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 369 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




653 Comments

  1. I have been making chicken fajitas for years using store bought packets, both dry and sauce based. They were okay but nothing great. Came across this recipe and thought I’d give it a try. WOW! So delicious and easy. Hubby and kids said they actually taste like restaurant quality fajitas. Will be making them again, and again…5 stars

  2. Great flavours! Very nice recipe. It is a whole lot juicier and tastier made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, instead of the relatively dry and bland chicken breasts. For those worried about fat content, don’t forget that boneless skinless thighs have just 12 calories per hundred grams more than breasts. The difference is quite amazing.5 stars

  3. This was terrific! I adapted it to use faux chicken strips (Gardein), but the seasonings are spot-on. My wife and I both loved it ~ it’s going to be our new favorite dinner.5 stars

  4. This was a great, easy, and very tasty recipe.  I never realized how easy fajitas were.  You can serve it with either corn or flour tortillas.  Directions are perfectly clear.5 stars

    1. Easy & delicious recipe. I did cheat since I had leftover rotisserie chicken and used that instead of chicken breast. I had to stop at 2 fajitas, the flavor is addictive.5 stars

  5. Made these for maybe the third time Tuesday night and they have only gotten tastier! I love this recipe. Just a few ingredients make such an eventful dinner dish. Fajitas have always been an exciting dish for me (because of how I’ve seen them served at restaurants) so now making them at home… It’s such an awesome feeling knowing I can!5 stars

  6. Wow so so good! I did add just a dash of cayenne pepper. I like a little more spicy flavors. The first time I made it I had COVID. It was actually the first time I realized I couldn’t smell or taste anything. So I had to try again. And boy it’s so good. Thank you!5 stars

  7. This spice combo was PERFECT! Our Mexican night just got elevated in a good way. I usually just do a beef burrito/taco night, but I wanted to try to do Fajita/s because they are my Husband’s favorite. I tried to make these in the oven, but they were too dry. I followed the recipe almost exactly, I only had two chicken breasts, quite thick, so I sliced them in half to make 4 pieces and cooked them for 3-4 minutes on each side. My husband was actually humming to himself as he was making his plate. Next time I think I’ll add mushrooms. I’m so happy I decided to give this one a try! Thanks!5 stars

  8. DELICIOUS! For college students: i just used frozen already cooked meet and pre packaged fajita veggie and pico de gallo mix and I saved tons of time.

  9. This was absolutely delicious. Will be making it again for sure. Shared it with other members of the family also.5 stars

  10. Wow! This was amazing! I never knew fajitas could be so easy. Some homemade guacamole to go with it and the fam was happy5 stars

  11. This is a fabulous recipe! Very, very tasty and full of flavor. Going into the weekly dinner rotation for sure. Thank you!5 stars

  12. This was a serious home run. I followed the directions exactly (I like to do that initially) and it came out perfect. I got high compliments from people who eat a lot of Mexican food. Love your site and production. You are a great teacher. Thanks. ; >5 stars

    1. Hey Deb. Did you use Mexican chilli powder, or something hot like cayenne powder, which is often called “chilli powder” in Indian recipes? I ask because there was nothing else hot in the recipe, and what we in USA/Canada usually call Mexican “chilli powder” is not typically hot. Just wondering.

  13. I absolutely love this recipe! Simple to make and delicious. My 5 year old said he wants it every night for dinner haha5 stars

  14. I substituted Cilantro for Oregano and also used Salsa Lizano at the end to season the whole thing, since I am in Costa Rica. Salsa Lizano is a tasty seasoned vegetable sauce that closely resembles commercial Fajita Sauce.

    Mi Gusta!5 stars

  15. Genuinely one of the best recipes I’ve found, I’ve cooked this twice now and it’s just so delicious. Only takes 30 minutes and packed full of flavour.5 stars

  16. For a simple recipe and quick prep, this was terrific. Only thing I would add is to slice the chicken breasts down to about 1/2” and cut the cook time in half. Came out very tender.5 stars

  17. I’ve tried many fajita recipes and this was the easiest and best.  Seasoning perfect-will be my go to recipe for fajitas from now on.5 stars

  18. This was so delicious. Made it last night and doubled the spices and used chicken thighs.
    Second day around tastes even better.
    Thank you for this recipe!5 stars

  19. These fajitas were SO delicious! I usually use the fajita seasoning packets from the store and have been wanting to start making more of my own seasoning mixes instead. Not only was this recipe yummy and nutritious, it is way healthier than those seasoning packets I used to buy! Thank you!!5 stars

  20. I have made this recipe numerous times. We have it at least once every two weeks. It’s incredibly easy and I make Lisa’s Mexican rice to go along with it. Thanks, Lisa for this easy peasy recipe. Let us know if you come up with a corn bread recipe!5 stars

  21. Easy Fast and delicious. Saw the recipe today and made it for dinner tonight. It will be a staple in our monthly menu.5 stars

  22. Great recipe. As after getting free from golf when we get to our room so due to tiredness we can’t prepare anything huge and can’t eat anything huge. But yesterday I tried this recipe. Which took very little time in preparation. And it was also so much delicious and having less weight. Because after playing golf we don’t take huge diets.
    Thanks for sharing this reciepe.

  23. The seasoning is perfect! My husband and I loved it but I let the breasts half thaw so they’re still firm enough to slice in diagonal 1/4” strips.  Fully thaw in fridge then put meat in a bowl and toss with hands covering and pressing seasoning into meat.  Cooks quickly on each side in single layers and meat stays so juicy and tender! 

  24. Made this chicken fajita recipe it was very easy and my family loved it.  Will use this recipe from now on.  Thanks 

  25. Made this chicken fajita recipe for the first time today and by far it is the best fajitas I have ever had! Definitely recommend to try this recipe! 5 stars

  26. This looks wonderful and I did a test run. My one question is what do you consider a serving? 1 fajita? 2? 3? I ask because I am going to be fixing this for a large group (15+) and want to make sure I adjust accordingly.

    1. I would say each serving (wrapped with a tortilla), is about 2-3 fajitas. Depending on how much you fill the tortilla :)

  27. I used chicken tights meat and topped only with pico de gallo, with parsley instead of cilanto, because I dont like it. Great result! Thank you for the recipe!5 stars

  28. This is the best fajita recipe ever…seriously…I don’t post reviews, but this is a recipe not to be missed! 
    Your family will thank you. 😊5 stars

  29. I would be hunting for less cooked breasts – cutting couple of minutes off the reverse side time would be sure attempt (they are not cold anymore). Can be on a little more raw side while slicing, as they are yet to return to the pan, even more than this – sliced to be done in an instant. Be it fish, steak, liver or chicken, you always get better result coming from the lesser side of cooking. Thanks for the introduction into Fajitas.

  30. The fajitas were delicious. Made some for a friend who has Covid and delivered to the door! Where did you buy that beautiful white dish you put the raw chicken breasts on? Love it.5 stars