Chicken Fajitas (Fajitas de Pollo) 🥘 are an easy Tex-Mex dinner made with seasoned chicken, colorful bell peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh lime juice.
Fajitas are not traditional Mexican food. They are a Tex-Mex dish that became popular in the United States, and they’re one of my favorite easy meals when I need dinner on the table fast.
Serve these chicken fajitas with warm tortillas, salsa, and your favorite toppings for a weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Also try my beef and shrimp versions: Fajitas de Res and Fajitas de Camaron.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Ready in under 30 minutes. This is an easy weeknight meal when you don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
- No long marinade. The chicken is seasoned right before cooking, so there’s no need to plan ahead.
- One skillet. The chicken, peppers, onion, and garlic all cook together for easy cleanup.
- Full of flavor. Cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, and fresh lime give these fajitas plenty of flavor without a complicated seasoning mix.
- Easy to customize. Use your favorite combination of bell peppers and adjust the cayenne to make the fajitas as mild or spicy as you like.
-Maggie
🍗 Ingredients
- chicken strips
- ground cumin
- ground oregano
- chili powder (or red pepper flakes)
- ground cayenne (optional)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- green bell peppers
- red bell peppers
- yellow bell peppers
- fresh lime juice
This homemade fajita seasoning mixture consists of basic ingredients you might already have in your pantry.
Cayenne is spicy. If spicy food is not your thing, you can omit it.
Marinated chicken takes time. We’re going for an easy meal that’s ready in minutes, not hours.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
Seasoning the Chicken
- Pat dry the chicken to get a better sear.
- Sprinkle with cumin, oregano, cayenne (if using), chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated with the spices.
Can’t find chicken strips? Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs and slice them into thin strips.
If you’re a chicken fan, also try my recipes for chicken chile rellenos and pollo a la diabla.
Cooking the Chicken
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the peppers, onion, and garlic.
- Cook for an additional 4–5 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
For a good sear, make sure the skillet is really hot before adding the chicken. A large cast-iron skillet works especially well for this.
Serving the Fajitas
- Turn the heat off.
- Squeeze the lime juice all over the chicken and peppers.
- Serve with tortillas, salsa, and lime wedges.
Use all three peppers, just two, or more of your favorite.
Flour tortillas are most commonly served with fajitas. Or, use Corn Tortillas, or for a carb-friendly version, serve as lettuce wraps.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken fajitas are considered Tex-Mex rather than traditional Mexican food. Fajitas became popular in Texas and are now a favorite in restaurants and homes throughout the United States.
Yes. If you can’t find chicken strips at the grocery store, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Slice the chicken into thin, even strips so they cook quickly and evenly.
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well for fajitas and will give you juicy, flavorful meat. Slice them into thin strips before seasoning.
No. One of the reasons I love this recipe is that you don’t need to marinate the chicken. The chicken is seasoned just before cooking, which keeps this recipe quick and easy.
Pat the chicken dry before seasoning and make sure your skillet is hot before adding it. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the chicken has room to sear instead of steam.
Yes, you can. Place the chicken, peppers, onion, and garlic in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake at 425°F for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Store leftover chicken fajitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.
Yes. Let the fajitas cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
🍴 Serve With
- Arroz Mexicano
- Frijoles de la Olla
- Ensalada de Nopales
- Elote Mexicano (Mexican Street Corn)
- Mexican Mashed Potatoes
- Ejotes a la Mexicana
These Chicken Fajitas (Fajitas de Pollo) are one of those easy dinners you’ll want to keep in your regular rotation. The chicken cooks quickly with colorful peppers, onion, and garlic, and a squeeze of fresh lime brings everything together.
Serve them with warm tortillas and salsa, and wash it all down with my authentic horchata recipe. ¡Buen provecho!
Chicken Fajitas (Fajitas de Pollo)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken strips
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tbsps oil
- ½ onion sliced
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- Juice of 2 limes
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken strips and pat dry.
- Sprinkle with cumin, oregano, cayenne (if using), chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add chicken.
- Cook for 4 minutes.
- Stirring occasionally.
- Add the peppers, onion, and garlic.
- Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the peppers are soft.
- Once the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest piece, it's ready.
- Turn heat off.
- Squeeze the lime juice all over the chicken and peppers.
- Stir to combine.
- Serve with tortillas, salsa, and enjoy!
The flavors were spot on. Chicken was juicy. Vegetables were tender without while still having a bit of crunch. I made salsa, but it would have been yummy without it.
Sounds like you’re a good cook! Glad you enjoyed this chicken fajitas recipe.
Fajitas are always a good choice. I loved the flavors in this recipe.
Fajitas are the best! So glad you enjoyed this!
Chicken fajitas looks delicious
Yes, very yummy. 🙂
Easy recipe and thank you for letting us know that this isn’t a Mexican origin as I have been brought to believe
So glad you enjoyed this!
Great recipe! Kids thoroughly enjoyed it.
So glad you and your kids enjoyed this!
Such a healthy version of fajitas! It looks amazing
Hope you try it! It’s delicious
So delish! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this!
Yummy – looks great!
Thanks! Hope you try it!
I had no idea fajitas weren’t Mexican! Either way, these look great 😀
Shocking isn’t it? Glad you liked this recipe
Great midweek meal, the kids loved this recipe 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this!
These are delicious! Next time I think I’ll bake them in the oven. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed this!
Ooh I do LOVE fajitas. I don’t know why I’ve never made them at home, but this recipe has inspired me! Looks delicious!
Super easy to make. Hope you try them out. 🙂
Hehe, I’ve heard the same about burritos! Doesn’t matter to me though. I love good food no matter where it’s from. I’ve never cooked fajitas before but I’m trying to branch out and add some new recipes to the rotation. This sounds delish!
That’s true too! The burrito is not Mexican. My thoughts exactly. Food tastes good? I’m happy to eat it. 🙂
I love fajitas! Never knew they originated in Texas!
The burrito too. Some people don’t know that. We happily adopted this dish. 🙂
Chicken and veggies – yesss and always!! My favorite thing to eat 🙂
And easy too! Hope you try this recipe out. 🙂
Love chicken fajitas, these looks great and simple to make!
They are! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I need to make these, although my hubby won’t touch peppers no problem because that just makes more for me. Thank you for sharing.
When my son was little, I used to serve myself less because he wouldn’t eat his entire plate. More for me 🙂
I didn’t know this originated in TX! They’re so delicious too!
They are! Love fajitas!