The Ultimate Chicken Fajita Recipe
With sweet and spicy grilled chicken, sizzling caramelized onions, and roasted red bell peppers, these chicken fajitas are delicious enough to rival any Tex-Mex restaurant and make the perfect weeknight meal!
What are Fajitas?
Commonly made from chicken, beef, or shrimp, fajitas are a popular dish grilled with spices and vegetables and accompanied with flour tortillas. The word “fajita” originally comes from the Spanish word for belt, which refers to the skirt steak cut of meat that was originally used for the dish. But contrary to popular belief, fajitas are not an authentic Mexican dish and are instead a Tex-Mex fusion!
Chicken Fajita Ingredients and Substitutions
Whenever I go to a Tex-Mex place, you can probably bet on me getting the fajitas, which have always been my favorite—they’re delicious and super customizable, not to mention always served on a sizzling-hot cast iron for extra flair. But if I’m being honest, they’re so easy to make and (in my opinion) even better homemade! Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are much more forgiving to cook than chicken breasts, since they retain more moisture and don’t dry out as easily. If you only have chicken breasts, though, don’t worry! Just butterfly each piece (meaning, cut them in half horizontally) to even out their thickness and to help them cook faster.
- Olive oil. For the marinade and to cook the chicken. You could also use canola, vegetable, or avocado oil.
- Adobo sauce. I just use the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute it with a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat.
- Fresh lime zest. For a bright, citrusy flavor.
- Salt and pepper. To properly season your chicken.
- Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Using a homemade spice blend really takes it up a notch for the perfect smoky, spicy flavor in your chicken.
- Brown sugar. This will not only balance the adobo sauce’s kick, but it’ll give the chicken a beautiful, caramelized sear.
- Garlic powder or fresh garlic cloves. Use whichever you prefer or have on hand!
- Cinnamon (optional). For a dash of warming spice.
- Yellow onions and red bell peppers. For the classic fajita vegetable base. I like to roast my red peppers instead of searing them with the onions, but this is a personal preference. I’ve left instructions for both methods in the recipe. If you want, you can substitute the peppers with other varieties (yellow, green, etc.) or even chopped jalapeños for extra kick!
- Toppings of choice.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you’re running short on time and want to make the marinade beforehand, then go for it! The recipe only requires half an hour of resting time for optimal flavor, but the chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours in the fridge. If you go this route, I recommend letting the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling (this will help it cook evenly and have a more tender texture). If needed, you can also sauté the onions and peppers beforehand—they’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in a cast iron pan on the stove.
How to Serve Chicken Fajitas
For fajitas, I feel like more is always more! I love to have a wide variety of toppings to choose from, but here are some of my favorites:
- Flour tortillas.
- Guacamole.
- Cheese.
- Sour cream.
- Salsa.
- Lettuce.
- Lime wedges.
- Tortilla chips.
Let me know if you give this recipe a try—happy cooking!
Perfect Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle peppers
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, or 1 teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, or 2-3 cloves minced fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- A dash cinnamon (optional)
For the onions and peppers
- 2 small yellow onions, sliced
- 2 red bell peppers (can also used jarred roasted red bell peppers, if desired)
To serve
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Guacamole
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Lettuce
- Lime wedges
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Make the chicken marinade. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, adobo sauce, lime zest (reserve the lime juice for garnish), salt, pepper, and spices until combined.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl. If using large chicken breasts, slice each piece in half horizontally to reduce their thickness and help them cook evenly.
- Mix the marinade into the chicken until evenly coated. Cover and let the bowl rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
- In the meantime, make the roasted red peppers (optional). If using jarred red bell peppers, slice 4 red pepper halves into thin strips and set aside.
- To make the peppers, preheat the oven to 450℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Slice each bell pepper in half lengthwise, removing the stem and seeds, then place them cut-side down onto the sheet pan.
- Roast the peppers for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is blistered and charred. Remove the pan from the oven and place the pepper halves into a heat-safe container, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
- Allow the peppers to steam for at least 5 to 10 minutes before removing the plastic wrap and peeling the blistered skin from the peppers. Slice each roasted red bell pepper into thin strips and set aside.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, grill the chicken thighs for around 5 minutes per side or until fully cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165℉. Set the chicken aside to rest, then squeeze over the reserved 1 tablespoon of lime juice, if desired.
- Cook the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low. To the same pan (adding more oil, if needed), add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and pepper. If you prefer to sauté your red bell peppers instead of roasting them, stir them in at this point.
- Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently until the onions start to brown. Add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any browned bits. Cook the vegetables to your desired doneness, adding more water as necessary to deglaze the pan and soften the onions. If using roasted red peppers, stir them in until heated through.
- Once ready to serve, slice the chicken thighs into thin strips and place them back into the skillet, stirring until warmed through (about 2-3 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat and serve warm with your choice of toppings.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh lime zest, you can stir in 2 tablespoons of lime juice to the chicken marinade right before grilling.
