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 with flavorful chicken strips served with sautéed onions and bell peppers. The chicken is marinated in a mix of warm spices, lime, and garlic, which helps tenderize the meat and boost flavor. Served with warm flour tortillas and toppings like guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese, fajitas are always a hit.
In restaurants, fajitas are often served on a sizzling cast iron plate for added flair. While it might be tricky to replicate that sizzling experience at home, my version is just as tasty, if not better! These fajitas are flavorful, customizable, and easy to prepare, making them perfect for weeknight dinners or casual get-togethers. Plus, leftovers are great in salads, tacos, burritos, and more.
“Amazing! These are by far the best fajitas! I may or may not have licked the platernrn”
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.
- 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.
- Red Onion & Bell Peppers: This classic fajita duo 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
First, pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. This helps tenderize the chicken and makes sure it cooks evenly. (If you’re 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 to the marinade and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight—the longer you marinate, the more flavor your fajitas will have.
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 the vegetables start to brown. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits, and keep cooking until the veggies are caramelized and tender-crisp. (This veggie mixture can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.)
When you’re ready to serve the fajitas, preheat the grill. 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.
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Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ to 1¾ lbs 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 to 12 small soft flour tortillas
For the Peppers
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced ¼-in (6-mm) thick
- 2 bell peppers sliced ¼-in (6-mm) 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-in (13-mm) 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 (60 ml) 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 (60 ml) 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 (13-mm) strips.
- Arrange the chicken and peppers on a serving platter. To warm the tortillas: stack 4 to 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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Pounding the breasts makes a poor consistency for fajitas. Slicing them in half horizontally is better. Marinades need an acid and a base. Go ahead and add the lime juice. Yours aren’t pleasing texture- wise because you pounded them, lime juice was not the culprit.
After trying nearly 20 chicken fajita recipes, this is now my families go-to. The flavor of the chicken is amazing! I’ve used it in salads, rice bowls, or as a stuffing for sweet potatoes.
I have made this recipe many times and it has always received rave reviews! One of the most flattering compliments I received about this recipe was that it is restaurant quality. I totally agree. It’s smokey in flavor and the sugar added to the veggies does allow them to caramelize in the pan. I like to marinate for up to 24 hours to let the flavors truly sink in. One of my favorite desserts to serve with this recipe is the No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. My mouth waters at the thought of it!
Hi Jen,
My family is trying to cut some things out of our diet (groan), including vegetable/canola oil. Am I ok to substitute olive oil for the chicken marinade?
Yep – olive oil is fine. 🙂
I have made these a few times and have become quickly addicted. I would like to make them for a party of about 25 people. I optimally would like to make them the day before and somehow reheat them. Do you think this would work, and what would be the best method to accomplish this? I have really enjoyed all of your recipes that I have tried. Thank you for creating easy, tasty food!
Hi Kim, So happy you’re enjoying all the recipes. I do think you could get away with making this ahead. I’d reheat the chicken and peppers, covered with foil, in a 325° oven until the chicken is warmed through (be careful not to overcook). And I’d wait to slice the chicken until after you reheat it to prevent it from drying out. Hope that helps!
This recipe has quickly become a family favorite. We usually substitute the ancho chili powder for regular chili powder (what we have on hand). Any leftover chicken is usually added to a quesadilla or salad the next day. Would definitely recommend!
Those is the best recipe I have ever made for Fajitas. I will never make any other than this.
Absolute perfection. This was the first recipe of Jenn’s I tried a few years ago–and the one that got me hooked. The marinade is the best, as is the method of cooking the peppers and onions. Try it, you will be so happy you did.
Hi Jenn,
First off, my husband and I are absolutely loving your cookbook. We have already tried 7 or 8 of the new recipes, and they have all been winners so far (as expected!).
My question concerns the marinading time for your chicken fajitas (as well as your herb and lemon BBQ chicken breasts from the website and your simple BBQ chicken breasts from the cookbook). We have family coming into town next week and would like to prepare as many of the meals ahead of time as possible, but we are not sure exactly which days we will be eating at home and which meal will come first. How far ahead of time can these three chicken recipes be marinated for (I would like to avoid freezing if possible)?
Thank you for all of your hard work creating these amazing recipes for your readers to enjoy! We can’t wait to try the fajitas!
Hi Bry, So glad you’re enjoying the cookbook! I’d say you could marinate any of these up to 48 hours ahead (but with the BBQ recipe from the book and the lemon ones from the site, I’d reduce the salt to 1 tsp so they don’t get too salty). Hope that helps!
Amazing! I double the recipe for the chicken and then freeze to make chicken wraps for my kids for school. They absolutely love it! Thanks for such a great recipe!