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Chicken Fajitas: A Delicious Homemade Recipe

I thought Chicken Fajitas were just a showy sizzler at the Mexican restaurant. They were WAY overrated with their hot, smokey cast iron entrance. (Like, stop being so full of yourself.) After that, I tried making a dish at home using my own marinade. Whoa! Tender, juicy blackened chicken, peppers and onions cooked just right, a generous scoop of guacamole, and a side of cilantro lime rice all in your tortilla. I didn’t even like fajitas, but now I’m going to run away with them (we’re never coming back!) I’ll show you how to prepare them!

“On one of my tests for making these fajitas, half of the chicken got a little blackened, and the other half got a lot charred.” I put the batches on the cutting board separately because I knew some of my kids might want to stay away from the parts that were too burned.

I was already at the table when my son Hyrum arrived into the kitchen. I yelled over, “Hey son, the fajitas on the left are very burnt, and the fajitas on the right are only a little burnt.”

Hyrum: “Oh, really? So my best choice is a little burnt? I love fajitas, but I really don’t like burned.

“Are you sure?” “I said. (This is a new level of finicky for him.)

“Yes.” When you’ve made burned before, I’ve tried to eat it and thought, “Why would you put that in fajitas?”

That’s when I understood that he was saying “chard” instead of “charred.” He believed I put the vegetable SWISS CHARD in all the fajitas. He hates a bitter vegetable that destroyed one of his favorite meals ever. Oh, what a harsh world!”

I wouldn’t blame you if you were furious if someone put Swiss chard in your fajitas. My dearest buddy Sarah told me this story, and it made me laugh. (I haven’t cooked with Swiss chard yet because I haven’t reached that level of vegetable yet.)

Sarah has been my best friend since college, when all of our roommates would make dinner for everyone on the same night. I would prepare something horrible, and Sarah would make something regular and tasty. I once discovered a recipe for a casserole that was “Quick, Cheap, and Easy” that asked for hot dogs, a can of baked beans, and frozen peas. I’m not lying when I say charlatan. I mean charlatan. These are my origins, people.

But not Sarah. She has the gene for eating healthy foods. Last year, she joined The Food Charlatan team as my project manager. Now, she’s helping me come up with new recipes so we can deliver you guys more dishes even faster.

Sarah tried these fajitas a lot of times and didn’t see any chard. Then I prepared them, took a picture of them (with a few changes), fell in love, and here we are! Sarah knows what’s going on; these fajitas are great.

The chicken fajitas that made me alter my mind

Even when there is no Swiss chard in sight, I find it hard to sell fajitas. Peppers and onions that are basically raw, mixed with chicken that tastes mostly like lime? I wasn’t even tempted by the sizzling-steaming-skillet display. (And there was no cheese in sight. Come on, Mexico, give me a break.)

But then we found out how great the marinade is. It changes everything when you take all the usual fajita ingredients and let them soak together for a while.

And it doesn’t even take that long; we’re just pretending with a 15-minute marinate. I swear, this complete meal will be ready in less than 45 minutes. The prep and cooking times are both short. Your house will smell like a Mexican restaurant. You may also put onions and peppers in a pan that will SIZZLE LIKE A BOSS.

And about the cheese: we’re breaking all the rules, guys. Sarah had an even better idea than just putting cheese on top: she warms each tortilla flat in a pan and then adds shredded cheese to it so it melts. LIKE A QUESADILLA. Has quesabirria made it to your area yet? Thank you, California. The rest of the globe is finally getting the hang of wrapping things with cheese.

The last thing you need to do to make these fajitas even better is to add a lot of guacamole on top and then sprinkle chipotle mayo on top. It’s hardly a joke that I’ve been dipping my whole life into this stuff. I cooked a lot of these Breakfast Burritos, and they’ve been my snack every day since.Tacos? Yes. Chips? Yes. Put your finger in it? Yes, still. These fajitas are SO good.

Marinade for chicken fajitas

So, what’s in the sauce that makes it magic? The simplest fajita marinade simply has a few things in it: lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and salt. But there are a couple things that make this marinade go from “okay” to “hot dang!”‘

to give it that taste of being grilled, use smoked paprika and liquid smoke
Add cayenne pepper for a bit more heat.
This marinade has a strong umami flavor because to the soy sauce, which lets the other flavors shine through.
And of course, garlic and cilantro. Those men are what makes Mexican food Mexican.

What you need to make my quick chicken fajita recipe

Here is a short list of the fundamental things you need to prepare these chicken fajitas. For all the information, scroll down to the recipe card below!

Chicken thighs or breasts are good.
spices to add to the marinade
Limes
Garlic
Smoke in a bottle
soy sauce
salt for kosher
Red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers
Onion in yellow
Tortillas made with flour
Cilantro
Jack, Manchego, or Oaxaca cheese (optional, but not really? It’s so amazing!)

I believed Chicken Fajitas were nothing but a sizzly showman at the Mexican restaurant: WAY overdone with their steamy smokey cast iron entrance. (Like, stop being so full of yourself.) After that, I tried making a dish at home using my own marinade. Whoa! Tender juicy blackened chicken, partying in your tortilla with wonderfully cooked peppers and onions. I didn’t even like fajitas, and now I’m going to run away with them (we’re never coming back)! I will show you simply how to make them!

Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 pounds chicken thighs , you can sub chicken breast*
2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt, use a little less if you have table salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (or more, if you want it spicy!)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, (plus extra to garnish, optional)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for searing chicken
2 tablespoons butter, for frying chicken
3 small red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, for onions and peppers
12 6-inch flour tortillas, sometimes branded “fajita size”
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese**

To garnish

sour cream
Chipotle Mayo
Guacamole
lime wedges
cilantro, chopped

How to cook chicken fajitas

Marinate the chicken. Slice 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken thighs into long 1-inch wide strips.* Cut against the grain, meaning your knife should be perpendicular to the lines you see running in the raw chicken. You can use chicken breasts if you like! See notes for painfully long details. Sometimes I can’t shut up guys.
Add chicken to a medium bowl.
Add all the marinade ingredients: 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, and 4 cloves of garlic (at least 1 tablespoon minced). Stir it into the chicken and make sure it’s all thoroughly distributed.

Let marinade for at least 15 minutes. (or up to 24 hours in the fridge!)
Prep the veggies. Get your vegetables ready while you wait so they’re all set to go. This is how I like to cut my peppers. Have you used this method? I think it’s a lot easier than having to cut a hole in the top of the stem. I dislike having to chew through big bits in my fajitas, so I chop my peppers in half to make them easier to eat. Slice the bell peppers into 1/4 inch pieces. I prefer to split the long strips in half, so they are more bite size. See pictures. Set aside.
And don’t forget the onions. We made these fajitas with both yellow and red onions. Yellow was the clear winner. The taste was simpler and didn’t fight with the marinade. Slice off the knobby ends of the onion. Place the flat side on the cutting board, and cut in half. Place the half side down on the cutting board, then make 1/4 inch slices. Add to the onions to the peppers and leave aside. Cut them into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick. If you cry, get your onion goggles ready! Every time I have to do this! Now that my skin doesn’t bounce back, I appear like a raccoon for hours. That’s what I have to spend for fajitas. That’s real love, boys.
Sear the chicken. It’s time to fry this chicken like crazy! Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. (Or use the sturdiest huge skillet you have.) Let the pan preheat for at least 2 minutes until is extremely hot. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and stir to coat the pan. It should sparkle straight away.
Use tongs to transfer chicken strips to the pan one at a time. Do your best to get as much of the marinade off the chicken as you can, let it drip off. Leave at least 1-2 inches of space between strips of chicken, they need room to sear. Be careful, the oil may splatter! Add as many as you can to the pan without crowding; you will have to do this in 2-3 batches. This is the test when I cut it into strips before cooking. I like this way more since it gives you more charred edges (MORE CHARD!! 😂) and it cooks quickly. (But this technique you have to make more batches.)
Sear for about 2 minutes until the bottom is browned.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and use the tongs to stir it around in between the chicken. Use the tongs to flip each piece of chicken one by one, landing on the melted butter. Let sear on the second side for about 1-2 minutes, until a thermometer in your largest piece reads 155 degrees (the temp will continue to raise off-heat). Or just cut one in half to confirm that it’s white and not pink.
Repeat with the remaining chicken strips. Hang on to that marinade! Set it away.
Remove the chicken to a plate or chopping board, then tent with foil to keep warm. I actually normally stick it in my turned-off microwave. Is that unusual, or does anyone else do it?
If you need to, cut the chicken against the grain after it has rested for a bit.
Cook the peppers and onions. Now you need to sauté the onions and peppers. Add 2 additional teaspoons cooking oil to the cast iron skillet and make sure your heat is still at medium high. Add the sliced peppers and onions all at once, and feel like a boss with all those veggies mounded so high. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then add all the remaining chicken marinade straight away. Stir up all the browned bits from frying the chicken. Don’t be afraid of the blackened parts! They make things taste so much better. (But don’t add any chard! Is this joke getting old? 😂) And don’t forget to put the rest of the chicken marinade on the peppers. We can’t miss all that deliciousness!
Saute for about 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender, or more. How long you cook the veggies is absolutely up to you. Keep in mind they will continue to cook a little even after you turn off the heat. Traditional fajitas are cooked only when the peppers and onions are still quite rigid, and quite colored. I prefer to like mine cooked a little past that. Wimp, much??
Add in the chicken. Once you get the veggies how you like them, remove off the heat. Take a minute to trim any larger chunks of chicken into more bite-size pieces. Add all the chicken and any resting liquid into the pan with the peppers. Get ready to serve now that everything is done. You can serve the chicken and vegetables separately or add the chicken back in and serve them together since you’re cooking them separately.
Prep the tortillas. Grab your flour tortillas. Don’t use corn tortillas for these; they’re not as good, trust me. Warm the flour tortillas one by one in a clean skillet set over medium heat. Top each tortilla with a sprinkle of shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Oaxaca, quesadillla, etc.) if you want the complete experience! Heat until the cheese melts, then gently fold in half and keep warm in a tortilla warmer (or on a plate covered with a tea towel).
Serve the chicken and peppers in a warm tortilla, topped with sour cream or Chipotle Mayo, a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, and a side of Cilantro Lime Rice. Jam it in your mouth as fast as you can! Repeat.

Do you put cheese on your fajitas?

I mean, just phone Mexico and ask. They will say no. But please call me? Yes. Monterey jack, Oaxaca, or Manchego are my favorite cheeses to use, but you may also use Quesadilla cheese or any other cheese you choose.

Put a tortilla in a pan and heat it up. Then, put shredded cheese on top and let it melt (like an open-face quesadilla). This makes the tortilla warm and soft. Add the chicken and veggies for the fajitas, pour fresh lime juice on top, and sprinkle cilantro on top. Then go directly to heaven.

What do you add on top of fajitas?

These fajitas are the real deal and adding toppings only makes them better. Here are some of my favorite fajita toppings!

Cream of sour
Chipotle Mayo << I’m telling you!! I’ve been known to straight up dunk my fajita into it (maybe I need a chipotle intervention??)
Cheese
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Sliced avocados or Guacamole
Hot sauce (use your fave!)
5-Minute Restaurant Style Salsa << so easy you’ll wonder why you ever buy salsa

How to make fajitas sizzle at home

When you add those onions and peppers to the skillet, they will steam and yell like crazy, I swear. But they will settle down before it’s time to serve. If you are looking for the moment at the restaurant when the waiter takes the amazingly loud sizzling skillet to the table, here’s how it’s done:

Cook your fajitas as suggested. Then, right before you deliver it to the table, crank the heat up to high for 10-20 seconds and spritz with 1-2 teaspoons lime juice. This will make it sizzle and steam again and you can swiftly walk it out to the table. In restaurants, they do the same thing using what they call “sizzle sauce,” usually a mix of water, lime juice, soy sauce, etc.

How to store chicken fajitas

Leftover chicken and peppers/onions can be saved in an airtight jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. They’re an excellent meal prep option to make on the weekend. You can also put them in containers with beans and rice for a protein-packed work lunch (no tortillas needed). If it were me I’d just sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and let it get melty when you microwave it.

Can I freeze chicken fajitas?

Yes, freezing already-cooked fajitas is easy! But a warning: frozen, reheated peppers and onions will be mushy, not crisp-tender like they are when fresh. If you don’t mind soft veggies then put the chicken, peppers, and onions all together in a Ziplock container and freeze for 2-3 months. If you keep your meat and veggies separate for serving, you may freeze only the meat and fry up some fresh onions and pepper when you utilize the meat later. To use, thaw the bag in the fridge overnight or at least for a few hours, then cook everything up in a skillet on medium high.

If you’d like to do your future-self a favor, you may freeze the uncooked chicken and marinade in a bag. Let it defrost overnight and cook the next day with fresh veggies. I wouldn’t freeze raw onions and peppers ahead of time, they will cook up mushy.

Notes

Chicken: If you have thighs, cut them into 1-inch strips. If you are using chicken breasts, you can also cut into strips and follow the same instructions in the recipe.
Cutlets or whole thigh cooking instructions: If searing strips sounds like a lot of work (I get you, it does mean more batches) then slice the breasts into cutlets (horizontally, so you have two thin flat breasts.) You can leave thighs whole, unless they are huge (cut them in half). Then follow this cook method:
Sear on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium and cook another 2 minutes. Then turn the heat back up to medium high, add butter, and flip. Let sear for 2 minutes, then turn the heat to medium and keep cooking until no longer pink, or until the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees F.
Cheese: Technically there is no cheese in a traditional fajita, but you know, ‘Merica. You can use any cheese you want to top your fajitas (or melt in your tortilla). Pepper jack adds a lil kick, Manchego or Monterey jack are also absolutely delicious.
Double the recipe: You can easily double this recipe, just make sure to cook the chicken and the veggies in batches. If you don’t, they’ll steam instead of searing and they won’t have the same awesome flavors and textures!

Chicken fajitas commonly asked questions

What does a Fajita consist of?

It’s really fairly straightforward. Marinated or seasoned meat (steak fajitas and chicken fajitas are the most frequent), grilled on a hot skillet, and served with grilled onions and bell peppers. Toppings can vary (such sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.), and they are served with warm wheat tortillas.

Are chicken fajitas good for you?

Yes! These chicken fajitas aren’t meant to be a healthy recipe. But they are a terrific nutritious meal choice, depending on what you put on them (and how many you eat, of course. I don’t think my intake is healthy). You can easily swap out low-carb tortillas or skip or cut back on the cheese, sour cream, and guacamole if you’re watching your carbs or calories.

Is taco seasoning the same as fajita seasoning?

Fajita seasoning and taco seasoning are similar, but they can’t be substituted for each other. Fajita seasoning (or marinade, depending on how you use it) includes cumin, chili powder, and salt. Taco seasoning incorporates those too, but adds oregano, garlic, minced onion, paprika, and more.

Should i cut chicken for fajitas before cooking?

It depends! I recommend chopping chicken breast into cutlets, then cooking and slicing. If using thighs, I prefer to slice before cooking. You can browse through the notes above or the recipe card for more info.

Why are fajitas served on a cast iron skillet?

Fajitas are generally served on a cast iron skillet because that’s the pan they’re cooked in. A cast iron skillet is great for obtaining a good sear on your chicken since it spreads heat evenly. But a standard skillet works perfectly well.

Are fajitas mexican or texan?

Fajitas are part of Tex-Mex cuisine: Mexican inspired cuisine established in Texas.

Nutrition