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    Chicken Fajitas

    Updated May 28, 2024 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Chicken fajitas, with juicy, tender marinated strips of chicken breast and lots of veggies, make for a quick, easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love.

    chicken fajitas with peppers and onions in a skillet topped with avocado surrounded by tortillas & queso fresca for topping
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    The Best Chicken Fajita Recipe

    Make a little room in your life (and calendar) for a new weeknight staple! Our easy chicken fajita recipe is here to make your life a little easier, and a whole lot tastier. Seasoned with a zingy marinade that makes the chicken oh-so-tender and juicy, these chicken fajitas are truly the best.

    If you want a one-pan chicken fajita recipe, try our Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, or if you’re planning ahead, check out our super-easy Freezer Chicken Fajitas. And if you’re in need of general weeknight dinner ideas, check out our Best Chicken Recipes, and 60 Best Easy Dinners.

    chicken, peppers, onions, avocado, cilantro, tortillas, cilantro, spices and limes wedges in prep bowls

    Chicken Fajita Ingredients

    For the fajitas:

    • Chicken breast

    • Bell peppers

    • Onions

    • Flour tortillas

    • Avocado

    • Queso fresco or cotija cheese

    For the chicken fajita seasoning & marinade:

    • Canned, crushed pineapple

    • Lime

    • Garlic

    • Cider vinegar

    • Chili powder

    • Cumin

    • Salt

    • Worcestershire

    • Jalapeño (if you’re worried about feeding this to kids, it’s OK to skip the jalapeño)

    • Cilantro leaves (if you hate cilantro, just skip it)

    pineapple, lime zest & juice, spices, vinegar, jalapeño, Worcestershire, cilantro & onion being mixed in a bowl
    chicken marinating in pineapple, lime zest & juice, spices, vinegar, jalapeño, Worcestershire, cilantro & onion
    chicken marinated in pineapple, lime juice, spices, jalapeño, Worcestershire, cilantro & onion being cooked in a skillet
    peppers and onions being cooked in a skillet for fajitas

    How To Make Chicken Fajitas

    1. Prep the chicken for fajitas: Put the chicken breasts into a zip-top bag, squeeze the air out and seal the top. Gather up all of your frustrations and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them out on that chicken breast until it’s about one-inch thick. This is also a very fun job for kids who are old enough to help!

    2. Cut the chicken! With the chicken breast nice and thin, cut it into beautiful little strips. The thinner you slice the chicken, the faster it will cook, and the faster it will take on all the delicious flavors of the chicken fajita marinade you’re about to make.

    3. Marinate the chicken strips. This is the best chicken fajita recipe ever because of the “secret” ingredient we’ve snuck into our marinade—canned, crushed pineapple! Mix the chicken strips with the marinade (tongs are good for this job) and let it sit for a bit in the fridge.

    4. Prep the vegetables. While the chicken marinates, prep the rest of the chicken fajita ingredients. Use your sharpest knife to slice the onion and peppers that’ll go inside your fajitas, and maybe prep all of the fajita toppings—avocado, lime, and queso fresco—while you’re at it.

    5. Toast your little flour tortillas in a skillet until they’ve got just a bit of a blister, but pull them out of the pan before they burn! This happens fast—maybe ten seconds on each side.

    6. Sauté the seasoned chicken in one skillet and the veggies in another skillet if you want to be done cooking the fajita filling in 10 minutes flat. Or you can sauté the chicken first and veggies second and only use one skillet and be done in about 20 minutes.

    7. Serve the fajitas! Lay out a spread of toppings, so that everyone can build their own homemade chicken fajita just how they like it—an extra squeeze of lime juice, or a little avocado for creaminess. There’s no wrong way!

    fajita chicken, peppers and onions in a skillet
    chicken fajitas with peppers and onions in a skillet topped with avocado surrounded by tortillas & queso fresco for topping

    How To Store Leftovers + Tips

    • Leftover chicken fajita filling will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, and will make for delicious fajita lunches or dinners. Just warm some tortillas and enjoy (again)!

    • While you could make these easy chicken fajitas using just one skillet, we like to have two going at once to help get dinner on the table that much faster.

    • Need more quick, easy Mexican dinner ideas? Try our easy Shrimp Fajitas, vegetarian Portobello Mushroom Fajitas, or our Chicken Enchilada Skillet.

    • Don’t marinate the chicken strips for more than four hours. With all the acidic ingredients in our marinade, you don’t want to let the chicken sit for too long. Also, if you’re opting for the room temperature marinade, do not allow the chicken to sit out at room temp for more than 30 minutes. That is the absolute maximum amount of time that the USDA considers it safe to let chicken marinate at room temperature.

    chicken fajitas with peppers and onions in a skillet topped with avocado
    chicken fajitas with peppers and onions in a skillet topped with avocado surrounded by tortillas & queso fresco for topping

    More Quick & Easy Tex-Mex Chicken Recipes

    The Easiest, Best Chicken Fajitas Ever—Right?

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Chicken Fajitas Recipe

    Updated May 28, 2024

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  40 min
    • Cook Time:  20 min
    • Calories:  422
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    Ingredients

    • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
    • ½ teaspoon lime zest
    • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from of 2 limes)
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ jalapeño, seeded and minced
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
    • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin and cut into 1-inch strips
    • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 12 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, warmed (optional)

    For serving (optional)

    • Lime wedges
    • Fresh cilantro leaves
    • Avocado, sliced
    • Queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled

    Method

    1. In a medium bowl, mix together the pineapple, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt, jalapeño, Worcestershire, cilantro, and ¼ of the sliced onion. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours covered in the refrigerator.

      glass bowl with raw chicken in fajita marinade

    2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, working in batches, add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

      cast iron skillet of cooked fajita chicken

    3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and increase the heat to high. Once the oil is smoking, add the bell peppers and remaining onion until browned and tender, 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to combine.

      cast iron skillet of cooked fajita chicken, red, green and yellow bell peppers and onions

    4. Serve the fajita filling in the tortillas with lime wedges, cilantro, avocado, and queso fresco if desired.

      chicken fajitas with peppers and onions in a skillet topped with avocado surrounded by tortillas & queso fresco for topping

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 422
    • Protein 51 g
    • Carbohydrates 31 g
    • Total Fat 14 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 88 mg
    • Sodium 650 mg
    • Total Sugars 7 g

    Chicken Fajitas

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

    or
    • Kelly

      Any liquid or ingredient adjustments if I wanted to freeze this for a slow cooker meal? For a new mom :)

      We actually have a freezer version check out our "freezer chicken fajitas."

    • Hannah

      Hi! Is there any reason I couldn’t make this on a sheet pan like your sheet pan fajitas recipe?

      Nope!

    • Archie

      There is some indication we might want to put some red onion in the marinade but the instructions don't exactly spell that out. Do we, don't we, should we?

      No the red onion does not go in the marinade. Hope you enjoy Archie!

    • dawn

      can i marinate the chicken overnight?

      You sure can Dawn, hope you enjoy!

    • Ana

      I'm assuming the nutritional information is for the chicken, and doesn't include the tortillas? Thanks!

      Thanks for asking Ana, the nutrition information does include tortillas. The recipe serve 8 so the nutrition is for one serving. It just doesn't include anything listed under "for serving" (lime wedges, cilantro, avocado and queso fresco).

    • Christa

      This recipe is excellent and I tried it with a flank steak tonight instead of chicken and it was almost better! Love all your recipes!

      Thanks Christa, we are so happy you loved it! You can never go wrong with flank, yum!

    • Shawn

      This recipe is probably the best chicken fajita recipe I've ever tried!! The pineapple does make all the difference in the world!! Have also made the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe and both are now in the rotation...kudos!!

      Thanks Shawn, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Gayle


      No question, just a comment on the amazing Chicken Fajitas...best ever!!! Thank you

      Thanks so much Gayle!

    • Tresa

      Made these when I had company over on my flat top grill and they were excellent! The marinade was super easy and quick to throw together and everyone loved them!

      Thanks Tresa, glad they were a hit!

    • Flora

      I made these today and they were delicious. My only advice would be to cut the chili powder by half. Very good recipe.

      Thanks Flora! Glad you loved them!