortillas.
Do not crowd your chicken strips in the skillet. Crowding will cause them to steam versus brown. Sauté them in 2 batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding.
Warm the tortillas. There two easy ways that I prefer are:
- Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in a 250 degree oven. Keep them in the oven until serving time and serve them wrapped in the foil.
- Stack them on a microwave-safe plate, top with damp paper towels and microwave in 15 second bursts.
Storage and Leftovers
Store cooked leftover fajitas in a freezer bag or other sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
To reheat this chicken fajita recipe, transfer the fajitas to a skillet and stir them over medium heat for a few minutes or until heated through. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or in a microwave.
Use leftover chicken fajitas in other dishes too. The seasoned chicken and fajita veggies works wonderfully in a chicken fajita salad or yummy burrito bowls. You may even want to make a double batch and use in your meal prep.
📋 Recipe
Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe With Authentic Mexican Flavor
Ingredients
Fajita Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1-¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch strips about 3 breasts
- 3 bell peppers combination of green, yellow, red or orange
- 1 medium onion
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
- ¼ cup water
- 8 flour or corn tortillas 8-inches or larger in diameter
- Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, salt, and sugar; mixing well. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix.
- Add the chicken breast strips to the remaining seasoning mix in the bowl. Toss the chicken strips to coat with the seasoning.
- Meanwhile, core and seed the bell peppers. Slice the peppers lengthwise into ½ inch strips. Peel the onion and slice lengthwise. Slice again horizontally into ½ inch strips.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken strips and cook, turning often, 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink in the middle. Transfer the chicken strips to a plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes or until the mixture is softened and beginning to caramelize.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir in the remaining seasoning mix and the water. Using a wooden spoon, cook, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, 3 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
- Meanwhile warm the tortillas. (See Cook's Tips for warming tortillas.)
- Serve tortillas with the chicken fajita mixture and desired toppings.
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