Chicken Fajitas
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Make the best chicken fajitas with this flavorful Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe. It’s easy to mix up this simple marinade with just 3 ingredients, in only 5 minutes. Marinate chicken breasts or chicken thighs for just 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours, then cook up the best authentic, homemade fajitas ever!
Table of contents
If I left the meal planning up to my husband, we’d be eating these chicken fajitas every night! He is a lover of fajitas and I have perfected this homemade fajita recipe over the last few years.
My fajita seasoning is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. The flavors are delicious, and when combined with olive oil and lime juice it makes the perfect chicken fajita marinade!
Follow this recipe, plus the tips and tricks I’m sharing in this blog post to make restaurant-quality fajitas at home anytime!
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs – I’ve made this recipe dozens of times with both chicken breasts and thighs. I can say that I’m a convert. I used to only use chicken breasts, until my husband convinced me that thighs were more juicy and flavorful. Now I almost exclusively make this recipe with chicken thighs. If you love Chipotle chicken fajitas, then you’re probably going to love this recipe with chicken thighs, since that’s what they use at the fast-casual chain. Totally your call, and I promise, this recipe is delicious with either one!
- Fajita seasoning – while you can purchase premade seasoning on the spice aisle at the grocery store, I highly recommend clicking the link above and making my homemade seasoning. It’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog for a reason. The combination of chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and other spices is delicious. There’s no sugar, preservatives or other random ingredients, and it’s easy to mix up in less than 5 minutes. You can keep it in the pantry for up to 6 months, so make a double batch and keep the goodness going!
- Lime juice – citrus is a wonderful addition to any marinade, as it doubles as a flavor addition and a meat tenderizer. In a pinch you can use lemon juice, or orange juice, in this recipe but definitely don’t leave out the citrus, as it adds acid to the marinade, which is key to making tender, juicy, flavorful fajitas.
- Olive oil – the oil will help the fajita seasoning stick to the chicken and is the key to getting a nice sear on the outside of the chicken when it’s cooked on the grill, or stove.
- Bell peppers + onions – feel free to use your favorite color bell peppers, or mix it up and use 2 or 3 different colors. I like to use a combination of green and red bell peppers. For the onions, I recommend a red onion, but a yellow onion will also work.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, recipe video and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make the marinade
To make the best chicken fajita marinade, add boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs, to a large bowl, or zipper bag. Add fajita seasoning, olive oil and lime juice to the bowl or bag.
Toss until the chicken is fully coated in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
How to grill fajitas
My favorite way to cook chicken fajitas is on the grill. No grill? No problem! See the instructions below for how to cook the chicken on the stove.
When grilling fajitas, you’ll want to preheat a grill to medium-high heat, between 350-400°F. Once the grill is hot, use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. Discard the remaining marinade in the bag.
Grill chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If cooking chicken breasts, cook them for 7-8 minutes per side. Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees F before removing chicken breasts, or thighs, from the grill.
When grilling the chicken for fajitas, I also like to cook the veggies on the grill. Simply add sliced bell peppers and onions to a grill basket, or place them on a large sheet of foil with the sides bent up into a “foil basket”. Add the veggies to the grill over medium heat. Toss with tongs and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until they start to lightly char on the outside.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Let rest for 3-5 minutes, then slice the chicken thighs, or breasts. Toss them with the cooked vegetables and serve with warm flour or corn tortillas, and your favorite fajita toppings.
How to cook fajitas on the stove
If using the stove to make the chicken fajitas, start by cooking the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. If you have a cast iron skillet available, I recommend using that to get a nice char on the veggies and chicken. Add sliced bell peppers and onions, cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove the veggies from the skillet, and place them on a large plate, sheet pan or cutting board.
In the same skillet that you cooked the veggies, add the chicken. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess marinade drip off. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes per side for chicken thighs, or 7-8 minutes per side for chicken breasts.
Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165°F before removing chicken breasts, or thighs, from the skillet.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Let rest for 3-5 minutes, then slice the chicken thighs, or breasts. Toss the sliced chicken with the cooked bell peppers and onions, and serve with warm corn or flour tortillas, and your favorite fajita toppings.
Recipe tips
- Do not rinse the marinade off of the chicken before cooking! If you’re grilling the chicken, it can go straight from the marinade onto the grill. If you’re cooking the chicken in a skillet, I do recommend patting it dry with a paper towel before adding it to the skillet. When placing marinated chicken on the grill, any excess marinade will drip through the grill grates. When cooking the chicken in a skillet, the marinade has no where to go, so it will stay in the skillet and you won’t get that beautiful sear on the outside of the chicken.
- The marinade can be made ahead of time. Simply mix all of the chicken marinade ingredients together and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just remember to avoid marinating the meat for more than 8 hours, so that it does not ruin the texture of the chicken.
- For the most juicy, tender and flavorful chicken fajitas, use chicken thighs. Even if you’re used to only cooking with chicken breasts, for this recipe, I recommend giving chicken thighs a try!
- For the best flavor, I recommend grilling the chicken. If you have a grill available, it is my preferred way to cook marinated chicken fajitas.
- This recipe can be used to marinate up to 2 pounds of chicken. You can cut the recipe in half for 1 pound of meat, or double it for 4 pounds of meat.
- I recommend thawing chicken thighs, or breasts, before marinating them. The chicken should not be marinated for more than 8 hours, and this is not enough time for the chicken to thaw completely, that’s why I recommend thawing frozen chicken before marinating it. This can be done by transferring chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator for 24 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost the chicken in the microwave before adding it to the marinade.
Storage and reheating
Leftover cooked chicken fajitas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating leftovers on the stove or in the oven.
To reheat the fajitas in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken fajitas in an oven-safe dish and cook for 10 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve in warm tortillas, with your favorite toppings.
To reheat the fajitas on the stove, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken fajitas and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve in warm tortillas, with your favorite toppings.
Chicken can be frozen in the marinade. Simply prepare the marinade in an airtight container that is freezer-safe. Add the chicken, push out as much air as possible and seal well. Immediately place the sealed bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once the chicken defrosts, be sure to cook it within 8 hours so the marinade does not break down the proteins in the chicken, potentially ruining the texture.
Topping ideas
These chicken fajitas are delicious served in tortillas, bowls, burritos, quesadillas or salads. There are a ton of topping options, so no matter how you serve them, you can make it your own!
- Sliced avocado
- Guacamole
- Hot sauce
- Chipotle sauce
- Salsa
- Cilantro lime sauce
- Pico de gallo
- Corn salsa
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced onions
- Crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Sour cream
- Shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
What to serve with fajitas
Want to make a Mexican feast to go with this chicken fajitas recipe? Don’t miss out on these scrumptious side dishes for serving with fajitas!
- Mexican rice – the perfect base for a bowl! Add pinto or black beans and your favorite toppings to make a Chipotle-style bowl at home!
- Cilantro lime cauliflower rice – the perfect base for a low carb bowl! When served without tortillas, these chicken fajitas are a great keto option at just 5 net carbs per serving.
- Green chili queso blanco
- Nacho cheese sauce
- Mexican street corn
- Mexican quinoa salad
- Pinto beans
- Mexican street corn pasta salad
Dietary options
This recipe is gluten free, when made with my homemade fajita seasoning, and served on corn tortillas, or in a bowl with rice.
This recipe is keto when served with cauliflower rice, low-carb tortillas or on a salad. Each serving of this recipe contains 5 net carbs. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Serve the fajitas without tortillas to make a whole30 meal. Instead, serve them in lettuce wraps or on top of cauliflower rice.
More Mexican recipes
If you love Mexican food as much as I do, check out over 175 Mexican recipes on the blog. And be sure not to miss these popular dishes!
Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or breasts
- ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, approximately 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons fajita seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 3 bell peppers, sliced into ¼ inch strips
- 1 red onion, sliced into ¼ inch strips
Instructions
To marinate the chicken
- Add the chicken thighs, or breasts to a large bowl, or zipper bag.
- Add the lime juice, olive oil and fajita seasoning.
- Toss until the chicken is fully coated in the marinade.
- Place in the refrigerator and marinade for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
To grill the fajitas
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, between 350-400°F.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess marinade drip off, then place the chicken on the grill.
- Grill chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If cooking chicken breasts, cook them for 7-8 minutes per side. Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees F before removing chicken breasts, or thighs, from the grill.
- Remove the chicken from the grill, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes while cooking the peppers and onions.
- Add the sliced bell peppers and onions to a grill basket, or place them on a large sheet of foil with the sides bent up into a “foil basket”.
- Add the veggies to the grill over medium heat. Toss with tongs and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until they start to lightly char on the outside.
- Remove the veggies from the grill.
- Slice the grilled chicken and toss it with the veggies.
- Serve the fajitas on warm corn or flour tortillas, with your favorite toppings.
To cook the fajitas on the stove
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil) to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced bell peppers and onions, cook for 6-7 minutes, then remove the veggies from the skillet and set them aside.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess marinade drip off. Place the chicken in the skillet that you cooked the veggies over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side for chicken thighs, or 7-8 minutes per side for chicken breasts.
- Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165°F before removing chicken breasts, or thighs, from the skillet.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Let rest for 3-5 minutes, then slice the chicken thighs, or breasts.
- Toss the sliced chicken with the cooked bell peppers and onions, and serve with warm corn or flour tortillas, and your favorite fajita toppings, like sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce or cheese.
Video
Notes
- This recipe can be used to marinate up to 2 pounds of chicken. You can cut the recipe in half for 1 pound of meat, or double it for 4 pounds of meat.
- I recommend thawing chicken thighs, or breasts, before marinating them. The chicken should not be marinated for more than 8 hours, and this is not enough time for the chicken to thaw completely, that’s why I recommend thawing frozen chicken before marinating it. This can be done by transferring chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator for 24 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost the chicken in the microwave before adding it to the marinade.
- Leftover cooked chicken fajitas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating leftovers on the stove or in the oven.
- To reheat the fajitas in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken fajitas in an oven-safe dish and cook for 10 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve in warm tortillas, with your favorite toppings.
- To reheat the fajitas on the stove, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken fajitas and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve in warm tortillas, with your favorite toppings.
- Chicken can be frozen in the marinade. Simply prepare the marinade in an airtight container that is freezer-safe. Add the chicken, push out as much air as possible and seal well. Immediately place the sealed bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once the chicken defrosts, be sure to cook it within 8 hours so the marinade does not break down the proteins in the chicken, potentially ruining the texture.
- This recipe is gluten free, when made with my homemade fajita seasoning, and served on corn tortillas, or in a bowl with rice.
- This recipe is keto when served with cauliflower rice, low-carb tortillas or on a salad. Each serving of this recipe contains 5 net carbs. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
- Serve the fajitas without tortillas to make a whole30 meal. Instead, serve them in lettuce wraps or on top of cauliflower rice.
Nutrition Facts
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