Chicken Fajitas – one of the best dinners out there! This easy, restaurant quality recipe is made with deliciously seasoned chicken, a trio of fresh bell peppers and tender crisp onions.
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Easy Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fajitas are most commonly made with chicken breasts (but chicken thighs work well too).
It is soaked in a seasoned, lime and oil based marinade then pan seared in a hot cast iron skillet to a flavorful charred exterior with crisped edges, and juicy, tender interior.
After which fresh multi-color bell peppers, and boldly flavored onions and garlic are sautéed to a perfect tender crisp texture in the same piping hot skillet.
Then to assemble fajitas chicken is sliced, and mounded over flour tortillas along with those flavorful veggies.
It’s a classic Tex-Mex recipe you’ll never want to lose!
Ingredients for Chicken Fajitas (and Possible Substitutions)
- Chicken breasts: I like to pound thicker portions more even so thinner areas don’t cook faster and dry. Small chicken thighs will work too, no halving necessary, increase cook time slightly.
- Olive oil: This is used in the marinade and for sautéing (don’t use extra-virgin or it will burn at this temp). Vegetable oil may be substituted.
- Lime juice: Only use freshly squeezed lime juice, bottled would ruin the flavor. Though not traditional in a pinch lemon could be substituted.
- Garlic: Use freshly mined for best flavor. You can sub bottled fresh it’s just not quite as bold.
- Chili powder: use a good quality chili powder, and not hot unless you want it spicier. You could try other types like ancho or mild New Mexican chili powder.
- Cumin: This spice adds a delicious earthy flavor. If you happen to be out coriander is another delicious option.
- Jalapeno: Use this if you like a little heat. You can also sub a 1 – 2 canned chipotle chilies.
- Salt and pepper: The marinade is well seasoned so be sure to stir well to distribute salt evenly.
- Bell peppers: Go for three different colors to make the dish more visually appealing. You could sub in an Anaheim pepper for one of the bell peppers.
- Onion: These taste great with either red or yellow onion. Red is a little more mild (plus I love the color it adds) but go with what you prefer.
- Cilantro: If you love this flavor you can also add some to the marinade as well, just slide it off before cooking or it will just burn up.
- Flour tortillas: I’m yet to find a brand that can come close competing with freshly made tortillas, but as of now my first choice of store-bought (pictured in ingredients image) is Guerrero which I do use as on occasion. Or I opt for corn tortillas which is the healthier option.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas
- Mix together marinade ingredients.
- Soak chicken in marinade in refridgerator 1 – 6 hours.
- Preheat cast iron skillet.
- Remove chicken from marinade and slide excess off (so it doesn’t just sputter, and burn).
- Cook chicken through in skillet, turning halfway. Transfer chicken to cutting board, rest and slice.
- Meanwhile saute veggies in same skillet to tender crisp texture.
- Assemble chicken and veggie fajita mixture over tortillas and serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Fajitas Recipe
- Use fresh ingredients.
- Allow at least 1 hour to marinade for enough flavor absorption (to the exterior of the meat), don’t go beyond 6 hours though or chicken texture can be altered.
- Stick with thinner chicken breasts, that’s why we halve them here. Otherwise they’d burn by the time they’ve cooked through.
- Halving the chicken also allows for more surface area for better flavor penetration with the marinade.
- Use a medium-high heat to get a nice char on the chicken, but if you notice it’s browning too quickly before the inside has a chance to cook through reduce the burner temp slightly as needed.
- Don’t overcook the chicken breasts or they will be dry! Cook right to 160 – 165 degrees (in center).
- Cook veggies to a tender crisp texture. They shouldn’t be crunchy but they shouldn’t be soft and mushy, just right in between.
How Can I Cook Chicken Fajitas on the Grill?
If going this route I actually prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs since they char nicely and don’t dry out as easily, but breasts work great too. To grill:
- Just use 4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, no halving necessary.
- Marinate chicken as directed.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove chicken from marinade (don’t slide marinade off).
- Grill chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side if using breasts, about 6 minutes per side if using thighs (as always test to proper temp).
- Meanwhile, sauté the veggies in a large grill basket (with oil and seasonings), tossing occasionally until tender.
- Or alternately the veggies can just be sautéed in a skillet while chicken grills.
How to Reheat Fajitas
- I like to reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat, covered and stirring frequently until warmed through. Don’t overdue it or you can over-cook the chicken.
- If reheating single servings you can reheat in the microwave on 50% power until heated through, tossing halfway through heating.
Chicken Fajitas
One of the best dinners out there! This easy recipe is made with deliciously seasoned, marinated and pan seared chicken, a trio of fresh bell peppers and tender crisp onions. Easy to make and unbelievably delicious!
Instructions
Ingredients
- 2 (11 - 12 oz) chicken breasts*, each split into 2, cutting through the thickness*
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil,** divided
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin, divided
- 1 jalapeno, seeded for less heat if desired, minced
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium bell peppers (preferably 1 red, yellow and green), seeded and sliced
- 1 medium yellow or red onion, sliced
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 (7-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
- Optional toppings, see notes
Instructions
- In a medium non-reactive mixing bowl (such as glass or stainless steel), whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice, 2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, jalapeno, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken and toss well then submerge down into marinade. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
- Preheat a 12-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil then remove chicken from marinade, 1 piece at a time, slide chicken up between pointer and middle finger to remove marinade letting it drip back into bowl.
- Place chicken in skillet spacing apart. Let cook until seared and browned on bottom, about 5 minutes.
- Flip chicken and continue to cook until chicken registers 160 - 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer in center, about 5 minutes longer. If you find chicken is browning too quickly before cooking through you can reduce burner temperature slightly.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile add remaining 1 Tbsp oil to same cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Add bell peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper. Saute about 4 minutes, only tossing occasionally and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan.
- Add remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder and cumin, 1 1/2 tsp garlic and saute until just tender crisp, about 2 minutes longer.***
- Return chicken to pan, toss in cilantro and serve warm over tortillas with optional toppings.
Notes
Topping Ideas (optional)
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Salsa or diced tomatoes
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Mexican hot sauce (such as Tapatio or Cholula)
- Cheese - queso fresco, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or cheddar
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 525Total Fat: 21gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 1261mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 39g