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Get It NowIt’s hard to top my love for Mexican (and Tex-Mex) cuisine. The fresh ingredients, the fast and simple prep, the bold seasonings… there’s so much about it that aligns with my favorite things about cooking. With the number of Mexican-inspired recipes I have, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but my chicken fajitas are definitely in my top 5 — along with fresh salsa, guac, barbacoa, and my popular taco salad. I even make my own fajita seasoning for these, though you totally don’t have to. If you need a simple, classic chicken fajita recipe with all the flavors of a restaurant without much fuss, this is it.
Why You’ll Love My Chicken Fajitas Recipe
- All the flavor, all the texture – You’ve got tender and juicy chicken, slightly caramelized veggies, and that unmistakeable char throughout. My flavorful 5-minute seasoning blend ties it all together.
- Fresh, simple ingredients – This dish is bursting with veggies and protein, a.k.a. my two specialties. And if you have the fajita seasoning ready (either store-bought or my homemade version pre-made), you only need 5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper.
- Ready in 25 minutes – That’s 10 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook. With how fast they come together, these chicken fajitas are one of my fave healthy dinners for weeknights. (That time is all “active time” though, so if you need a hands-off method, make my Instant Pot fajitas or sheet pan fajitas instead.)
- Customizable & family-friendly – One of the best things about fajitas is that each person in your family can customize them. My kids like to roll them up in tortillas, while my husband and I serve them in a bowl with lots of toppings. See ideas below!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my chicken fajita recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are traditional. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, though they they don’t slice quite as neatly and the cook time can vary. My rule of thumb is to have about 1/4 pound of chicken per person if I’m serving these chicken fajitas with some sides.
- Fajita Seasoning – I usually have my homemade fajita seasoning on hand and use that, but store-bought is totally fine. Watch out for artificial fillers that some packets have. If you want to make mine, it only 5 minutes to stir together and uses common spices: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. If you’re using store-bought and it doesn’t contain salt, you’ll need to salt the chicken separately. (My rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken, but this amount is built into my seasoning!)
- Veggies – Just the classics here, bell peppers and onions! I like a mix of red and yellow peppers for color variety, but any color is fine. My recipe uses white onion, which is the most common in this dish, but any kind (sweet, yellow, or even red onions) works. Slice the peppers into strips and the onions into half moons.
- Oil – I usually use olive oil for cooking chicken fajitas. You can also use avocado oil, or really any heat-safe oil.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Only for the veggies, since the chicken gets the seasoning mix.
- Lime Wedges – Optional, but highly recommend for serving!
How To Make Chicken Fajitas
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with fajita seasoning and use your hands to rub it in gently.
- Sear the chicken. Heat the oil in large skillet, until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and cook until cooked through. Remove them from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Cook the peppers and onions. Add the bell peppers and onions to the pan. Saute until soft and browned. Season with sea salt and black pepper to your taste.
- Slice the chicken. While peppers and onions are cooking, slice the chicken breasts against the grain.
- Put it all together. Once the vegetables are done, add the chicken to the skillet. I highly recommend a fresh squeeze of lime juice at the end to finish off my chicken fajita recipe.
Variation: Make A Marinade
Since I often make this as a 20-minute meal last minute, I kept this recipe simple with just a generous amount of seasoning. But you can also marinate the chicken if you have the time!
To make the chicken fajita marinade, simply whisk together:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning mix
Then, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. You can proceed with my recipe as written after marinating (without any additional seasoning).
My Top Tips
- Chop your veggies before you start cooking. My chicken fajita recipe cooks fast, so you’ll want to have everything ready to go.
- Cut the peppers and onions into uniform thicknesses. This helps them all cook at the same rate. I like to slice my onions radially (meaning from the outside in, after cutting in half) instead of straight down. This allows all the pieces to be the same thickness, instead of the end pieces being different. See my picture below for a visual. Bell peppers are straightforward to cut into strips, but just make sure they are not too thick — about the same thickness as the onions is ideal.
- Cook the chicken first. It needs to rest anyway before you slice it, so cooking it first lets you cook the veggies while it rests. Then everything is ready at the same time.
- Season the chicken liberally. The amount of seasoning will look like a lot when you first put it on, but this makes the most flavorful chicken fajitas! My rule of thumb is 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of chicken.
- Get the pan nice and hot. The oil should slide around easily before you add the chicken. This gets you that nice sear and prevents it from drying out.
- Use a meat thermometer. Seasonings are great and all, but I always (always!) check the internal temperature of my chicken to ensure that it stays juicy. 165 degrees F is the ideal target (from USDA), and you can even remove it a few degrees sooner, as the temp continues to rise as it rests. Just make sure it reaches 165 before slicing.
Storage & Reheating
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They are not quite the same as fresh, but I still eat them for lunch! They are also pretty amazing tucked into an omelette.
- Meal prep: You can cut the veggies and season the chicken (or use my marinade option above) 1-2 days in advance. In fact, the chicken actually turns out more juicy and flavorful if you do! Keep both in separate containers in the fridge.
- Reheat: A quick sizzle in a hot skillet is all you need. The microwave works, but tends to dry out the chicken and make the vegetables mushy.
- Freeze: Freezing chicken fajitas is not my favorite, because the veggies lose their texture and sliced chicken gets dry, but it’s safe to do for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve up fajita chicken with all your favorite fixings! The best part is everyone can make it their own. Here are some ways we do it in my family:
- Toppings – Set out a spread of my guacamole, sour cream, fresh tomato salsa or salsa verde, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro. They are all a must-haves for me!
- Tortillas – My kids like to wrap their chicken fajitas in corn tortillas. You can also use flour tortillas, or even my jicama tortillas.
- Chips & Dip – Grab your favorite chips and serve with Rotel dip, more guacamole and salsa, or even my taco dip!
- Rice – Turn this chicken fajita recipe into a bowl meal instead of wrapping in tortillas. Serve it over fresh cauliflower rice or frozen cauliflower rice (lifesaver if I’m in a hurry), or just regular Mexican rice.
- Beans – I’m not a big fan of refried beans that are often served with fajitas at restaurants, but go for it if you are! I do love a side of my Mexican-inspired black bean soup.
More Easy Mexican Dinner Recipes
If you like my recipe for chicken fajitas, try some of my other ideas for your Taco Tuesday:
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Cast Iron Skillet – I highly recommend a cast iron skillet for all fajita recipes, because it gives your proteins an unbeatable sear and browns the vegetables perfectly. This one I have doesn’t require seasoning it!
- Meat Thermometer – To ensure juicy chicken every time. This one is my favorite because it’s instant and foldable for easy storage.
Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Make this easy chicken fajitas recipe for a 25-minute dinner! You just need chicken, peppers, onions, oil, and spices for loads of flavor.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with fajita seasoning, and use your hands to rub it in.
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Heat 2 tablespoons (29 ml) of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and saute for 5-7 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (I recommend a meat thermometer to check that it reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)). Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
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Add the bell peppers and onions to the pan. (There should be enough oil in the pan as is, but can add more if needed.) Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally but not constantly, until soft and browned. Season with salt and pepper.
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When the peppers and onions are almost done, slice the chicken breasts against the grain. Once the vegetables are done, add the chicken to the skillet, and if desired, squeeze lime juice over the fajitas.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup, or 1/4 entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
20 Comments
Marie
0I made the chicken fajita marinade and let the chicken sit for a few hours before cooking, and it turned out amazing! The chicken was so flavorful and juicy – definitely worth the extra time.
Shy
0Tasted just like the ones from a Mexican restaurant, but without worrying about unhealthy oils. I used boneless thighs for extra juiciness and made a big batch for meal prep. Highly recommend this recipe.
Mindy
0These chicken fajitas were a hit with the whole family! I loved that it only took 25 minutes and hubby loved taking the leftovers to work the next day!
Glenda
0This is still one of our favorite recipes for taco night. These fajitas are so easy to make, and they’re delicious. I come back to this recipe again and again. Thanks for sharing it!
Rocio
0I have made this 4628462 times and every time is perfect. I love the marinade option but I have tried both and they work. Good job Maya!
Rocio
0Per ushhh this recipe is amazing!! I literally have tried all your recipes and they are sooo good! Thank you!
Marge
0Just like my recipe except I add a few splashes of tequila and let the alcohol cook off. BIG hit with my family. By the way, I personally dislike tequila but in this application, it’s good.
Jessica
0Delicious! We’ll definitely try again!
C
0This is very tasty! Everything I have tried from WY has been delicious!
Lisa Devonshire
0I finally got to make this tonight and I even used your recipe for fajita seasoning and it was delicious! I ordered some of the bromelain powder online and I didn’t have fresh lime but I used a little bit of bottled juice. Very good!
Nancy Armstrong
0My husband and I have just discovered the Keto way of eating from our son. This is only one of the recipes I plan to prepare. You have offered so many wonderful recipes. I was worried that I couldn’t stick to a new diet, but seeing all the great meals I can make for us, I am now excited. I thank you for doing all the hard work for us and offering to us these recipes. I so appreciate what you do for others.
I know we will love this recipe. I signed up for the free list of keto foods but it never seemed to go through.
Carolyn K Ford
0We have enjoyed your recipes previously. Like others mentioned, this had much too much seasoning. 1 or 1.5 tablespoons of the fajita seasoning would have been sufficient.
Dorothy Commandeur
0Delicious recipe! What do you serve with fajitas??
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dorothy, I suggest Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice as a side dish for fajitas!
Natasha Cox
0WOW these fajitas came out AWESOME and taste just like the mexican restaurant! Except I don’t need to be concerned about them frying in vegetable oils. YAY. Thanks Maya for scratching another itch. I also made a huge jar of the fajita seasoning. The only thing I changed was using boneless thighs. I like the taste better and super juicy juicy. Highly recommend this recipe. It was easy and I was able to make a huge batch for food prep. I will be eating it on salad with Maya’s ranch.
Judy
0Maya,
I don’t know why, but your ads print whenever I try to print.
This time, there’s a picture of 2 people cooking outside. It’s right over the ingredients. I will have to print it again. VERY annoying.
What am I doing wrong? This happens most of the time. I end up copying, pasting into word, and then printing. Is there a setting I’m missing? It only happens with this blog.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, Let the print page fully load before sending to your printer. The ads can shift around a bit until the page completes loading. I hope this helps.
Amy L Huntley
0These are a family favorite. I love that my kids are getting their veggies and protein. And best of all…NO Complaining!
Kristyn
0When we have a date night in, we love making fajitas! The smell is amazing & the flavors burst in your mouth!
Natalie
0Love the flavors!