Chicken Fajitas
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Smoky grilled chicken, sizzling peppers and onions, and all the classic accompaniments—whip up chicken fajitas at home that rival those from your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant!
Chicken fajitas are a popular Tex-Mex dish consisting of flavorful chicken strips served with sautéed onions and bell peppers. The chicken is typically marinated in a mixture of spices, such as chili powder, cumin, and paprika, along with lime and garlic, which adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat. The dish is accompanied by warm flour tortillas and various accompaniments like guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese.
In restaurants, fajitas are presented on a sizzling cast iron plate for added flair. Although replicating that sizzling plate experience at home can be a tad risky, it’s possible to prepare homemade fajitas that are just as good, if not better! My fajitas are not only flavorful and customizable but also super easy to prepare, making them a great option for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings. As a bonus, leftovers taste great in salads, tacos, burritos, and more.
Table of Contents
“Amazing! These are by far the best fajitas! I may or may not have licked the plate”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins for this recipe. If using breasts, they need to be pounded to an even thickness before marinating. Tenderloins do not require pounding, making them a a great time-saver.
- Vegetable oil: The base for the marinade. Also used to cook the peppers.
- Garlic: Adds a pungent, aromatic flavor to the marinade, infusing the chicken with depth and richness.
- Lime zest: Provides a bright, citrusy flavor to the dish without the risk of toughening the chicken, as lime juice would.
- Cumin, oregano, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika: This blend of spices adds warmth, earthiness, and a smoky flavor to the fajitas. Skip the fajita seasoning packet from the supermarket—it contains additives and isn’t nearly as tasty as what you can pull together quickly at home. If you’d like to add a little heat, include a generous pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Soft flour tortillas: The wrap for the fajitas, offering a soft, pliable base that complements the texture and flavors of the filling.
- Red onion: Adds a sharp, slightly sweet flavor to the pepper mixture.
- Bell peppers: Provide sweetness and crunch, adding a fresh, vibrant element to the fajitas. If you’re a spicy food lover, try substituting some of the bell peppers for jalapeño peppers.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. This both tenderizes the chicken and ensures that it cooks evenly. (Note: If using chicken tenderloins, you can skip this step.)
Next, make the marinade by combining the oil, garlic, lime zest, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt right in a Ziplock bag (no dirty bowls!). Note that I don’t use lime juice in the marinade. I find that acidic ingredients alter the texture of boneless skinless chicken breasts, making them tough and leathery. The zest of the lime imparts lime flavor without changing the texture of the meat.
Mash all of the ingredients together.
Then add the chicken and marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to grill, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions.
Cook over medium-high heat until they start to brown.
Deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up the brown bits, and continue cooking until the vegetables are caramelized and tender.
When you’re ready to eat, preheat the grill to high. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into strips. Arrange the chicken and peppers on a platter and set out with all the fixins, like guacamole, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro. Be sure to warm your tortillas before serving; warming helps to make the tortillas softer and more pliable, and it also enhances their flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fajitas truly shine when prepared fresh, yet prepping in advance can help. Marinating the chicken beforehand not only saves time but also infuses it with robust flavors, enhancing its taste and tenderness. Additionally, the onion and pepper mixture can be sliced and cooked ahead of time, then simply reheated in the microwave when you’re ready to serve.
Absolutely! While chicken is a popular choice for fajitas, you can easily substitute it with beef (see my carne asada recipe) or shrimp (use the shrimp from my shrimp tacos recipe).
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Chicken Fajitas
Smoky grilled chicken, sizzling peppers and onions, and all the classic accompaniments—whip up chicken fajitas at home that rival those from your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant!
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ to 1¾ pounds chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, from 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8-12 small soft flour tortillas
For the Peppers
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced ¼" thick
- 2 bell peppers, sliced ¼" thick
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Optional Accompaniments For Serving
- Sour cream
- Guacamole, store bought or homemade
- Salsa, store bought or homemade
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- (Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins.) One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a sealable plastic bag and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.
- Open a 1 gallon zip-lock bag and place in a medium bowl. Add the oil, garlic, lime zest, cumin, oregano, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika and salt into the bag. Mash the outside of the bag with your hands to blend the marinade together. Add the tenderloins or pounded chicken breasts and seal shut, releasing any air in the bag. Using your hands, massage the marinade into meat until evenly coated. Place the bag back in the bowl and place in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Clean the grill and preheat to high.
- While the grill heats, cook the peppers. Heat the oil in a large skillet (preferably not non-stick) over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, peppers, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown and a brown film forms around edges of the bottom of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan; scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, until the water is evaporated and the pan starts to brown again; add ¼ cup more water and cook a few minutes more, until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Season to taste with more salt and sugar if necessary. Set aside.
- Oil the grates on the grill. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Let the chicken cool slightly, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into ½-inch strips.
- Arrange the chicken and peppers on a serving platter. To warm the tortillas: stack 4-6 tortillas on a plate and cover them with a damp paper towel, then microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve with the chicken, peppers and optional accompaniments.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The onion and pepper mixture can be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 fajita (not including optional accompaniments)
- Calories: 243
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Sodium: 567mg
- Cholesterol: 36mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Wow! This will make it into our rotation along with the other grilled chicken recipes on this site. Great flavor–very similar to our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, which doesn’t have a location in this part of the country. I would make even more in the future (although this is a generous amount). This chicken would be great as a leftover on a Southwestern salad, burrito bowl, or quesadillas with the leftover peppers. I try to stay true to the recipes, but I did roast/blacken the peppers and onions on a foil-lined sheet pan in the oven/broiler with olive oil, cumin, chili powder, s&p, and smoked paprika. I was broiling the ingredients for the OUAC salsa (also 5*) and thought this would save on clean up. Thanks for another great recipe.
Absolutely delicious! I will make this over and over again. I didn’t change a thing.
Hi Jenn,
I love this recipe! Much better than those “sheet pan” fajita recipes.
Is there any way for me to save this digital version? I am beginning to scan all my recipes becuase I am running out of room for all of them in my printed binders.
thanks,
Leslie
So glad you liked these! Thanks for your note. As of now, I don’t have the functionality on the blog to save favorite recipes. Several readers have mentioned that they like this app for organizing and saving recipes. Also, while not as “high tech,” If you’d like to create a folder on your computer to save them, that also works. You can do it by following these steps:
-Click on the orange Jump to Recipe button immediately under the name of the recipe at the top of the page.
-Look in the upper righthand corner of the recipe box – you’ll see an icon there that looks like a printer. Select that
-Depending on the browser you’re using, you’ll then see a dialogue box with the various print options or another Print button to click.
-Once the print box opens with printing options, click on the drop-down and select “Save as PDF”
-Save it on your computer. (You can create a folder specifically for Once Upon a Chef recipes)
Hope that helps!
Seriously the best fajitas I’ve ever had!! I wouldn’t change one thing on this recipe.
So delicious! I made on the stove in cast iron instead of the grill. The smoked paprika is what really makes them smell and taste like what you get in a restaurant. Pairs perfectly with chips and your Restaurant Salsa recipe!
I made the Chicken Fajitas last night for dinner and they were a great success. This recipe will will be on rotation for a while. Loved them!
Just made this tonight. Outstanding! I scaled it down for two and cooked it all in an iron frying pan – first the chicken, then the peppers and onions. A few minutes before the vegetables were done I added in the sliced chicken. Just before serving (in warmed tortillas) I poured in the juice of the lime.
The marinade is really delicious. Would it be good with beef or would you suggest some different ingredients?
Glad you liked it! Yes, this would nicely with beef. 🙂
What cut of beef would be the best to use?
I’d use a flat iron. You could use this recipe. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
My favorite chicken I’ve ever eaten much less made! Perfection! Thank you
Best chicken marinade, ever! Our first outdoor grilling of the season. Prepped the peppers & onions the evening before to make dinner quickly. Served with elote corn, guacamole, and salsa. Will make again – and again, and again!
Wow – the marinade on the chicken is delicious and really comes through after cooking. We grilled the chicken breasts and were happy with the results. Sliced thin, the chicken was so tender. Since it made so much chicken we have leftovers to use in taco salad – will be making this again during the hot days of summer in CA!