Description
These sizzlin’ Skillet Chicken Fajitas are a go-to weeknight dinner! Thinly sliced chicken soaks up a zesty spiced chicken fajita marinade then cooks in a skillet with strips of bell pepper & onion until sizzling, charred, & tender. This super versatile chicken fajita recipe is great stuffed into tortillas, burritos, or in a rice bowl with beans & all of your other favorite fajita night fixings. A totally feel-good, veggie-loaded meal ready in 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
Scale
go-to chicken fajitas marinade:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 large, juicy limes, juiced (about scant 1/4 cup juice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (can sub honey or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- heaping 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for cooking the fajitas & assembly:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- heaping 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large, juicy lime, juiced
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: corn tortillas, smashed avocado or guacamole, queso fresco or cheese of choice, salsa of choice, freshly chopped cilantro, lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: To a medium bowl, add the thinly sliced chicken, lime juice, olive oil, agave nectar, ancho chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, & garlic powder. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine well, ensuring all pieces of the chicken are coated in the fajitas marinade. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes while you slice the fajitas veggies or prepare fajitas fixings, or cover & marinate up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="29060,29061"]
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add half of the marinated chicken from Step 1. Working in batches helps ensure the chicken gets gloriously browned & charred as it cooks. Arrange the chicken in a uniform layer across the bottom of the skillet to promote even browning. Cook 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through until the chicken is cooked through & begins to brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or bowl & set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken – there should be no need to add extra oil between batches.
- Cook the fajitas veggies: To the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the sliced bell pepper & onion. Season with garlic powder, a heaping 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, & ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened slightly, about 4-5 minutes – the veggies should be tender-crisp. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the fajitas veggies & toss to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Serve the chicken fajitas: Add the chicken back into the skillet, tossing to combine it with the fajitas veggies well, then 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 rice & beans, or served in lettuce cups alongside rice & beans. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this chicken fajitas recipe since they’re flavorful & stay really nice & juicy through cooking. In my experience, chicken breasts dry out – especially if you’re after beautifully browned & charred chicken fajitas – but you can use them if you prefer. If so, try cutting the chicken into more bite-sized pieces vs thin strips, which should help prevent drying to some extent. Adjust cook times as necessary to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
- Alternate proteins: The reason this is our go-to fajitas recipe is that it’s a great base recipe for other proteins as well. We most often make chicken fajitas, though you can easily make steak fajitas or shrimp fajitas by swapping in your protein of choice. Use the same marinade & adjust cook times as needed. If you’d like a meatless fajitas recipe, check out our popular Veggie Burrito Bowls with Green Rice.
- Ancho chili powder: 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.
- 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.
- 10-15 Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this chicken fajitas recipe comes from prepping the chicken & fajita veggies. Prep them in advance to cut down on active prep required at dinnertime – it takes 10-15 minutes, tops:
- Thinly slice the chicken & fajita veggies according to the Ingredients List, above. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (10 minutes active prep)
- Prepare the chicken fajitas marinade according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The day you’d like to make chicken fajitas for dinner, all you have to do is toss the chicken into the marinade – easy! Marinate for at least 10-15 minutes at room temperature or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up 12 to hours. (5 minutes active prep)