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Quick cooking chicken fajita bowls are full of warm rice, thin strips of juicy chicken coated in a Southwest spice blend, sweet peppers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and a big dollop of homemade guacamole! These fajita bowls are satisfying, healthy, and great for meal prep or a fast weeknight dinner!
Making fajitas is essentially the Southwest or Tex-Mex version of making stir-fry, so you know it’s going to be a quick and easy meal. My skillet chicken fajitas are one of my go-to weeknight dinners, but when I want an all-in-one rice bowl recipe I make these chicken fajita bowls. You can even use my sheet pan chicken fajitas to make these rice bowls!
The chicken, peppers and onions only need a combined time of about 15 minutes to cook, which is the same amount of time it takes to cook the rice. The homemade guacamole only uses a handful of simple ingredients and is effortless to make.
These chicken fajita rice bowls are a great balance of carbs, protein, and fat, which is important if you’re wanting a meal that is satisfying and will keep you full.
If you meal prep this is an excellent recipe! Everything holds up well for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make them on the weekend and enjoy the bowls for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts – Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great for chicken fajitas. Slice them extra thin so that they cook quickly.
- Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro just leave it out of the marinade.
- Chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, and garlic powder – The spices for the fajita seasoning.
- Lime – Always use fresh squeezed lime juice over bottled if possible. The flavor is so much better.
- Red bell pepper – Any color bell pepper can be used.
- Onion – I used a white onion, but you could use a yellow onion or sweet onion as well.
- Avocados – Look for ripe avocados at the store or buy them a couple days before you plan to make the bowls. Ripe avocados are easy to mash, creamy, and work the best for making guacamole.
- Rice – I like to use basmati rice or jasmine rice because they only take 15 minutes to cook. Brown rice can also be used, but plan on it taking about 45 minutes to cook.
- Cherry tomatoes – Optional topping, but I love the sweetness they add.
Tips for Making Chicken Fajita Bowls
- Cut the chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips. This ensures that they cook quickly and evenly.
- Marinate the chicken. This is a quick chicken marinade and it only needs 10-15 minutes to infuse it with flavor. No need to refrigerate since it’s such a short amount of time.
- Time saving tips. Get the chicken marinating first. While it marinates make the guacamole and prep the peppers and onions. Next, start cooking the rice. By the time the rice is cooked you’ll be finished cooking the fajita meat and veggies.
- Large skillet and high heat. Use a skillet that’s large enough to spread the chicken and veggies into a single layer. If they’re too crowded they’ll steam instead of brown. Cook over high heat or medium-high. This is what gives the fajitas that quick sear, caramelization, and char while still keeping the meat and vegetables tender and juicy.
- Cook the chicken and veggies separately. Cook the peppers and onions and then remove them onto a plate while the chicken cooks. Cooking them separately ensures that they aren’t crowded in the pan and neither is overcooked.
Fajita Bowl Variations
- Add-ins. For extra fiber add black beans and corn or make my black bean and corn salsa.
- Flavored rice. Add extra flavor to the rice and make cilantro lime rice or black beans and rice.
- Toppings. Instead of or along with the guacamole, top the bowls with pico de gallo or salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, or pickled jalapeños.
- Protein swaps. Substitute the chicken with shrimp or steak. The marinade ingredients will remain the same.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Fajita Bowls for Meal Prep
Storage – Chicken fajita bowls will keep in airtight containers in the fridge for 4-5 days. Store the rice, guacamole and any additional toppings in containers separate from the chicken, peppers and onions.
Reheating – The easiest way to reheat the bowls is in the microwave for 60-90 seconds or until warm. You can also reheat the chicken, peppers and onions in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat until warm. Be careful not to overcook or the chicken will be dry.
Tip: To keep the rice from being dry, reheat it with a tablespoon of water. This steams the rice and rehydrates it.
Chicken Fajita Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peppers and Onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a white onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Guacamole
- 1 large avocado (or 2 small avocados) peeled and seed removed.
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons diced white onion
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Other ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- cherry tomatoes (optional, 1 cup halved if using)
- Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice.
- Combine the dried spices listed under the chicken ingredients.
- Add the sliced chicken to a bowl along with the cilantro, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the dried spice mixture, salt, pepper, lime juice and hot sauce (if you’re using it). Stir everything together until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Set aside and let it marinate on the counter for 10-15 minutes while you make the guacamole and sauté the vegetables.
- In a bowl add all of the ingredients for the guacamole and mash it with a potato masher or fork until it’s your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or lime juice as needed.
- In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the pepper, onion, remaining dried spices, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Remove them from the skillet and onto a plate.
- Drizzle the skillet with additional olive oil and then dump in the chicken. Spread it into a single layer and then let it cook without moving it for 3 minutes so that it gets browned. Toss the chicken around and continue cooking until it’s no longer pink and cooked through, 165° F.
- To assemble the bowls, fill with 1/2 cup of rice and top with your desired amount of chicken, peppers, onions, guacamole, and tomatoes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Fajita Recipes
If you make these Chicken Fajita Bowls, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
