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 really hands-off meal. Or try this fajita chicken pasta for a different twist all together!)
This chicken fajita recipe has thin slices of chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breasts to be specific) plus onions and bell peppers that are all cooked until tender and lightly charred.
Then they are ready to stuff in your warm fajita shells.
Add all your favorite toppings and dig in! (I have tons of ideas for toppings down below, so keep reading.)
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!
Even my young kids go crazy for these fajitas. My daughter, who just loves to know what her next three meals are going to be, gets so excited when I tell her fajitas are on the menu.
I know, I’m right there with you kid. 😉
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and FAQs coming up below on how to make chicken fajitas. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on easy chicken fajitas:
- 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.
- Similarly, make sure your onions and peppers are about the same size so they cook evenly.
- 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.)
- As mentioned, we love homemade fajita seasoning, but you can certainly use a store-bought mix.
Disclaimer: I think 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.
In a hurry though? I feel you. Here’s what I do sometimes:
Have two large sauté pans going at once on the stove: one for chicken, one for the onion and peppers. They’ll cook in about the same time and then you can toss them together before serving - or just serve straight from the separate pans.
You know I’ve always got you covered in the “how do I make this even faster and easier?” department. 😉👊
One of my favorite parts of just about any meal is the opportunity for toppings. Gimme all the toppings.
So I wanted to share the love.
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.
And now we just need to bring this dinner home.
What to serve with chicken fajitas?
- 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.
Flour tortillas are perfect for fajitas, and you can use regular, whole wheat or a gluten-free version of tortillas.
They come in a variety of sizes, so pick your favorites, being sure you will have enough room to add all your fajita fixings.
And if you’ve wondered about the best way to warm tortillas, I’ll share our favorite method.
How to warm tortillas:
- If you have a gas burner, you can place a soft flour tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. Leave it for 5-10 seconds, until lightly charred, then 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.
- If you have an electric stove, you can broil your tortillas in the oven as an alternative. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Or of course, you can wrap the tortillas in some damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave too.
Last but not least, let’s talk leftovers.
No need to throw them out, they will reheat great and you can make the extras into something new if you like.
How to store leftover chicken fajitas:
- The leftover fajita chicken and peppers and onions can be stored, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet to warm them back up.
How to use leftover chicken fajitas:
- You can of course make more fajitas another night or for lunch.
- Or use the fajitas for a grain bowl or rice bowl along with some beans, veggies and more of your favorite toppings.
- You can also mix your warmed, leftover fajitas into some hot cooked pasta, mix with some salsa and shredded cheese and you’ve got a fajita pasta dish that tastes delicious!
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
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!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning, divided
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in ½-inch thick 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!
Notes
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 int your tortillas.
Similarly, make sure your onions and peppers are about the same size so they cook evenly.
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.
We love homemade fajita seasoning, but you can certainly use a store-bought mix.
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.
But if you're in a hurry, you can use two large sauté pans at once on the stove: one for chicken, one for the onion and peppers. They’ll cook in about the same time and then you can toss them together before serving - or just serve straight from the separate pans.
How to warm tortillas:
- If you have a gas burner, you can place a soft flour tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. Leave it for 5-10 seconds, until lightly charred, then 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.
- If you have an electric stove, you can broil your tortillas in the oven as an alternative. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Or of course, you can wrap the tortillas in some damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave too.
Leftover chicken fajitas:
- The leftover fajita chicken and peppers and onions can be stored, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet to warm them back up.
- You can make fajitas again or you can use the chicken fajitas for a grain bowl or rice bowl along with some beans, veggies and more of your favorite toppings.
- You can also mix your warmed, leftover fajitas into some hot cooked pasta, mix with some salsa and shredded cheese and you’ve got a fajita pasta dish that tastes delicious!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 351Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 54g
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