Best Chicken Fajitas Recipe
The Best Chicken Fajitas Recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Chicken is marinated in a mixture of lime juice, garlic, and spices, then cooked on a sizzling hot skillet with onions and bell peppers. The dish can be served with warm tortillas and toppings like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. To make the recipe healthier, lean cuts of chicken can be used, along with whole wheat or corn tortillas and smaller portions of high-fat toppings. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated for a quick and easy meal. Chicken fajitas can be a healthy meal option when made with nutritious ingredients and served in appropriate portion sizes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into very thin strips
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Fajita seasoning
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon chili
- ¼ teaspoon of ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
For Fajitas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 green pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 yellow pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 large onion cut into thin strips
For Serving
- Sour cream, lime juice, cheese, salsa, tortillas
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips 1 to 1.5 inches long.
- In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil and minced garlic, add the chicken and toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, combine the spices and stir to combine.
- Add the fajita seasoning to the chicken and turn to coat.
- Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator. Make sure you take the chicken out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before cooking, so it's not too cold while cooking.
Cook Fajitas
- Drain the excess liquid from the marinated chicken.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron pan until shimmering.
- Add the chicken, onion, and garlic and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned.
- Add peppers and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Cook on high heat until the chickens turn out golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. If necessary, add more olive oil to brown the fajitas.
- Remove from the heat and serve with the servings you desired.
Notes
- Chicken breast: Try to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed or bottled, both work well!
- Olive oil: Avocado oil is a great substitute for olive oil.
- Crushed garlic: I use canned, but freshly minced garlic is also great.
- Spices: (cumin, paprika, chili, and coriander). I included our favorite fajita seasoning mix. You can customize it to your taste as you see fit.
- Bell peppers: I like to use different colors for presentation, you can use your favorite (red, orange, yellow, red).
- Onion: Use sweet yellow or white onions or red onions.