Skillet Chicken Fajitas are a fast and flavorful weeknight dinner! The marinated chicken, sweet peppers, and onion are seared in a cast iron skillet and can be ready in 30 minutes. Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings. It’s sure to be a family favorite!
If you love these chicken fajitas then you have to try my sheet pan steak fajitas!
This post has been updated from it’s original publish date on 4/17/2015
Why you’ll love them
One pan dinner – You only need one pan, preferably a cast iron or enameled skillet to make these chicken fajitas.
Family friendly dinner – This fajita recipe is one my mom made when I was a kid and I still use the same recipe today. It’s a meal both adults and kids typically tend to like.
Ready in 30 minutes – While the chicken does need to marinate, it’s a 15-30 minute marinating time depending on how much time you have. The quick cooking time make this an ideal meal for busy nights or when you aren’t in the mood to cook dinner.
The ingredients
- Chicken breasts – It’s best to cut the chicken into thin strips against the grain for fajitas. Be sure to cut the chicken before adding it to the marinade.
- Red and yellow bell peppers – I love to use red, yellow or orange bell peppers because they taste a little sweeter than green bell peppers.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion can be used. White onions have a slightly milder flavor than yellow.
- Chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, and garlic powder – The fajita seasoning blend.
- Lime – Fresh lime juice brightens up the flavor and adds a little tartness. Please use fresh squeeze lime juice and not bottled for the best flavor.
- Hot sauce – If you like a little spicy flavor in your fajitas, add a few dashes of hot sauce into the marinade.
- Cilantro – A fresh herb frequently used in southwest and Mexican cooking.
How to make skillet chicken fajitas
Marinate the chicken – In a large bowl combine the dried spices, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Add in the sliced chicken and toss it all around in the marinade until it’s coated.
Let the chicken marinate on the counter for 15-30 minutes. There’s no need to refrigerate it for that short of a marinating time.
Sauté the vegetables – Thinly slice the peppers and onions. Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil in a large cast iron or similar skillet. When the oil is hot, swirl it to coat the bottom of the pan and then add in the peppers and onions.
Season them with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir them frequently with a wooden spoon until they’re soft and caramelized. Remove from the skillet and onto a plate.
Cook the chicken – While the skillet is still hot, add in a little more oil and then toss in the chicken. Spread it into a single layer and let it sear for a couple minute before moving it around. Not moving it will allow it to brown and caramelize.
Continue to cook the chicken until it’s no longer pink and then add the peppers and onions back into the skillet. Stir everything together and then remove the skillet from the heat. Squeeze lime juice over everything and garnish with extra cilantro.
Ways to serve fajitas
- In warm flour or corn tortillas
- On top of rice or make these chicken fajita bowls.
- Make a chicken fajita salad and serve it on top of romaine lettuce with salsa and guacamole.
- Make quesadillas with them. I love using Monterey Jack cheese in my quesadillas.
- Make loaded sheet pan nachos and bake them in the oven.
Skillet chicken fajitas FAQ
Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs work great for these fajitas. They will need a little extra cooking time.
If you don’t like cilantro I would just omit it. You can replace with flat leaf parsley, but the flavor won’t be the same.
The fajitas will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. They’re a great recipe to make if you meal prep.
Cast iron is great for searing, which is what you want for fajitas. For the best results make sure you cast iron skillet is seasoned properly. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet an enameled cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet will work.
More one pan chicken dinners
Did you make these skillet chicken fajitas? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Skillet Chicken Fajitas are a fast and flavorful weeknight dinner! Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, or parsley if you don't like cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between the palms of your hands
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Juice of half a lime
Peppers and Onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine all of the chicken ingredients. Stir the chicken in the marinade until coated and let it marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When the skillet is hot add in the sliced peppers, onion, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté the peppers and onions for about 4 minutes or until they are caramelized and have softened. Remove the peppers and onions from the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the hot skillet then dump in the chicken. Spread it into a single layer and let it sear without moving it for 2-3 minutes. Stir the chicken around and continue to cook until it's cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the peppers and onions back into the skillet and cook everything for another minute. Remove from the heat and squeeze the other half of the lime over the fajitas. Serve with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Nutrition does not include tortillas or pico de gallo.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 36g
Looks yummy! Do you use fresh cilantro or dried?
I use fresh.
These were the best fajhitas I ever made! Thanks for the recipe – a real keeper :)
As my daughter said, “Mom, these are slapping!”
I’m so glad the fajitas were a hit Gretchen, thanks for trying them out!
Cooking during the Covid19 pandemic and trying to use up ingredients on hand. I used fajita marinade on the cut up chicken and a frozen peppers and onion blend. I used some of your suggestions for seasonings in addition to smoked paprika. Added leftover rice and topped with shredded cheddar.
What a great recipe. I’ll have to make it again with fresh veggies. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Danae, I’ll cook it today to my son
Hello! I love this recipe and have used it multiple times, thanks for sharing! Do you know the nutritional information?
I have the same question! Love the recipe, but do you have the nutritional information?
Hi ladies! I just updated the recipe to include the nutritional info. Let me know if you have any more questions.
I fixed this tonight and it was really good. It’s a keeper!
Thanks Mary! Glad you liked them.
Made this for work lunches this week. Will serve with lettuce cups.
Flavour is awesome. This recipe is a keeper!
I made this tonight and it was a big hit! No leftovers tho! Do you happen to have any nutritional info about it?
I just made this last night and it was delicious! Served it with chopped tomatoes, lettuce and avocado, with lime tortilla chips and guac on the side. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the fajitas Kathryn and thanks for trying the recipe!
Is there any way to make the chicken more shredded then in pieces like that. I love cooking in my cast iron pan but i prefer my chicken to be shredded. Any tips? I plan on making this for dinner tomorrow
Unfortunately there really isn’t a way to easily shred the chicken for these fajitas. You could always marinade then cook the chicken breasts whole in the skillet then shred them after they are cooked, but other than that I’m not sure what to suggest. Sorry.
My chicken always turns out chewy. Any way to fix that? I like cooking it for a while as I’ve gotten food poisoning from undercooked chicken in the past and now have a phobia of it haha.
Also, the only thing I could recommend is additional chilli/spice as I like my food spicy!
Hi Mark,
I can definitely understand you wanting to thoroughly cook chicken after having that happen. Overcooking it though will make it dry and chewy. I just recommend cooking until it is no longer pink inside. Also, make sure you are adding the lime juice at the very end of the cooking and not adding it to the marinade as this can change the texture of the chicken as well. I hope this helps!
very yummy. eveeryone should try this one…
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Brenda and I’m glad you liked the fajitas!
Hi there – do you have the nutritional information on this recipe?
Stupid question but do you mix the olive oil with the other ingredients or just in the pan? And does it have to be made in a cast iron skillet?
Hi Brittany. Mix the olive oil in with the other ingredients. You’ll probably want to spray your skillet with oil or add a little extra olive oil. You don’t have to do it in cast iron, I just like how evenly they heat up. Just make sure whatever skillet you use it nice and hot, it’s almost like stir-frying the meat and vegetables.
Love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Christina! It’s one of my favorites. :-)
Such a great weeknight dinner! Love how simple it is….and one pan!
It’s one of my favorites! Can’t wait to make it tomorrow night for Cinco de Mayo!
thanks for sharing a great recipe! i made it last week and shared it on my #whatsfordinner journey:
http://wp.me/p4z4lw-NP
Thanks so much for trying the fajitas Jennifer!
This looks really good, and I like that you can cook it all in one pan. I’m all for easy clean up.
Thanks so much Jay! One pan meals are the best!
Do you think this seasoning would work well with Skirt Steak? I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times (and it’s exquisite) but never with steak and I want to try something different!! :)
Hi Karina! I haven’t tried making the fajitas with steak, but I imagine it would work just fine. If you try it I’d love to hear how they turn out! :-)
This was so easy to make…and absolutely delicious!! I love when I try a new recipe and it ends up being a huge success!! We will definitely make these again and again!!
I’m so glad you liked the fajitas Rita! They are a staple in our house, one of my favorite recipes!
I need this now. Yum!
They are total yum! Thank you!
Ooooh my goodness, chicken fajitas are the BEST! These ones look amazing alright. I have heard so many good things about Zaycon! I need to try it out.
Thanks Karen! I love making chicken fajitas because they’re one of those meals everyone seems to like!
I wish Zaycon had Pastured Organic chicken breast!
Hi Danae!
I’d love to include your skillet chicken fajitas in a chicken roundup I’m doing for Parade Magazine.
If that’s fine with you, could I use one of your lovely photos with a link back to this original post (https://reciperunner.com/skillet-chicken-fajitas/)?
Let me know,
thanks so much!
Sounds great Felicia! Thanks for including me!
This is a great recipe! I would use a dash less salt and pair it with fresh black beans and rice next time but it’s still delicious!
Thanks Veronica! Black beans and rice would be great with the fajitas!
I made this recipe last night. It was so delicious! The seasonings for the chicken and vegetables were just right. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad a doubled it because we are having it tonight too.
Thanks for trying out the fajitas Laura! I’m so happy to hear you liked them. They’re one of my favorite easy dinners to make!
These look so good. I have been craving fajitas and these are sure to hit the spot.
Thanks Michelle!
Looks so beautiful and colorful!! It’s just the way I like to eat my meals.
Thanks Ramona, it’s just the way I like my meals too!
We love fajitas around here! Love that you made these in a cast iron skillet!
Thanks Jessica! Cooking in a cast iron skillet is the best!
Perfect for a weeknight meal — and then again for the next night! :-)
Thanks Julianne! Fajitas make awesome leftovers!
Intense, incredible dish! I’ve made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks! It’s shading. I even like it better the second day! The flavors just come together yum