Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers
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Grilled chipotle lime chicken fajita skewers are marinated in THE BEST chipotle garlic lime marinade. You can also ditch the skewers and cook these fajitas on the stove, or on a sheet pan in the oven. No matter how you cook it, this recipe is easy, healthy, low carb and gluten free!
Serve these chicken fajitas with a side of Mexican Rice and Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn. And don’t forget the Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas!
Table of contents
If you’ve been looking for the best marinade for chicken fajitas, you just found it! Ground chipotle peppers add a spicy, smoky flavor to the marinade, while lime juice gives it a nice zest.
It only takes 5 minutes to prepare the marinade. Simply toss the chicken in and let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. It’s easy to get this chicken marinating before dinner, while heating up the grill, or before hosting a BBQ or party.
These skewers have been a Bond family favorite for years and I know you’re going to love this recipe too! If you want to make traditional chicken fajitas, without the skewers, you can use this recipe for that also.
I’ll show you how to make these chicken fajita skewers on the grill, in the oven and on the stove. This recipe is less about the skewers and all about the delicious flavor from the marinade!
At only 7 carbs per skewer, this chicken fajita recipe is perfect for those on a low carb or keto diet. For a complete low carb meal, serve the fajitas with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice and Grilled Stuffed Mini Peppers.
If you’re like me and can’t get enough fajitas in your life, be sure to also check out my fajita seasoning recipe. It’s delicious in these recipes for Veggie Fajita Rice Bowls, Chicken Fajita Burritos and Fajita Meatball Sliders. Add them all to your menu, because there’s really no such thing as too many fajitas!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – you’ll want boneless, skinless breasts for this recipe, or you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Bell peppers – red, green, or a combination of different colored bell peppers will all work in this recipe.
- Red onion – a yellow onion can also be used in place of the red onion.
- Limes – I highly recommend fresh-squeezed lime juice in this recipe, as it is the base of the marinade.
- Chipotle pepper powder – this can be found at most major grocery stores in the spice aisle, or you can purchase it online. In a pinch, you could also use chili powder.
- Ground cumin
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, ziplock bag or plastic container, combine the lime juice, sea salt and ground cumin. Add the ground chipotle chili powder, fresh cilantro and minced garlic.
Marinate the chicken. Add the diced chicken breast pieces to the marinade and toss to they are completely covered. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Chop the veggies. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the veggies. Cut the bell peppers and onion into large chunks.
Assemble the skewers. Load the chicken, large diced bell peppers, and red onions onto wooden or metal skewers.
Grill. Place the skewers on a grill over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Flip and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes.
Sheet pan instructions
Instead of grilling these chicken fajitas, you can roast them on a sheet pan in the oven.
- Marinate. Toss the onions, bell peppers, and chicken in the marinade. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Arrange on the pan. Remove the chicken and veggies and discard the marinade. Spread the chicken and veggies in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Place in a 400°F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and squeeze the additional lime wedges over the chicken before serving.
Stovetop instructions
These chicken fajita skewers can also be made on the stove.
- Marinate. Prepare the marinade and marinate the chicken as instructed.
- Sauté the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers and onions, and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Cook the chicken. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the chicken fajitas.
Tips and tricks
- Cut the chicken breasts as uniform in size as possible, so that they cook evenly. I recommend cutting them into 1 inch cubes for this recipe. The easiest way to do this is to lay the breast on a cutting board then make parallel cuts in one direction. Slice the chicken perpendicularly until the whole breast is cut.
- Do not marinate the chicken in lime juice for more than 2 hours. Acidic citrus juice will break down the texture of the chicken, taking it from tender to mushy. And we definitely don’t want that!
- Never marinate chicken in lime juice in a metal bowl. The acid from the lime juice can react to the metal and ruin the chicken.
- If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. This will prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.
- In the winter I use the indoor OptiGrill for all of my grilling. This is the best indoor grill I’ve ever used and I highly recommend it to everyone! You can also use a cast iron grill pan on the stove.
What to serve with it
These chicken fajita skewers can be served on the skewer for a low carb meal.
They can also be taken off the skewer and served in corn or flour tortillas. If serving the chicken fajitas in tortillas, be sure to warm the tortillas on the grill, or in the microwave, before serving.
Top them with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, or any of these tasty recipes.
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Creamy Avocado Salsa
- Watermelon Salsa
- Green Chili Queso Dip
- Grilled Pineapple Tomatillo Guacamole
- Chipotle Bacon Guacamole
No matter which way they’re served, these delicious sides will pair perfectly with the dish!
More skewer recipes
There are so many delicious flavor combinations that you can load onto skewers! Try these recipes out next time.
Made this recipe and loved it? Be sure to rate it 5 stars in the recipe card below!
Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lime juice, app 4-5 limes
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground chipotle pepper powder
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 chicken breasts, app 2 lbs – cubed
- 2 cups red bell peppers, large dice
- 2 cups green bell peppers, large dice
- 2 cups red onion, large dice
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, salt, cumin, chipotle pepper, cilantro and garlic to make the marinade.
- Add the chicken breast cubes to the marinade, toss to coat the chicken in the marinade.
- Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.
- After the chicken has marinated, skewer the chicken, bell peppers and onions onto 12 metal or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes ahead of time.
- Place the skewers on the grill over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- After the chicken is cooked through, remove from the grill, squeeze the additional lime over the skewers and serve.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken: the chicken should not be marinated for more than two hours. The acid from the lime juice will break down the texture of the chicken if it’s marinated for more than 2 hours, making it mushy instead of tender. Also, never marinate chicken with citrus in a metal bowl. The acid from the citrus can react to the metal and ruin the chicken.
- Make these fajitas in the oven: Toss the onions and bell pepper in with the chicken in the marinade. After 30 minutes, remove the veggies and chicken. Discard the marinade. Arrange the chicken and veggies in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Make these fajitas on the stove: Prepare the marinade and marinate the chicken as instructed. After the chicken has marinated, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers and onions, sauté for 3-5 minutes. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade, then add the chicken to the skillet and sauté for 6-8 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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26 Comments on “Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers”
I love the Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers! This is a must fix recipe that we have often. We also serve them for almost every dinner party we host and they are always a huge hit! The Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn and the Mexican Rice are great sides making a fantastic meal!
I came across your website just recently and made these today. V tasty but a bit too overbearing on the lime for my taste. I’ll try with 3 limes instead. But otherwise v good! I doubled on the chipolte pepper as I like spicy and it was very yummy. Thanks!
Thank you Sarah! That’s the great thing about cooking is that you can alter recipes to your taste! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
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These look absolutely delicious! Will be trying these very soon!
Thanks Alex! I love all of the healthy food tips and recipes on your website!
WOW, this looks absolutely delish…I’m drooling all over my computer. I’m hosting a “get your grill on” link party and spice giveaway that ends tonight at 11:59 pm…I’d love to have you share this recipe because I think others would love it too!
http://www.4you-withlove.com/2013/06/party-thyme-get-your-grill-on-link.html
Marilyn
Hmm, I wonder how to convert this to an oven recipe. We don’t have a grill.
You could grill them on the stove in a cast iron skillet or place them on a baking sheet and into the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Happy Cooking 🙂
Try adding some Top shelf Tequila in with the lime marinade.
Tequila, Lime and a little Chipolte Tabasco makes a great marinade when I shoot a limit of wild Doves…
Man now I cant get rid of my neighbors. They keep coming back for more. Really great stuff.
Haha that’s awesome Chris! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I don’t have chipotle chili powder. Can I substitute chipotle chili peppers? Or is it better to substitute chili powder? Also recommendations of amounts would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi Sarah, I would substitute the chili powder! Enjoy 🙂
I like the combination of spices you used. Your pics are fantastic.
I would love it if you shared this recipe on our BBQ Block Party
http://easylifemealandpartyplanning.blogspot.com/
Hope to see you there.
Whitney, fab work. Thanks for stopping by the BBQ over at my place. Cheers
Hi, this look so good. I just have a quick question I wanna make this for only two people should I cut the Ingredients in half or should I cut it even more?
Hi Katie, I would cut it in 1/3 for 2 people! Happy Cooking 🙂
Need to double this for large family, can I sub bottled lme juice and if so how ,ich would I use in place of each lime?
Yes, use 1 tbsp bottled lime juice in place of each lime. Enjoy!
My husband and I had a couple of friends over for dinner tonight and I made these skewers. They were such a hit!! So delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us. I’ll definitely be making them again and again.
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What temperature or setting for the grill(gas)
Hi Jorge, I set my gas grill at medium for the skewers! Enjoy 🙂
Reblogged this on David Vale and commented:
I have followed littleleopardbook for a while. I love the ways she prepares her recipes, keeps the posts fun, and the photographs are amazing right down to the final plating. Whenever I have a craving for an amazing meal, this is where I look!
Yummmmm…. Again so delish looking my mouth is watering!