Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Instant Pot chicken fajitas are just 5 ingredients and easy to prep! This delicious dinner comes together in no time!
Yield: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch wide strips
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 bell peppers, mixed colors, sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 onion, sliced ½-inch thick
- 4 teaspoons fajita seasoning, divided
- ½ cup water
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
- Season both sides of the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of the fajita seasoning. Place in the bottom of the insert of your Instant Pot.
- Top the chicken with the salsa, then layer the peppers and onions on top. Sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of fajita seasoning over the peppers and onions. Add the water.
- Place the lid on the pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function, high pressure, for 12 minutes. Then, do a quick release and wait for the pot to be safe to open.
- The fajitas will have a lot of liquid in the pot. You can use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken, onion and peppers to a plate to avoid a soupy mess. You can also, if you prefer, broil them to dry them out a bit. Place the chicken, onion and peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and broil on high for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully.
- Serve the chicken fajitas in warmed tortilla shells with desired toppings. Enjoy!
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Notes
Be sure to slice your chicken thin enough, about ½-inch thick or so. (They really should be thinner than I did in these photos.) You basically want them to be thin enough to be easy to bite into when you stuff them in your tortillas.
Similarly, make sure your onions and peppers are about the same size so they roast evenly in the oven.
We love homemade fajita seasoning, but you can certainly use a store-bought mix.
Disclaimer: Cooking fajitas in the Instant Pot definitely makes a bit of a soupy mess.
You need the salsa and water here to have enough liquid to avoid a burn notice, but this means it will also steam the onions and peppers and leave them wilted and soft.
There’s a few options here.
- You can use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken, onion and peppers from the Instant Pot, leaving the liquid in the pot. This eliminates the excess liquid and you can serve up your fajitas like this.
- Broil it all! After the cooking time is done and you’ve opened the Instant Pot, you can use the slotted spoon to transfer everything to a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Pop it in the oven for 2-3 minutes, on high broil, to help them brown up a bit.
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 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!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 843mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g
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