Chicken Fajitas
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!
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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.
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
Calories 250kcal (13%)Carbohydrates 7g (2%)Protein 30g (60%)Fat 11g (17%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 144mg (48%)Sodium 272mg (11%)Potassium 535mg (15%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 2061mg (41%)Vitamin C 81mg (98%)Calcium 23mg (2%)Iron 2mg (11%)
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