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This easy Chicken Fajitas recipe uses my perfected homemade fajita seasoning, juicy chicken thighs, and colorful peppers and onions, all sizzled up and ready to tuck into warm tortillas.
Fajitas are truly Tex-Mex! Down in the Texas borderlands, cattle ranchers and vaqueros (cowboys) would make fajitas with little bits of steak left over from butchering. Fajitas is a term for “little belts” which the thin strips of steak resembled.
You can make fajitas with chicken (like these), steak, shrimp, or even just veggies.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fajita seasoning: This recipe uses my favorite homemade blend. For this recipe, I’ve portioned out exactly what you need to make this recipe if you don’t already have a jar on hand.
- Chicken: For the juiciest chicken fajitas, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. After they’re finished cooking, I let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then I slice them up. Substitute chicken breasts if desired.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
- To a large zipper-top plastic bag, add chicken, cilantro, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and chicken registers 165 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes longer.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips (do not discard fat in skillet).
- To the skillet with the fat over medium-high heat, add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Push peppers and onions to one side and add sliced chicken back to skillet for serving.
- Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: Although you start with 2 pounds of raw chicken, you’ll have closer to 1 or 1 ½ pounds of cooked chicken after cooking. This recipe will make at least 4 servings (1 cup EACH chicken and vegetables per serving).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make the seasoning well in advance and marinade the chicken up to 1 hour before you want to start cooking.
- Favorite toppings for fajitas: Sour cream, hot sauce (such as Cholula and Tabasco), diced avocado or guacamole, minced fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
Recipe FAQs
A cast-iron pan is your best bet since it can cook at high temperatures and give you restaurant-quality fajitas. Other great options: carbon steel pans or anodized aluminum pans. Stay away from non-stick; it can’t take the heat.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few tortillas in a single layer it’s okay if they’re touching a little bit) and heat until softened on one side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and heat on the other side for another minute or so. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel or foil (or a hand-embroidered tortilla towel, if you have one).
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Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
For the fajita seasoning (see note 1):
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or less to taste
- salt
For the marinade:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons lime juice from 2 limes
For the fajitas:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or green) cut into strips
- 1 large red onion halved and thinly sliced
- tortillas warmed, for serving
- sour cream and hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
- To a large zipper-top plastic bag, add chicken, cilantro, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (room temperature) or up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 8 minutes.
- Flip and cook until browned on the second side and chicken registers 165 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips (do not discard fat in skillet).
- To the skillet with the fat over medium-high heat, add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Push peppers and onions to one side and add sliced chicken back to skillet for serving. Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Fajita seasoning: This recipe uses my favorite homemade blend. For this recipe, I’ve portioned out exactly what you need to make this recipe if you don’t already have a jar on hand.
- Chicken: For the juiciest chicken fajitas, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. After they’re finished cooking, I let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then I slice them up. Substitute chicken breasts if desired.
- Yield: Although you start with 2 pounds of raw chicken, you’ll have closer to 1 or 1 ½ pounds of cooked chicken after cooking. This recipe will make at least 4 servings (1 cup EACH chicken and vegetables per serving).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make the seasoning well in advance and marinade the chicken up to 1 hour before you want to start cooking.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Loved this! I didn’t find the seasoning too spicy at all, as some noted. Used thighs, as I always have them on hand, and they were moist and juicy. Used whole wheat tortillas and liked them with this. Will definitely make again.
Hi Joan, glad you loved them! – Meggan
Just made this recipe, it was awesome .we were very impressed . Thanks
Thanks Drew! Glad you liked it! – Meggan
You have to marinate for more than an hour ! I tried making this with one hour of marinating .. bland
I usually marinade over night .. I will continue to do that
Would you be able to use bone in skin on chicken thighs some how? And if so how would you cook them?
Hi Kelli, yes that would be fine! I personally would brown the skins on the stove and then finish the chicken in the oven (you’ll need an oven-safe skillet).
1. Marinate the chicken as directed in the recipe. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 5 to 7 minutes without moving (the chicken should release easily on its own when it’s ready to be flipped).
4. Flip the chicken and cook until a thermometer reads 165 degrees in the thickest thigh (juices should run clear), about 7 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board and let the chicken rest for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
5. Remove and discard the skin and bones and shred or slice the chicken. Proceed with the rest of the recipe to cook the peppers and onions.
I hope this is helpful! If you have any other questions, just let me know. Thank you!
Meggan
Never thought to make these with beef. I’m pretty much chickened out – except for skin on, breaded and deep fried – true health food. lol
Otherwise this is the recipe I already use. I brine, poach and shred my chicken so it stays juicier and soaks up the fajita flavors more, plus I use all four colors of bell peppers and lots of onion.
These are very flavorful and reheat well too.
Wow, really, I can’t get over that delicious taste! So simple and yet – Thank you for this recipe – it’s a real keeper