These chicken fajitas contain zesty marinated chicken, peppers and onions, all cooked until caramelized and golden brown. An easy dinner option that tastes as good as what you’d get at a restaurant!
I make Mexican food at least once a week, my family always requests carnitas tacos, barbacoa beef, and these simple but totally flavorful chicken fajitas.
Whenever I go to my local Mexican restaurant, I order the chicken fajitas. I just can’t resist that tender chicken and veggies with all the fun toppings! My homemade version tastes totally authentic, and is great for feeding a crowd.
How do you make chicken fajitas?
This recipe starts with chicken breasts, which are sliced then soaked in a flavorful marinade. The marinade is a combination of lime juice, olive oil and plenty of spices. An assortment of peppers and onions are also coated in the same marinade. Place your marinated chicken and vegetables in a hot pan, then cook until chicken is done and vegetables are tender. Add a sprinkle of cilantro, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the best fajitas
- I like to use sliced chicken in this recipe, but you can also marinate whole chicken breasts. Cook the whole chicken breasts, then slice them and layer over the cooked peppers.
- I like to use an assortment of bell peppers, it makes for a more festive presentation. You can use all of one color pepper if you prefer, or even try other varieties of pepper such as fresh Anaheim chiles.
- You can saute, broil or grill your fajitas. The various cooking times and methods are outlined in the recipe below.
What do you serve with chicken fajitas?
When I make this dish I serve it with tortillas, pinto beans and rice, and a variety of toppings. You can use flour or corn tortillas, whichever you prefer. Watching your carbs? Skip the rice and tortillas and serve your chicken and vegetables over cauliflower rice. Some of my favorite toppings include shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, lettuce and olives. I typically put out bowls of all the different toppings and let everyone serve themselves to make their own creations.
Chicken fajita variations
- Protein: Try using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, or use a different type of protein such as flank steak, pork tenderloin, shrimp or fish.
- Vegetables: Add more veggies to the mix such as mushrooms, zucchini, poblano peppers, tomatoes or corn.
- Flavorings: You can add more flavors to the marinade such as hot sauce, dried oregano, minced canned chipotle peppers or fresh cilantro.
These fajitas are a hit with both kids and adults alike. It’s the best way to get your favorite restaurant flavors without leaving the house!
More Mexican food favorites
Chicken Fajitas Video
Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
For the fajitas
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers thinly sliced, can use red, orange, yellow or a combination of colors
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, salsa etc for serving
Instructions
For the chicken
- Place the 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice, sugar, salt, cumin, garlic, water, smoked paprika, onion powder and chili powder in a gallon sized resealable bag or large bowl.
- Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken, onions and peppers to the marinade. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
For the fajitas
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and pepper mixture. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
- Season with salt to taste if desired.
- Sprinkle cilantro over the fajitas, then serve with tortillas and toppings of your choice.
Felicia Thayer says
These were absolutely delicious but I have never met chicken in my life that only take 6 minutes or even eight minutes to cook thoroughly unless it’s sliced extremely thin. Dumped everything in my cast iron skillet and cooked for 25 minutes stirring frequently. They came out perfect so flavorful!
Glenda Cook says
These fajitas are better than any restaurant fajitas. They are packed with flavor. I drained the mixture well before cooking in a preheated cast-iron skillet. Also used poblano peppers which I had on hand instead of bell peppers. This will be our go to fajita recipe. Thank you
Netty says
The best chicken Fajitas I’ve ever tasted they were delicious! Netty
Lisa says
Best fajita recipe I have ever tried! I doubled everything & am glad I did! Followed the recipe exactly as written
Nancy Brennan says
This was spot on purrfect! Best one that I have ever tried! Thanks you!
Yetty says
Best recipe I’ve ever tried. It cane out better than any restaurant made fajita. 5 stars don’t do it justice. Thank you for posting. I’m going to try it he marinade on shrimp next time
Yetty says
Can you make this recipe with shrimp?
Sara says
Yes you can!
yvon says
easy but very tasty. Thank you
Sue says
The seasoning on this recipe was perfect! Flavorful but not to spicey!
Allyson Zea says
I make these all the time and they’re always a hit! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Tiffany La Forge-Grau says
Chicken fajitas are such a fun recipe to make and eat. These look so darn good too!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
These fajitas look incredibly delicious! I can’t wait to make them for my family!
Vikki says
Made this for dinner and LOVED it! Such vibrant color and beautiful flavor!
Jacque Hastert says
I bet these taste better than anything you can get at a restaurant! Loaded with veggies is always the best!
Jacque Hastert says
Love that these are loaded with fresh veggies! Can’t beat an easy and delicious recipe like this one.
Krissy Allori says
These fajitas are yummy! I made them and my family and I gobbled them right up.
Kristyn says
A family favorite!! They are so flavorful & great any night of the week!
wilhelmina says
These fajitas are my favorite! They turned out perfectly and I got rave reviews on dinner!
Erin says
I just can’t resist fajitas! This chicken version is delish!
Amanda says
These are the best looking fajitas I have ever seen!