Description
Chicken fajitas have always been one of my all-time favorite weeknight dinners – they’re the perfect quick, veggie-loaded, & satisfying meal! – & this particular Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas is my go-to recipe. They’re ready in 20 minutes & the oven does most of the work!
Since I’m pretty particular about chicken fajitas, I tested this method over & over until the result was just right. The secret is oven-roasting at a high temperature & finishing under the broiler, which bakes the sheet pan chicken fajitas to juicy-tender & crispy-caramelized perfection – so good!
From there, the serving options are endless – enjoy as tacos, Chicken Fajita Burritos, or my all-time favorite – in a Chicken Fajita Bowl with Avocado Crema. Easy weeknight dinners don’t get better than that!
Be sure to check out the Recipe Notes, below, for prep tips & tricks, & the blog post, above, for plenty more serving ideas. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
for the fajitas veggies:
- 2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- heaping ½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for the chili lime chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced into ¼-inch strips (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (can sub honey or brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- heaping ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for serving, as desired:
- charred corn tortillas
- smashed avocado or guacamole
- avocado crema or dairy-free cashew crema
- queso fresco or cheese of choice
- salsa of choice
- freshly chopped cilantro
- lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, ensuring one rack is positioned in the top third of the oven. Gather & prep all listed ingredients – slice the bell peppers & onions, slice the chicken, gather the spices, etc.
- Prepare the sheet pan chicken fajitas: To a medium bowl, add all listed fajitas veggies ingredients, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Toss to combine well, then transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet. To the same bowl, add all listed chili lime chicken ingredients, seasoning with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Toss to combine well, then transfer to the same baking sheet as the fajitas veggies. Do your best to spread everything into an even layer so nothing is especially overcrowded on the pan.
- Roast the sheet pan chicken fajitas: Transfer the sheet pan to the oven. Roast 10-12 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through – the chicken should be juicy + tender & the veggies should be crisp & colorful. If desired, finish under the broiler for a crispy, browned finish a la sizzling skillet fajitas. In the last 3-4 minutes of roasting, turn the broiler on its highest setting & broil, carefully rotating the pan halfway through, until the chicken fajitas are browned & slightly crisp. Remove from the oven & set aside for serving.
- Serve immediately as desired. We love serving these chicken fajitas in tortillas with a little smashed avocado & salsa of choice. It’s also great stuffed in a burrito, served on a burrito bowl with cilantro lime rice & beans, or stuffed in lettuce cups alongside rice & beans – whatever you love most. Enjoy!
Notes
- Jess’ Notes & Tips:
- Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: I prefer using chicken thighs in this recipe, since they’re flavorful & stay really nice & juicy through roasting + broiling, but you can swap them out with breasts if you prefer. If so, skip broiling, as breast meat will dry out.
- Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers with nice mild-medium heat & great flavor. Ancho chili/chile powder is just that – a powder of finely ground ancho chile peppers. I love Simply Organic Ancho Chili Powder, which is certified organic & has wonderful flavor – I keep it stocked in my spice rack at all times, as it’s great for adding extra flavor & mild heat to Mexican-inspired dishes. If you do not have ancho chile powder on hand, you can substitute with “chili powder” for this particular recipe. Standard “chili powder” here in the U.S. is most often a blend of ground chiles & spices like oregano, cumin, & garlic – so it’s not a perfect substitute for pure chile powders all the time, but all of these flavors work well in this chicken fajitas recipe.
- 5-10 Minute Meal Prep: These sheet pan chicken fajitas bake very quickly, but a little meal prep makes dinner come together even faster during the week. Get all the chopping out of the way ahead of time & all you have to do at dinnertime is preheat the oven – easy!
- Thinly slice 2 bell peppers & 1 onion. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Thinly slice 1 ½ pounds chicken. If desired, season with the chili lime marinade, too! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Storage & Reheating: Store leftover chicken fajitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, then serve as desired.