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Home » Dinner » Chicken Fajita Marinade

February 5, 2020 By Sara 37 Comments

Chicken Fajita Marinade

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This chicken fajita marinade is a blend of olive oil, lime juice and spices, all mixed together to form the perfect flavoring for zesty fajitas. You can also use this marinade to make Mexican style chicken for burritos, nachos, tacos and more!

Mexican food is favorite in my house, every week I find myself making steak tacos, chicken enchiladas or chicken fajitas. This fajita marinade takes just 5 minutes to put together and always gets rave reviews.

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Chicken fajita marinade served over sliced chicken and vegetables.

I have been making this chicken fajita marinade for many years – it’s my absolute favorite way to add flavor to plain old chicken breasts! This is the best method of enjoying restaurant style fajitas in the comfort of your own home.

How do you make chicken fajita marinade?

This marinade is a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and onion powder. Whisk all of the ingredients together and you’ve got a simple yet flavorful marinade. Add chicken to the marinade, and let it sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. Cook your chicken as desired, along with peppers and onions, and you’ll have delicious fajitas to enjoy!

Assorted spices and herbs in bowls.

Tips for the perfect marinade

  • Be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice.
  • I use a mild chili powder, so I add 2 tablespoons to my marinade. If you’re using a chili powder that packs some heat, you may want to cut it back to 1 tablespoon.
  • Smoked paprika can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores and adds so much great flavor.
  • This recipe makes enough marinade to coat about 1 pound of chicken.
  • You can use chicken breasts, chicken thighs or chicken tenders in this marinade. I typically use chicken breasts that are cut into strips.
  • This marinade can be made up to 2 days before you plan to use it.

Sliced bell peppers and onions in a bowl.

How long can you marinate chicken?

This chicken should soak in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes, and a maximum of 8 hours. The marinade contains a large amount of lime juice, and the acid in the juice can change the texture of the chicken if it soaks for an extended period of time.

Sliced chicken and vegetables coated in fajita marinade.

Chicken fajita marinade variations

While I typically make this marinade as written, sometimes I add other ingredients to the mix depending on what I have on hand.

  • Herbs: Feel free to add a handful of fresh herbs such as chopped cilantro leaves or sliced green onion.
  • Spice: If you prefer a spicy marinade, add some hot sauce or minced canned chipotle peppers to taste.
  • Citrus: While lime juice is a classic pairing with Mexican food, you can add some lemon or orange juice to the mix for a different flavor.
  • Protein: This marinade also works with other types of protein such as shrimp, flank steak or pork tenderloin.

Fajitas made with chicken fajita marinade in flour tortillas.

You can’t go wrong with a good marinade! Whether you choose to grill, pan sear or bake your fajitas, the results will be perfect each and every time.

More Mexican food favorites

  • Chicken Taquitos
  • Ground Beef Tacos
  • Shrimp Fajitas
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Mexican Corn Salad

Chicken Fajita Marinade Video

Chicken fajita marinade served over sliced chicken and vegetables.
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5 from 27 votes

Chicken Fajita Marinade

This chicken fajita marinade is a blend of olive oil, lime juice and spices, all mixed together to form the perfect flavoring for zesty fajitas. You can also use this marinade to make Mexican style chicken for burritos, nachos, tacos and more!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken fajita marinade, chicken fajitas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 141kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons chili powder depending on the heat level of your chili powder. I use a mild chili powder so I do the full 2 tablespoons.
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Place the olive oil, lime juice, water, sugar, kosher salt, cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder and pepper in a bowl.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Add 1 pound of sliced chicken, 1 1/2 cups sliced bell peppers and 1/2 cup sliced onions to the bowl and toss to coat.
  • Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 962IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: marinade, Mexican Food

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Comments

  1. Joan C. says

    February 19, 2021 at 5:27 am

    5 stars
    We had this last night with chicken and it was absolutely delicious. It was far more flavorful than the packaged seasoning that I have been buying, and I imagine much more healthy! My whole family loved it. Thank you for a great and easy dinner recipe for Whole 30.

    Reply
  2. Lindy says

    February 5, 2021 at 4:46 pm

    5 stars
    Thoroughly enjoyed! Great flavor! Will definitely be making often!

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    January 28, 2021 at 3:43 pm

    What are the cooking instructions??

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 28, 2021 at 6:53 pm

      You can follow this recipe! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/chicken-fajitas-recipe/

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    January 1, 2021 at 9:36 pm

    5 stars
    Very easy to make and super delicious! I used 1/4 tsp Cheyenne pepper power as I did not have chilli powder, and it still turned out well. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
  5. Hannah says

    November 13, 2020 at 9:19 am

    5 stars
    So this is about my hundredth time coming back to your page to use your marinade so I guess I should at least leave a review! This marinade is absolutely perfect. I use it to season my chicken for sandwiches, and for a spicy pasta dish I like to make. Everyone loves it, even my picky four year old.

    Reply
  6. sharon dillinger says

    October 27, 2020 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe last week and just wanted to let you know how delicious it was and a hit with my picky husband. Tastes so fresh and the marinade infuses the chicken so well. Just a great recipe which will be used again in the near future.

    Reply
  7. Ckn says

    October 19, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect chicken marinade!!

    Reply
  8. Alison says

    October 2, 2020 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    I want to shout this recipe from the rooftops! It is so incredibly delicious and so easy! Most ingredients I usually have on hand. We’ve made them twice and it will be added to the regular rotation.

    Reply
  9. Patti says

    October 1, 2020 at 4:45 am

    5 stars
    A perfect marinade for chicken!!! My family along with another family I cook for just loved this! Keep sharing what you share please!

    Reply
  10. Marta Oliveira says

    September 23, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Question: could we freeze the chicken fajita marinade before been cooked?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sara says

      September 24, 2020 at 4:16 pm

      Yes that’s fine!

      Reply
  11. Kelly says

    September 6, 2020 at 7:17 am

    5 stars
    Our camping families always have a theme night for dinner and taco night is usually one of them. Most everything is made ahead so we can enjoy our day. I was in charge of chicken and was looking for a good marinade and came across this recipe. So glad I did! Everyone raved about it and there was NONE left! I made 4# of chicken. DELICIOUS! Will be making this again and again and again!😋

    Reply
  12. Cathy says

    September 1, 2020 at 9:19 am

    5 stars
    I’ve always done my own chicken fajita marinade and it was great. This, however, is DIVINE! I’ve made it several times the last couple of weeks. Thanks you!!

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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