Main Course

Flavorful Mexican Chicken Fajitas

Chicken fajitas are one of my go tos for an easy, healthy, and flavorful weeknight meal.

All you’ve gotta do is season, sear, and cook a couple of chicken breasts, and then quickly saute some bell peppers and onion in all of that delicious fajita seasoning.

It’s a one-pan recipe that takes less than 30 minutes, and you can serve them up the traditional way with a warm tortilla and topped with some of my pico de gallo and guacamole, or you can toss the chicken fajitas in a bowl with some leafy greens, black beans, sweet corn, and avocado for a delicious chicken fajita salad.

Whichever way you choose, it’ll be delicious, I guarantee.

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Mexican Chicken Fajitas
Image by Lisa via downshiftology

How To Make Chicken Fajitas:

We’ll start by making our own homemade fajita seasoning because those little store-bought packets contain fillers, additives, and unnecessary ingredients like sugar.

And trust me, you do not need sugar in your chicken fajitas.

So we’ll grab seven spices to add to a bowl, and that includes 1/2 a tablespoon of chili powder, 1/2 a tablespoon of cumin, one teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 a teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

Then we’ll just give those a stir and mix everything together, and that’s how easy it is to make homemade fajita seasoning.

Now, this amount is perfect for our chicken fajitas today, but you can always double, triple, or even quadruple this amount for future recipes and store it in an airtight container.

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One of the things I love about chicken fajitas is that it’s an easy meal that requires only a few basic ingredients.

You’ll need three boneless, skinless chicken breasts, So this is definitely a cost-effective meal for me.

Add the three chicken breasts to a bowl or plate and then generously sprinkle on the fajita seasoning.

You wanna thoroughly coat both sides, and then use your hands to rub it all over the chicken.

Heat a large pan on medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil, then add your seasoned chicken breasts.

You’ll wanna cook the chicken for about seven to eight minutes on each side, and they should have a nice sear on the outside, which will lock in those spices and flavors.

I love to use a cast iron pan for this, but really, you could use any pan. While the chicken is cooking, you could do a little multitasking and slice up the veggies.

You’ll need three large bell peppers, and I chose one yellow, one green, and one red because I love bright and vibrant chicken fajitas. But you could use three of any color.

And a fun fact about bell peppers that you may not know, but green bell peppers are just unripened versions of their more colorful counterparts, which is also why they’re the least sweet.

So slice the bell peppers in half, remove the seeds, and then slice them into thin strips. You’ll also need one onion, and I typically use a yellow onion, but you could use red onion as well.

Slice the onion in half and then cut it into thin strips. You can break apart the onion if you’d like, but honestly, it will break apart as you stir it in the pan, so you don’t really have to do this.

At this point, both sides of the chicken should have a lovely char, and of course, the chicken should be fully cooked through the center. If you’re not sure if yours is, you can always use an instant-read thermometer and make sure it’s between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

So we’ll remove the chicken, let it rest for a couple of minutes, and add the bell peppers and onion to the pan, and give it a stir.

The veggies will pick up all of that delicious fajita seasoning flavor, and you’ll wanna cook the veggies for about four to five minutes and stir them frequently.

But while the veggies are cooking, I’ll thinly slice the chicken breasts into strips, and if you have pieces that are a bit too wide, you can always slice those in half.

Once the chicken is all sliced up add that back to the pan, stir it together with the veggies, and squeeze half of a lime over everything for a punch of fresh acidity.

These chicken fajitas are incredibly flavorful. You’re really gonna love ’em, and they’ve got just the right amount of spicy kick.

I’ve been known to eat them straight from the pan, but this is also a perfect recipe for meal prep as the chicken and veggies will stay good for up to five days in the fridge in a sealed container.

But you can make proper chicken fajitas with tortillas and all of the fixings as well. To assemble the chicken fajitas, just add a good amount of chicken and veggies to a tortilla.

Then top that with avocado or guacamole, a little bit of fresh salsa, and a dollop or two of sour cream.

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Mexican Chicken Fajitas

Flavorful Mexican Chicken Fajitas


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  • Total Time: 26 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 lime

Fajita Seasoning

  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For Serving

  • tortillas
  • sour cream
  • pico de gallo
  • avocado

Instructions

  1. Add the fajitas seasoning ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir together.
  2. Generously sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken and use your fingers press it into the chicken.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts for about 7-8 minutes on each side. Then remove them from the pan and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
  4. While your chicken is cooking, cut the bell peppers and onion into thin slices.
  5. Once the chicken is removed, saute the bell peppers and onion in the same skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  6. Add the chicken back into the skillet, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and stir everything together.
  7. Serve immediately with tortillas and extra toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Calories: 140

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