Juicy strips of marinated chicken plus colorful bell peppers and onions are served sizzlin’ hot and loaded with flavor in this easy chicken fajitas recipe!
Why this recipe works
The best chicken fajitas start with a solid marinade, and boy, do I have a smokeshow of a fajita marinade to share with you today. You can prep your chicken in the marinade the morning of, night before, or if you’re short on time, an hour ahead so you don’t have to stress about waiting.
I don’t really think I have to sit here and toot the horn about fajitas, they’re popular for obvious reasons. But I will say that when you give them a good soak in the right mixture of spices, seasonings, and sauces prior to cooking, it makes the world of difference! A big sizzlin’ pan of juicy stripped chicken, peppers, and onions awaits. Let’s get started.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHICKEN – You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts if preferred.
JALAPENO – Depending on how much heat you like in your fajitas, remove seeds and pith before chopping the jalapeño peppers. If you prefer more heat, add in some or all of the pith and seeds.
MARINADE – We use our homemade fajita marinade for this recipe. However, you can use a fajita marinade packet if you prefer. You can make a full batch of our fajita marinade and use 1 cup for this recipe. Store the remaining marinade in a glass container in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze it for up to 4 months.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Cut chicken into strips and place in a zipper gallon bag or glass dish.
- Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken.
- With gloved hands, toss and coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Cover and allow meat to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- While the meat is marinating, cut the bell peppers and the red onion into strips. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
- When ready to cook, heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add half of the vegetables and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove chicken from the marinade and add to the skillet. Set aside any leftover marinade.
- Cook chicken with vegetables, stirring frequently, until no pink remains.
- Add remaining vegetables and remaining marinade (if any) to the skillet. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium and cover pan, allow to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until peppers and onions are tender.
- Serve with tortillas and fresh limes for squeezing!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
You can easily swap the marinade out for spices and seasonings if preferred. We’ve done that many times, but personally, I think marinating the chicken infuses more flavor. It all comes down to personal preference, so do what you enjoy most! I would suggest a mix of garlic and onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper for a simple yet flavorful fajita seasoning.
Absolutely. Hop over to our sheet pan chicken fajitas for an oven-friendly version.
Store any cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Sure! I typically use flank steak if I swap out the protein here. The best part? The marinade is excellent on both chicken and steak. If you want more details you can visit my steak fajitas post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your chicken fajitas with a side of Mexican rice and refried beans. Garnish with a squeeze of lime, salsa fresca, salsa verde, sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, or mango salsa.
You can switch it up by using a lettuce leaf as the vehicle for the fajita goodies, or serve it over a bed of rice. I also love tossing leftovers into a salad with tortilla strips. Enjoy!
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Chicken Fajitas
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup green bell pepper
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup red onion
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 fajita sized tortillas corn or flour
Fajita Marinade
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 ½ Tablespoons chopped jalapeno pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ Tablespoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lime juice
Things You’ll Need
- Large heavy bottomed skillet such as cast iron, with a lid
Before You Begin
- You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts.
- How long you cook the peppers and onions is up to you. Cook them until they have a light char if desired!
- Depending on how much heat you like in a recipe, remove seeds and pith before chopping the jalapeño peppers. If you prefer more heat, add in some or all of the pith and seeds.
- You can make a full batch of our fajita marinade and use 1 cup for this recipe. Store the remaining marinade in a glass container in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze it for up to 4 months.
Instructions
- Cut chicken into strips and place in a zipper gallon bag or glass dish.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken.1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped jalapeno pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
- With gloved hands, toss and coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Cover and allow meat to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- While meat is marinating, cut all bell peppers and the red onion into strips. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook.1/2 cup green bell pepper, 1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, 1/2 cup red onion
- When ready to cook, heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Add half of the vegetables and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove chicken from marinade and add to the skillet. Set aside any leftover marinade.
- Cook chicken with vegetables, stirring frequently, until no pink remains.
- Add remaining vegetables and remaining marinade (if any) to the skillet. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium and cover pan, allow to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until peppers and onions are tender.
- Serve with tortillas and fresh limes for squeezing!8 fajita sized tortillas
Expert Tips & FAQs
- The nutrition facts listed does not include tortillas, as the size and type (corn or flour) will vary. Please refer to the individual packaging for nutritional information.
- Store any cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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