Chicken Fajitas

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Chicken fajitas are an easy and flavorful weeknight meal. A classic Mexican recipe, juicy chicken is seasoned, seared and cooked to perfection, then tossed with sauteed bell peppers and onions. A squeeze of fresh lime adds a punch of flavor and the chicken fajitas are served with warm tortillas and toppings. You can’t beat this healthy family favorite recipe.

Chicken fajitas in a pan on a table with toppings.

Chicken Fajita Ingredients

Don’t you just love meals that only require a few basic ingredients? Well this chicken fajita recipe is just that. All you need is chicken, bell pepper, onion, lime juice and spices, plus tortillas and your favorite toppings. It’s incredibly easy.

It’s a one-pan recipe and in less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a tasty meal (I can’t get enough of those Mexican spices) that also makes for the best leftovers or meal prep.

Homemade Fajita Seasoning is Best

While you can buy pre-made seasoning packets, I’d caution against it. Nothing compares to the flavor of homemade fajita seasoning and it’s easy to whip up. Plus, you’ll avoid any unnecessary fillers and additives. Here’s a quick rundown of the spices you’ll need:

  • Chili Powder
  • Ground Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Paprika
  • Oregano
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Three chicken breasts sprinkled with fajita seasoning.

How To Make Chicken Fajitas

Once you’ve made your fajita seasoning, the chicken fajitas come together fast. Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Season the chicken. Generously sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken and use your fingers to press it in.
  2. Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly coat it with a drizzle of olive oil or avocado oil. Sear the chicken breasts for about 7-8 minutes on each side. Then remove them from the pan and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
  3. Saute the bell peppers and onion. While the chicken is cooking, cut the bell peppers and onions into thin slices. Then saute them in the same skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until caramelized. You’re essentially making fajita veggies.
  4. Mix together. Add the chicken back into the skillet, squeeze fresh lime juice on top and stir everything together.
  5. Wrap it up. Serve immediately with tortillas and extra toppings.

Chicken fajita ingredients in a saute pan.

Chicken Fajita Recipe Video

With a little slicing and sautéing you can whip up this recipe in no time. Watch the video below to see how I make it!

Do You Need A Cast Iron Skillet?

When it comes to cooking the chicken, a cast iron skillet is ideal for searing. It gives a nice char to it and maximizes the flavors from the seasoning. Just make sure to season your cast iron properly to prevent sticking. But if you don’t own a cast iron pan, you can use a stainless steel pan as well.

Customize Your Chicken Fajitas

While chicken fajitas taste great on their own, toppings can make all the difference. From a dollop of sour cream to cheese or avocado slices, fajitas are a fun way to serve customizable options for your family or a large party! A few of my favorite toppings are pico de gallo and guacamole.

And if you’ve got some chicken fajitas leftover, don’t limit yourself to just wrapping them in tortillas. You can use butter lettuce to make lettuce wraps for a lighter option. Or, you can throw them in a bowl with some leafy greens, black beans, sweet corn and avocado for an easy fajita salad.

Can You Meal Prep Chicken Fajitas?

Absolutely! This is a great recipe to make ahead as the sautéed chicken and vegetables will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Just store them in a sealed container and then reheat before adding to a tortilla or salad.

Chicken fajitas in a saute pan.

More Fajita Recipes to Try

If you love fajitas as much as I do, I think you’ll love these tasty variations!

More Easy Mexican Recipes

And you can wash down all that deliciousness with a classic margarita or mango margarita. Enjoy!

Chicken fajitas in a pan on a table with toppings.

Chicken Fajitas - Easy & Flavorful!

4.99 from 415 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 16 minutes
Total: 26 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Chicken fajitas are an easy and flavorful weeknight meal. This Mexican recipe that everyone will love can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Watch the video above!

Video

Ingredients  

Chicken Fajitas

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 bell peppers , thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 lime

Fajita Seasoning

For Serving

Instructions 

  • Add the fajitas seasoning ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir together.
    Mixing the fajita seasoning in a bowl.
  • Generously sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken and use your fingers to press it into the chicken.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts for about 7-8 minutes on each side.
  • While your chicken is cooking, cut the bell peppers and onion into thin slices.
    Slicing the bell pepper into strips.
  • Once the chicken has finished cooking, remove it to a plate and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet over medium heat and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • When the bell peppers are just about done sauteing, slice the chicken breasts into strips.
  • Add the chicken back into the skillet, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and stir everything together.
  • Serve immediately with tortillas and extra toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.
    Serving the chicken fajitas with tortillas, guacamole and other ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2160IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Chicken Fajita recipe, Chicken Fajitas, How To Make Chicken Fajitas
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




710 Comments

  1. This was a hit at my house tonight. Just added some fresh cilantro. Definitely making it again soon! 😁💕5 stars

  2. Loved these, simply delicious!  The only thing I added was 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda brown sugar and reduced the salt to 1/8 teaspoon (out of dietary necessity).5 stars

  3. ********** 10 stars!!!!!!!! I don’t like packaged fajita seasoning but wasn’t impressed with the recipe I tried months ago. This is PERFECT! No need to go to the Mexican restaurant; these were the best I’ve ever tasted! Did I say PERFECT?!!!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!5 stars

    1. Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken fajitas, Sue! Homemade fajita seasoning really does make a world of difference. :)

  4. Made it tonight except I didn’t have a lime :( and I used chicken thighs. My family loved it! I’ll never use store bought packet seasoning again. 5 stars

  5. LOVE IT !! Perfect Only thing I did different was cook the chicken breasts one one side ,then removed them , cut them into slices and put them back in the pan .It was easier for me to see when the chicken was throughly cooked and I had very thick pieces of chicken breast . Thanks for sharing this ! I also love the fajita seasoning recipe from you .. I have been looking for AWHILE for something like this ..better than restaurant !5 stars

  6. This is really simple and delicious. To make sure you chicken is cooked evenly, either pound it or cut to the same thickness.5 stars

    1. Thanks for mentioning this, Doug. I was wondering whether or not I should do this. I knew I would find the answer scrolling through the comments. This is an awesome community! Thanks for all you do Lisa!5 stars

  7. Made this tonight for first time after googling fajita recipe since I didn’t want to use store packet. It was delicious & my go to fajita recipe from now on!   I used tenderloins since that what I had on hand.  Delicious! 5 stars

  8. After being disappointed with so many fajita recipes that were way too heavy on the lime, I tried this one. Finally, FINALLY I have found the perfect fajita seasoning flavor profile. I have used this multiple times on steak, on chicken, and it is delicious. I even sprung for some Mexican oregano specifically for this seasoning, rather than standard Italian oregano. I do reserve some of the mix to go into the veggies before they are cooked.

    Absolute perfection, exactly the flavor profile I want when I crave fajitas5 stars

  9. I made your easy tasty healthy chicken fajitas recipe last night and my family loved it!! I actually made your Fajita seasoning luckily I had all the ingredients. I plan on using more of your healthy recipes and will share with my family and friends! 🤗5 stars

  10. My daughter and I made this together along with the pico de gallo.  We both LOVED it.  So good.  I make my own adobo seasoning. So I just used that. Delicious!  5 stars

    1. Would it be okay to bake the chicken cause I’m not comfortable cooking them in the skillet yet, or should I wait until I’m more comfortable with my skills using the skillet? Plus the seasonings requested I’ve used before and sometimes cause a lot of smoke and my apartment has a really sensitive fire alarm. 

  11. Excellent and easy recipe! I used thighs instead of breasts plus I added just under 1/2 teas. Onion Powder. My DH is not a fan of Bell Peppers so I also only used 1 bell pepper.5 stars

  12. Delicious, Healthy & Quick!
    My family and friends love this and ask me to make  it often. It doesn’t take long at all; I typically slice the onions and peppers earlier in the day, at which time I also measure and mix the spices. Also buy organic raw chicken strips from Trader Joe’s, which makes coating and sauteing the chicken a breeze. Lastly, I double the spices as they aren’t too spicy yet are flavorful.5 stars

  13. I don’t save unless it has great ratings. I haven’t even made this yet, and I can’t wait to try it out! It looks very easy and sounds delicious! We LOVE chicken fajitas so this sounds amazing!, 5 stars

  14. This recipe is so easy, and SO good!!! I found it on Pinterest a few months ago and have made it multiple times since. The leftovers are great the next day as well! 5 stars

      1. Tried these fajitas and they came out great! Easier than I thought it was. Simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe! 5 stars

  15. I liked the color and health of this recipe. Do you have a trick for the chicken not drying out? That was my only disappointment, as the flavor was nice. Though, I did forget to squeeze the limes, maybe that would have helped! Thanks for these recipes. Oh, and we ate them as lettuce wraps to lower our calorie intake.

    1. Hi Kimberly – I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! If your chicken is a bit dry, it sounds like it was overcooked. You can always reduce the cook time on your next try!

  16. This was soooo delicious! Made exactly as is and the seasonings were perfect and this recipe couldn’t be easier. Ready in no time at all and we loved every bite. I’ll be making this again and again! Thank you so much! 😊5 stars

    1. Happy to hear this recipe was a hit! It really is such a snappy yet delicious dinner to keep on hand :)

  17. Very good recipe. I only added a few slices of fresh garden tomato which I cooked down to creat a sauce base. Then I added the seasoned meat and veggies. Just delicious! I will be making it often.5 stars

  18. Best recipe for Fajiatas. Made your guacamole and salsa as well with this and I am Mom and wife of the year!!5 stars

  19. This was so fast, so easy and SO DANG GOOD!! This one will become part of the regular rotation. Thank you for sharing!5 stars

  20. Instead of sour cream, which I didn’t have on hand, I topped with ranch dressing very good!5 stars

  21. Very tasty 😋 meal. I enjoyed every delicious mouthful of each bite. My family also enjoyed it. Thanks Lisa Bryan🤗!5 stars

  22. So good! So easy! I do recommend using a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, it’s a great investment.5 stars

  23. This is uncomman for me as I don’t do public posts outside of my social group!. I am from the UK and needed to slightly adapt the spice content, but the advised measurements were just fine for a hot spice lover like me :). I decided to cut the chicken into thin strips as I have a nice and really sharp knife, which reduced the cooking time.5 stars

  24. I printed this to make again! I was in a hurry and didn’t read the directions. I sliced the chicken real thin and mixed it with the lime and seasonings while I got the veggies ready. Very flavorful without having to marinade a long time.5 stars

  25. An Awesome recipe! Wife does not like hot & spicey, this was mallow to medium. I use shredded lettuce & grated cheese in our wraps.5 stars

  26. Made this rub tonight to put on the chicken for fajitas.. they were gobbled up.. winning! Thanks for the recipe5 stars

    1. Just made the fajitas for dinner tonight. They are excellent, and will definitely be in my dinner rotation. Thank you!5 stars

  27. Can this seasoning be used as a marinade? And can this dish be cooked as a sheet sheet pan meal and baked in the oven? 

  28. This is the best recipe for chicken fajitas out there. My son is a very picky eater and he said he has never had fajitas out to eat as good as these. Thanks for a great recipe!  I cook fajitas al least once a week if not more after finding this recipe. 5 stars

  29. I’ve never made something myself so delicious and I’m horrible at cooking. Definitely easy to follow step by step for best results!!! 5 stars

  30. Hey, just want to say I made this recipe tonight and it was fantastic. I omitted the salt and brined the chicken instead, but otherwise followed it to the letter. Wonderful!5 stars