Chicken fajitas are a classic Mexican recipe and a personal favorite for an easy, healthy, and flavorful weeknight meal. Juicy chicken breasts are seasoned and seared, then tossed with vibrant vegetables, and finished with a punch of fresh lime juice. And while this is the perfect meal wrapped with tortillas and toppings, I’ve got a few more tasty serving ideas below!
Why Everyone Raves About These Chicken Fajitas
Chicken fajitas are hands-down the item I order most frequently at Mexican restaurants (besides guacamole, of course). There’s just something about the sizzling skillet being brought to the table that gets my taste buds excited! And the good news is that it’s incredibly easy to recreate this fabulous dinner at home. It’s also a fun crowd-pleaser for Taco Tuesday or when I’m hosting a dinner party. But here are a few other things to love about this recipe:
- The homemade fajita seasoning is unmatched. The simple blend of bold spices really elevates the flavor of the dish. I often make a double batch of the fajita seasoning to keep on hand.
- It’s made in less than 30 minutes. From start to finish, it takes very little time to create juicy chicken, tender veggies, and an all-around satisfying meal. That’s why it’s a favorite for easy weeknight dinners.
- It’s great for meal prep. You can store any leftover fajitas in the fridge to enjoy for several days or top the sliced chicken and veggies on salad greens for a lighter lunch.
- You can switch up the proteins. While chicken fajitas are my go-to, I often switch up this recipe and make shrimp fajitas or steak fajitas. Essentially, I’ll happily eat all the different types of fajitas.
Chicken Fajita Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: I’m using boneless skinless chicken breasts. But you could also use chicken thighs for an even juicier option.
- Vegetables: Sliced onion and bell peppers make for a bright and tasty fajita dish. I like to use red, yellow, and green bell peppers for lots of color, but you can choose any color of bell peppers.
- Lime: Grab a fresh lime to squeeze on top at the end. The punch of acidity really makes the dish.
- Fajita seasoning: Skip the pre-made seasoning packets because nothing compares to the flavor of homemade seasonings. Plus, you’ll avoid any unnecessary fillers and additives. You just need a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Taco additions: A few essentials I love to prepare are my cassava flour tortillas, sour cream, pico de Gallo, and sliced avocados. But I’ll talk through more serving ideas below.
Is it better to use a fajita seasoning or marinade? Both are great options! I have a chicken fajita marinade (from my list of chicken marinades) that can be used for this recipe with delicious results. But the dry rub fajita seasoning flavors the chicken perfectly for an equally delicious and super quick meal.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Chicken Fajitas
Season the chicken. Generously sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken and use your fingers to press it in.
Sear the chicken. Lightly coat your skillet with oil and sear the chicken breasts on each side for 7 to 8 minutes. Then remove them from the pan and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing them into strips.
Saute the bell peppers and onion. While the chicken is cooking, slice the bell peppers and onions. Then saute them in the same skillet for a few minutes until caramelized. You’re essentially making fajita veggies!
Mix everything and serve. Slice the chicken into thin strips and add them back into the skillet. You can also slice those strips in half again if they’re too thick. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top, and stir everything together before serving.
Ways To Serve Chicken Fajitas
- Make chicken fajita tacos or wraps: This is my favorite way to serve them! Grab a fresh batch of tortillas and prep a few toppings such as sliced avocados or guacamole, red salsa or pico de gallo, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.
- Go light with lettuce wraps. Instead of using tortillas, use butter lettuce to make a lettuce wrap! Then add your favorite taco toppings.
- Make a fajita rice bowl: Make my cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice for a super delicious rice bowl. Then add black beans, sweet corn, cotija cheese, and a drizzle of lime crema or chipotle sauce on top for a flavorful touch.
Common Questions
When it comes to cooking the chicken, a cast iron skillet is ideal for searing. It gives a nice char 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, a stainless steel pan will work.
Fajitas are typically cooked in a skillet, but you are more than welcome to grill the chicken! You’ll get a nice smoky flavor, enhancing all those delicious Mexican spices.
Definitely! This is another great way to ensure the seasoning coats all sides of the chicken before it’s thrown onto the skillet. But again, it’s not necessary.
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the refrigerator the night before, then quickly reheat it in the microwave.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
- Carne Asada: Made with the best marinade for carne asada tacos.
- Birria: Turn this into crispy, cheesy birria tacos.
- Carnitas: A pork lover’s dream.
- Taco soup: Enjoy the best taco flavors in one hearty soup.
- Shrimp Tacos: Paired with a tasty cilantro bacon slaw.
- Huevos Rancheros: The best kind of savory Mexican breakfast.
- Or enjoy these other delicious Mexican recipes!
If you make this chicken fajitas recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Staub Cast Iron Fry Pan My favorite cast iron fry pan for stovetop dishes!
- Zwilling Chef's Knife This is the knife I use in my everyday cooking.
Ingredients
Chicken Fajitas
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ lime
Fajita Seasoning
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Serving
- tortillas
- sour cream
- pico de gallo
- avocado
Instructions
- Make fajita seasoning. Add the fajita seasoning ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir together.
- Season the chicken. Generously sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken and use your fingers to press it into the chicken.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts for about 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
- Slice the veggies. While your chicken is cooking, cut the bell peppers and onion into thin slices.
- Cook the veggies. 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 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Slice the chicken. When the bell peppers are just about done sauteing, slice the chicken breasts into strips. You can slice those pieces in half again for thinner strips of chicken.
- Mix and serve. 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.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you’re unsure if your chicken is cooked through, use an instant-read thermometer to see if the internal temperature is 165°F. And since you’ll be letting the chicken rest while cooking the veggies, I recommend taking it out of the pan at around 160°F, as there will be carry-over cooking.
- If you want extra flavoring on your chicken, use my fajita marinade from this chicken marinade post! Plus, these can be frozen and used at a later time.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted February 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Excellent recipe. Will be a keeper family loved it
Happy the whole family loved it!
My sweet college-aged son made these for me last night…so that speaks to how easy they were to throw together on a weeknight! :) I appreciated the spice mixture that wasn’t too spicy for my palette and had the perfect flavor combo with the tender chicken, onion and peppers. Mine was served in a bowl (Chipolte-style ;)) over greens, with lentils, rice and fresh avocado (next time I’ll try with your guacamole recipe). A delicious and easy taco Tuesday dinner! Thank you for sharing!
That was so nice of your son to make the recipe for you! Glad you both enjoyed it. :)
Hi I love this recipe. Just one quick question. How much is each serving? Thank you.
This will depend on how big your chicken breasts are. But I would say about half to 1 cup of the peppers and chicken.
The best chicken fajitas! They are on repeat 2-3x a month. So much flavor & easy to make…. Kids always request these when they want Mexican for lunch/dinner! Even my picky brother in law loves it! And asked for the recipe. Thank you Lisa for all your recipes!
So glad everyone is loving this chicken fajitas recipe Kat!
I made the spice mix just the way you said, and I will never buy fajita mix again because you were so right. It is better when you make it from scratch.
Made these last night. They were great! I sliced the raw chicken into strips for greater marinade coverage. Also doubled the spice mixture, added a lil’ olive oil to it, and used that as a marinade for both the chicken and the veggies. Marinated both all day in the fridge. Flavor was great! Friends and I all agreed this recipe was a total keeper. Thanks!
So thrilled you loved these chicken fajitas, Jill!
Definitely going to make this and appreciate some of the “tinkerings”! – any suggestions on what to do with the tortillas? I looked over many of the great reviews and one mentioned using warm tortillas.
Use as is, heat over a hot pan, microwave with damp paper towels? Thank you
Yep, that works! I normally just warm them up in the pan before serving.
This was such an easy and DELICIOUS meal to make! It’s a keeper! The directions were perfect. A new fave in our house for certain!!!!
Yay, happy you loved the recipe, Lauren!
These are the ABSOLUTE BEST chicken fajitas!! They were fabulous and my husband and I both loved them! I added one extra ingredient, sliced mushrooms because I had a few left. I can’t rave enough about these! I’m making them again this week, my husband’s request!!! Thank you Lisa!
Thrilled to hear both you and your husband loved this chicken fajitas recipe Susan!
Delicious. Made it with steak and just fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. So easy. I used my food processor to cut the peppers and onions. Added a jalapeno for some extra flavor. So good. My husband said delicious about three times during our meal. A keeper.
Glad this worked out great with steak! I’ve actually got a steak fajitas recipe coming up soon as well :)
This recipe is awesome!!!! Loved it. It was so easy to fix and did not take a long time to fix. Small amount to clean up. My kind of meal! Thank you
Great recipe and instructions – got rave reviews . Thanks!
This recipe is so easy – and so packed with flavor. I made the fajita seasoning and it is so good! Easily stored in my glass spice jars & labeled. I will make this recipe again and again. I tried a variant in serving this recipe: this recipe was served over a sinple salad placed in baked tortillas shaped into a bowl [via the “Perfect Tortilla Pan”] . I enjoy fajitas in a regular tortilla – and I enjoy the crunch of the baked tortilla as well.
Thank you so much for an easy and great recipe!
Love how you got creative with your chicken fajitas Karen!
Who needs to go out for Mexican when you can make it so quick ( and healthier) at home! I live in south Texas so we know how chicken fajitas should taste and these are so juicy and tender! The seasonings are spot on. It’s so simple and quick to make on a weeknight like tonight. Thank you Lisa for another super easy and super yummy dish I feel good about serving to my family.
Excellent! My wife says this is her favorite meal. So easy to put together and enjoy. I even enjoy cooking it in a cast iron skillet on the grill.
Was genuinely delicious. Perfect mix of seasoning. Pretty easy to make as well. 10/10
Happy you loved it!
I love these fajitas, as I do all the recipes I’ve tried of yours Lisa!
Thank you so much for posting and sharing your tasty, super healthy, and simple recipes and ideas with the world!
Thanks so much Lainie! I’m happy you’re enjoying all my recipes. :)
This recipe is delicious, will definitely make again using this recipe.
Easy and Delicious
I thought very good, my wife loved them and the fact there are no preservatives in the seasonings. I added a bit of wedged tomatoes, which was really good
Happy you both loved the recipe John!
Delicious! Made these tonight for my 9 & 7 year old grandkids and we loved them. Also included shredded cheddar cheese. Thanks for the recipe!
i doubled the recipe for the seasoning and used 4 large organic chicken breasts that i cut in half so they were not so thick . amazing flavor !!!!!
Awesome, I’m happy you loved it Annette!
I am having a party and would like to know if I can make 12 lbs. of fajitas and freeze them? This recipe sounds so easy and delicious.
Thank you
Lori
Yes, you can freeze them. Just note that the veggies will be softer after you freeze and thaw. :)
Perfect! Family loved them!
This was quite tasty. I used a package of vegetarian Morning Star “Chicken Strips” that I sliced into thinner strips. I also used about 10 oz of drained, canned tomatoes and about 15 oz of drained, bottled red bell pepper strips (I tend to buy these when on sale for other recipes). It won’t have as much crunch as fresh bell peppers, but still tasty. Also used 2-3 chicken stock cubes that I freeze in ice cube trays when I have leftover stock to add moisture when needed. I also like a more chili powder forward dish, so doubled the chili powder, and crushed some dried hot peppers into the dish for more heat.
This recipe is absolutely delicious, the seasoning was perfect! I made it vegetarian by not having chicken and just added an extra bell pepper or two. Make double the seasoning and then throw it in with the cooked veggies. This is such a simple recipe it’s become a staple for my household, the longest part is chopping vegetables, but that’s it.
This recipe is so good that I now no longer enjoy fajitas out. They aren’t as good as this! It’s better when I make it myself using this recipe!
Sometimes, homemade chicken fajitas is the way to go once you’ve nailed down the seasoning :)
Can you cut up the chicken before you season the chicken?
Great seasoning mix! I made extra and applied it because I like things a little spicier.
Excellent recipe that the whole family loved. I was astounded at how it tastes like it’s from a restaurant. The chicken was perfect; not dry or tough. My only regret was not being able to eat more of it because I was full.
I make this all the time as I’m making it now. This blows away any Mexican restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing.
I sliced my chicken into strips to get more seasoning in every bite. Then quickly sautéed and removed with plans to finish cooking later. I cooked my veggies separately in same pan to have more control over how long to cook each items. Did both of those steps earlier in the day, then reheated all together at serving time. It was wonderful. I had cilantro in my garden and also garnished with avocado and a dollop of sour cream. Excellent dish! One night served with rice, another night served in flour tortilla. Nice way to mix things up when eating solo.
Great idea on prepping everything ahead of time Jan! Makes for a quick and easy assemble for dinner.
Oh my goodness, this was phenomenal. The recipe is absolutely perfect. I made it exactly as written except I increased the seasoning by 25% and added a couple dashes of chipolte chile powder, cayenne pepper, and I through in a diced jalepeno with the bell peppers and onion. I cannot believe how something so simple and easy can result in such wonderful, delicious flavor. Hands down, the best fajitas I have ever made, and I have made quite a few. Served on warm flour tortillas with sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese blend, salsa, homemade pico, and an extra lime wedge. The chicken was so tender- everything was just perfect. I had seconds, son had thirds lol, and super picky daughter actually finished an entire fajita and admitted that it tasted great. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I have printed it out on cardstock, punched holes, and filed it in my favorites binder. :)
Thrilled to hear you and your family are loving this chicken fajitas recipe!
Sounds great….add squash and tomatoe to peppers and onions.
Excellent and will make again
Great recipe. I doubled the seasoning and added some cayenne pepper and peri peri seasoning, the chicken was excellent and I’ll definitely be holding onto this recipe for future fajita nights. Thank you so much for sharing.
Excellent!
A “keeper” recipe. Saved about a tablespoon of the seasoning to sprinkle on the veggies while cooking. Excellent recipe.
Definitely make another batch of the fajita seasoning to keep on hand!
I just did this recipe Except I stripped chicken and seasoned in bowl let sit for 1 hr then pan fried chicken and peppers in separate pans (so chicken doesn’t over cook) and chicken to peppers for 2 or 3 minutes,Yum Yum !!
Loved it!
Easy and yummy! Simple is the only way I can cook. ;-) My wife had oven fried some chicken breasts a few days ago, so they were already cooked. I just used the blend and prep suggested here and they are terrific! Thank you very much.
Glad you both enjoyed this chicken fajitas recipe!
I love these chicken fajitas, prepped them a couple of times already. It is so easy and so delicious!
This was one of the most easiest recipes I’ve made, not to mention, very very tasteful. I had bought the fajita seasoning but then decided to try the recipe here. I’m glad I did. Homemade is ALWAYS better!
So glad you decided on this recipe Gloria!
Excellent! I sprinkled my seasoning on four medium chicken breasts and let it sit while I prepped the veggies. I cooked exactly as you wrote and rested the chicken breasts while I stir fried the veggies in the same pan. Just yum every step of the way! Served on tortillas with salsa and plain Greek yougurt along side air fried sweet potato chunks tossed with EVOO and the same seasoning. Big hit with the family as we’re sitting here enjoying Canada’s Grey Cup! (I kept the fourth cooked chicken breast for lunch later this Week! .
Hi Robin – so happy you and your family loved the chicken fajitas, yay!
Hi there, can’t wait to make this. Wondering if you equate one serving to one taco? So when the recipe says six servings, would that mean six tacos? Thanks!
Yes, you can say that!
I’ve made this several times now and the family loves it. The first time I made as-written (I try to do that with any new recipe) and it was great just as written. But I am a tinkerer – subsequent times I’ve quartered the breasts and made a marinade by adding all the spices to some olive oil, lime juice and water and let the chicken marinade an hour or so. Plus I add 1.5 teaspoon of onion powder (yes, I know there’s onions in the veggie part, but it still seems to add additional flavor).
The other change is to fix a problem of my own making. I do the veggies first, then the chicken, and mix back together in a separate dish. This is only because I am weird and like to cook this dish using a smoking hot pan to get some blackening on both the chicken and the veggies. If you do this (blackening) with the chicken first you end up with loose black bits that get all over the veggies.
But again, this recipe is truly great as it stands. No need to monkey around with it. Unless you’re weird like me!
Thanks!
We all have small personal preferences! But, I’m glad you enjoyed the base of this chicken fajitas recipe :)
Fantastic recipe. Better than my local Mexican place because of less salt. Made as written but used more lime at the end. Will definitely go on the dinner menu rotation here.
Sometimes, homemade versions are the way to go!
Will absolutely be making this again!! When putting the seasoning on it looked like way too much but I went with it…even tossed the little bit left onto the peppers and onions when sautéing them. Topped with homemade salsa. Pico, cheese and sour cream … chicken was perfect!!
You’ll definitely need a good amount of seasoning to give enough flavor :)
I really want to make these tonight can you please just advise if I can slice the chicken prior to marinading and cook them ready sliced?
Yes, you can if you’d like!
This is the easiest and best-tasting fajita recipe I have tried. The marinade is what uplifts the chicken into such a flavorful dish. I am Texan and this recipe stands tall in my book! Thank you.
Hate to say it but they were much better than the last receipt I tried. I don’t think I will be looking for anymore fajita receipts. and I am signing up NOW lol
will be watching more {all} of your videos on you tube.
Glad you loved this chicken fajitas Michelle, and welcome to the Downshiftology community :)
This recipe was easy and delicious. I cut up my chicken, seasoned it and let it sit while I cut up veggies. Cooked the chicken on our blackstone grill, took it off, did the veggies and added it all back together. Served with some black beans. YUM!
I made this recipe on Saturday. Everyone loved it. It was so easy and the seasoning gave it a wonderful taste. I plan on using this recipe often.