Easy chicken fajitas with bell peppers and onions are just 5 ingredients and ready in about 20 minutes. These skillet fajitas are great for a quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
Fajita week here on the blog continues!
Earlier this week I shared homemade fajita seasoning, which I promise is crazy easy to make. You measure, mix and done!
So of course I had to follow that up today with our favorite quick and easy chicken fajitas.
They are also super simple to make - just 5 ingredients, including the oil - and ready in about 20-25 minutes.
Weeknight chicken dinners never looked so good!
(You can also check out sheet pan chicken fajitas and Instant Pot fajitas and crock pot fajitas if you need a hands-off meal. Or try this fajita chicken pasta for a different twist all together! And skillet shrimp fajitas make a tasty seafood variation!)
This chicken fajita recipe has thin slices of chicken plus onions and bell peppers that are all cooked until tender and lightly charred.
Seriously, does it get much better than fajita night at home?! We may not have the sizzling skillets like the restaurant, but we can definitely match those flavors!
OK, let's get cooking.
Recipe Notes:
Chicken: Be sure to slice your chicken thin enough. (I didn't in these photos; it's kind-of a do as I say, not as you see here. ) You'll want them to be small and easy to bite into when you stuff them into your tortillas. You can swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Veggies: make sure your onions and peppers are about the same size so they cook evenly.
Peppers: Using a variety of different colored bell peppers adds some great flavor and color interest. When possible, it's nice to have some green, yellow, red and orange in there, but you only need two bell peppers worth for the recipe. So it's definitely OK to buy one red and one yellow, for instance, and stop there. (Or get a bag of the mini sweet peppers and use some of those.)
Fajita seasoning: As mentioned, we love homemade fajita seasoning, but you can certainly use a store-bought mix.
Disclaimer: It's important to cook the chicken and veggies separately so they all get cooked through, lightly charred, and perfectly delicious. If you cram everything into one pan to try and cook it all together, it will steam and not be nearly as tasty.
If you're in a hurry, you can always use two large skillets and have one for chicken and one for onion and peppers to cook them simultaneously.
One of my favorite parts of just about any meal is the opportunity for toppings. Gimme all the toppings.
Topping ideas for chicken fajitas:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Ah, so many options! Everyone can fix theirs just like they want.
Serving Ideas:
Chicken fajitas, when served with warmed tortillas and plenty of toppings, make a great all-in-one meal.
You can also serve them with steamed rice and black beans to make a more hearty fajita or to have rice and beans as a side.
Mexican coleslaw would be amazing as a side dish with this, as would just a simple green salad for something light and fresh.
And of course, tortillas are a must. Regular, whole wheat or gluten free, grab your favorite flour tortillas and get them ready to stuff.
I've got details in the recipe card on how to get the tortillas warmed and ready to use.
And there you have it. Fajita night done right.
I hope you give these easy chicken fajitas a try soon.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Stay tuned because I have some more delicious ways to make fajitas coming up soon for you.
You can sign up for free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I'll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
Easy Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning, divided
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in ½-inch wide, long thin strips
- 1 medium white onion, sliced in ¼-inch thick slices
- 2 medium bell peppers (mixed colors), sliced in ¼-inch thick slices
For serving:
- Warmed tortilla shells
Optional toppings:
- Diced avocado or guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa or pico de gallo, sour cream or Greek yogurt, pickled red onions, pickled jalapeños, fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges
Other optional fillings or sides:
- Shredded lettuce, steamed brown or white rice, black beans
Instructions
- Heat 1 ½ teaspoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix.
- Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Add the remaining oil to the same pan and add the onion and peppers. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of fajita seasoning over the veggies and stir well to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender, about 7-8 minutes. (If your pan is too dry after the first few minutes, and if the veggies have already gotten a bit of char on them, you can add a few splashes of water. You can also cover the pan if you want to steam them a little at the end, especially if you prefer very tender veggies.)
- Once the onions and peppers are finished cooking, return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and stir well to combine.
- Turn off heat and serve the chicken fajitas in warmed tortilla shells with desired toppings. Enjoy!
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Notes
- If you have a gas burner, you can place a soft flour tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame on medium high. Leave it for 5-10 seconds, until lightly charred, then use tongs to carefully flip and do the same on the other side. Again, just 5-10 seconds is all you need to get it browned and bubbled up slightly.
- Or broil your tortillas in the oven as an alternative. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
- Or you can wrap the tortillas in some damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave too.
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