Quick skillet chicken fajitas are one of my go-to 30-minute dinners! Tender juicy chicken breasts are tossed with a homemade marinade of lime, cumin, and chili powder, quickly sauteed with bell peppers and onions to crisp perfection, then piled high in a warm tortilla.
These chicken fajitas are perfect for busy weeknights when you need a fresh, tasty meal in less than half an hour. Everyone in the family can build their own fajita with the filling and toppings they like.
Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and Mexican cheese are perfect additions to chicken fajitas, or if you have time whip up some creamy tomatillo ranch dressing or delicious Mexican street corn salad (esquites) and really blow your taste buds away!
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Ingredients
The ingredients for skillet chicken fajitas are typical pantry staples along with fresh chicken breast and your choice of bell peppers.
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- olive oil
- lime juice
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- garlic powder
- paprika
- dried oregano
- salt
- pepper
- onion - Yellow onion has a mellow flavor and is readily available, but red or white onion is also fine.
- bell peppers - Any color works. I like to use several different colors for visual interest.
- flour tortillas - My family loves Tortilla Land tortillas that are heated on the stove in a few minutes while the fajita ingredients are cooking. It's the next best thing to homemade!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas
The process of making chicken fajitas is very simple and takes less than 30 minutes.
Starting at the wide end of the chicken breast, slice it lengthwise into 2 pieces. They don't have to be perfectly even.
Slice both breast pieces crosswise into strips. Repeat for both chicken breasts.
Slice bell peppers into long strips.
Slice onion into thin strips.
Combine spices, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil with the sliced chicken breast. Stir to distribute the marinade evenly.
Leave chicken in the marinade for 2 hours or up to overnight. If you didn't plan ahead and want to make chicken fajitas without a long marinade time, just combine the chicken and marinade and let it sit for as long as you can. It will still be delicious!
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked through and starting to brown. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Add onions and peppers to skillet and saute for 4-5 minutes, until crisp tender, or until your desired level of tenderness. Add the chicken back and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve with flour tortillas and toppings of your choice.
Hint: Once I accidentally let the peppers and onions cook for 15 minutes and ended up with almost caramelized onions and really soft peppers, but it was delicious! Try different cooking times for the vegetables and see what you like.
Substitutions
Chicken, bell peppers, and onions are classic fajita ingredients, but feel free to substitute another protein or vegetable to use what you have.
- Chicken - Steak or shrimp make a great substitute.
- Flour tortillas - Corn tortillas are fine too, just warm them up a little to prevent them from breaking.
How Do I Make Fajitas Spicy?
To give the fajitas a little spice add ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder, or chipotle chili powder.
Equipment
A 12-inch skillet with lid is perfect for this fajita recipe as well as other stir-fried and sauteed recipes. I love having a lot of surface area to cook the chicken in one layer so it is done evenly and quickly. A lid is super helpful to keep grease in the pan and to speed up cooking by keeping hot steam trapped.
Fajita Toppings
These fajitas taste great as is, but adding guacamole, salsa, sour cream, Mexican cheese, a squeeze of lime, or cilantro will take them to the next level. A dollop of creamy tomatillo ranch dressing or a scoop of Mexican street corn (esquites) will be extra fancy!
FAQ
This chicken fajita recipe is definitely healthy! Lean chicken breast, fresh bell peppers and onions, and a bit of olive oil are all healthy ingredients. If you want to stay lower in fat with your fajita toppings, try low-fat sour cream or cheese.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with skillet chicken fajitas:
Quick Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts halved and sliced into strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers thinly sliced
- 8 to 12 flour tortillas
Chicken Fajita Marinade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts lengthwise starting at the wide end. Slice both breast pieces crosswise into ½-inch strips.
- For the marinade, whisk together all marinade ingredients. Add to chicken in a freezer bag or covered bowl. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Thinly slice the bell peppers and onion.
- When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Spread chicken in even layer and let cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until starting to brown on one side. Turn chicken over and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add bell peppers and onions to skillet over medium high heat. Saute for 4-5 minutes until crisp-tender or desired tenderness. Add sliced chicken back to the skillet and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve with flour tortillas and desired toppings.
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