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Learn how to make really flavorful chicken fajitas as home! This is my take on the Tex-Mex chicken fajitas and the flavors are incredible!
I can’t believe it took been two years since I last shared a fajita recipe with you.
I first shared my steak fajitas recipe over two years ago, and now I’m happy to say I’m bringing a version to you today that’s been tweaked a bit so that the flavors work better with chicken.
Chicken fajitas were my favorite thing my mom made growing up. I take that back. They were one of my favorites. That’s more accurate. Mainly because it was chicken, peppers, and onions stuffed into warm tortillas and the topping possibilities were endless! My mom made them the way most people do, with a simple seasoning packet and for years, I made homemade chicken fajitas the same way, but that’s certainly not the case anymore!
When you make your own homemade chicken fajitas marinade, the chicken is a billion times more flavorful, and you get to control the heat level too. If you’ve made and loved my steak fajitas (the way sooo many people have,) you’re going to love today’s chicken version!
How to make the best chicken fajitas:
My recipe for homemade chicken fajitas starts with the chicken marinade. Unlike the seasonings packets which you just pretty much dump onto chicken breasts, and toss it into a pan, we’ll be allowing the marinade to really soak into the chicken so that it’s flavors everything perfectly. Trust me! These are some of the best chicken fajitas you’ll ever have and I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it.
This recipe makes a ton of chicken fajitas! Enough to feed 6-8 people and you can certainly cut the recipe ingredients in half if you don’t want to have so much around. I always like to marinade a ton of chicken for my fajitas because we turn the leftovers into Chipotle-style burrito bowls for lunch the next day. This also works well for meal prepping because unlike a lot of meal prep recipes, chicken fajitas actually taste better as they sit. You can serve the fajitas over a salad or on top of quinoa if you decide to meal prep them for the week.
The ingredients for my chicken fajitas are very similar to the ones I use for the steak version. I’ve just added a couple of additional components that pair well with chicken.
What you’ll need for the chicken fajitas marinade:
- Lime juice
- Pineapple juice
- Garlic
- Mexican oregano
- Spices
- Oil
- Worcestershire
You might be wondering why I use pineapple juice to flavor the fajitas. Pineapple juice, the good stuff that has no added sugars is what you’re looking for here. Store-bought fajitas seasonings usually contain enzymes that help tenderize and break down the chicken, so you’re left with tender chicken in every bite. Pineapple juice goes the same thing here, and it’s a natural ingredient. I’m not too comfortable with some of the stuff that’s labeled as ‘meat or poultry tenderizer.’ Not sure what’s in it because they almost never label those kinds of things.
If you aren’t a fan of pineapple and are wondering if you can taste it in the chicken once it’s cooked, the answer is no. Not at all. It just does it’s thing and doesn’t even leave a trace.
Other ingredients you’ll need to make chicken fajitas:
Let’s talk about the chicken here for a second. I used chicken breasts, but I could see this recipe working well with boneless, skinless chicken thighs too. You guys know that’s not my thing, but for someone who prefers dark meat chicken, this would be the ideal thing to use.
We’re going with pretty standard stuff here – sliced peppers and sliced onions. Use an array of pepper colors here; it only makes the meal look that much more appetizing! I like to use red onions with chicken fajitas and white or yellow onions when I’m making beef fajitas, however, whatever kind of onion you have will work here. If you’re familiar with my steak fajitas recipe, you know I like to use sliced poblano peppers along with bell peppers. I opted to go the full bell pepper route here, however, you could also substitute green bell peppers for a poblano if you’d like.
How to cook chicken fajitas:
You’ve got a few different options here.
- grill them outdoors. You can simply toss the chicken onto a preheated outdoor grill and let it cook through on both sides. The sliced peppers and onions can go into a grill basket.
- grill them indoors. Here’s the grill pan I use when I want the chicken to get those beautiful grill marks on it. You can also cook the veggies in the same pan.
- use a cast-iron skillet. This is my favorite way to cook fajitas. I use my regular old cast iron skillet, and it never does me wrong! Once I remove the chicken, I add about half of the veggies to the skillet and cook them with a drizzle of the chicken marinade until they sear and brighten a little bit further in color.
How to serve chicken fajitas:
For serving you’ll want to grab flour/corn tortillas, guacamole, guacamole salsa, salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
When I make burrito bowls, I start with homemade cilantro lime rice, top it with the cooked fajitas, and then comes the fire-roasted corn, guacamole, this amazing salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fully loaded is how I like my chicken fajita bowls.
And there you have it! Don’t think twice here, marinate that chicken and make this. Hope you love my homemade chicken fajitas recipe as much as we do!
Best Ever Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice no sugar added
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 5 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder mild or hot
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño sliced, optional
Fajitas:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 bell peppers any color
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- Homemade tortillas
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- to serve: homemade guacamole, guacamole salsa, salsa, sour cream, cilantro-lime rice, sautéed corn, shredded lettuce, and the list can go on and on
Instructions
- MARINADE: combine the ingredients for the marinade along with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Use a whisk to combine before adding the jalapeño slices and the chicken breast. Let marinate covered in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator and allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- COOK: Set a large cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over high heat and let heat up for a couple of minutes. Drizzle in a teaspoon of oil and add half the chicken to the pan and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes or longer depending on the thickness of the chicken. If the pan becomes too hot, reduce the heat to medium-high.
- REST: Remove the chicken from the panand allow to rest for several minutes. Cooke the remaining chicken the same way. Slice the chicken into thin slices.
- FAJITA VEGGIES: Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan over high heat, add half the onions and bell peppers. Let the veggies begin to sizzle and toss as necessary. You can drizzle in some of that chicken marinade if you want to flavor the veggies but be sure to cook them well. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the veggies to a plate and cook the remaining veggies the same way.
- ASSEMBLY: Serve the chicken fajitas in tortillas or on rice bowls topped with your favorite toppings!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Such a flavorful fajita recipe -I just had to comment! One of the best and unique chicken fajita marinades in all my recipe searching! Thank you for sharing it… 🙂
Wow! These were good!
Question: If not planning on making immediately, can you put it in a zip lock bag and freeze for use later?
We loved the marinade and will be making again, this time I want to try making skewers with the chicken.
I did feel like it needed salt though. Maybe just my taste.
Excellent! ! Instant hit! Have to more next time, gotta have leftovers!!
I love the idea for this recipe but I can’t find Pineapple juice – I mean are we using actual pineapple juice to drink or it is pineapple juices in a can or some special marinade pineapple juice – so sorry for the silly question my cooking skills are very limited – can you suggest a brand or something ??? Thanks you ahead of time
I can’t find mexican oregano. Can I omit it or is there a substitution?
Regular oregano from the spice aisle is perfectly fine.
These authentic chicken fajitas are a burst of flavor with tender chicken, perfectly seared veggies, and a medley of spices. Outstanding
THANK YOU! I made with for my husband and his response “Babe we can never eat out again!!! This is the BEST!!!” Sooo gooodd
So good! Easy to follow and wonderfully full of flavor.
Just making these but there is nowhere enough liquid to resemble the picture above showing the chicken sitting in it… am I missing something (lime, pineapple and oil)?
How long can the marinade itself be kept in the refrigerator to use to season freshly cooked vegetables (used specifically for this purpose – no meat involved).
WARNING – you will return to this recipe over and over and over again ,sometimes at 6am. You will become addicted. Just the right combo of flavours. I recommend the lime cilantro rice as a side. Together they are an absolutely refreshing couple! Don’t hesitate – add this dish to summer rotation!
I made the beef fajitas which were excellent, so these were a must try. The pineapple flavor is a bit more forward here there it is in the beef fajitas. I would cut the pineapple juice to just 1-1.5 TBSP or marinade the chicken closer to 4 hours than the 6 hours that I did. Overall, a really great recipe that I will just tweet a bit for my palate.
Could the chicken be sliced, then marinated? Or would it be mushy?
Delicious! The best fajita recipe I have tried! The marinade for the chicken was the secret I think!
Who knew pineapple juice was the secret ingredient. Best Chicken Fajitas we have ever made. Thank you.
My son made it tonight. I don’t know if it’s actually the best but it is really really delicious. He marinated the chicken overnight. It is a fantastic recipe. Just wanted you to know.
Looks oh so good! Do you, by chance, have the nutritional info per serving? I am counting my macros. Thanks a bunch !
Hi, do you think it will be okay for me to mix the veggies with the chicken and marinade? I’m making a huge batch for a going away party for my son who is joining the Navy.