These Easy Chicken Fajitas are bursting with flavor. They feature tender chicken marinated in lime and orange juice and the perfect blend of spices, bell peppers, and onions.
I love to serve them with refried beans and cilantro lime rice. Everyone enjoys it, and it is one of my family’s favorite meals. You are going to love this easy, delicious, and flavorful meal.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Juice: lime or orange juice. I like the combination of the two, but you could use one or the other.
- Spices: ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add a bit of cayenne pepper or chipotle peppers for extra heat in adobo sauce.
- Bell peppers: any colored peppers will work, but various colored bell peppers make for a beautiful presentation.
- Tortillas: we like flour, but corn tortillas are delicious too.
- Toppings: chopped cilantro, guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, and cheddar or queso cheese.
How to make Chicken Fajitas
Start by combining the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a zipper bag or bowl. Add the chicken and marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Heat a bit of oil in a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.
Heat a little more oil over medium heat. Add the veggies to the skillet, cooking until the onion is soft, and the peppers are slightly charred. Cut the chicken, add it back to the skillet, and stir to combine and warm. Squeeze a little extra lime juice over the fajita mixture. Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, and fresh lime slices.
Preparation Tips
- Marinate the chicken for 30-60 minutes. This gives the chicken ample time to tenderize and absorb the marinade flavors. Marinating chicken much longer than that does nothing to enhance the flavors and may indeed toughen the chicken.
- Cut the chicken right before adding it to the skillet to ensure it stays juicy.
- For a low-carb meal, throw the cooked chicken in a bowl with some lettuce, black beans, avocado, and salsa.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze the chicken, first flash-freeze it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Then, move the chicken to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. I do not recommend freezing the onions and bell peppers because of the moisture content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grilled chicken makes delicious fajitas. Simply marinate the chicken per the instructions. Preheat the gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat or about 400 degrees. Grill for 2-3 minutes each side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Tent the chicken while you prepare the rest of the dish in a skillet.
You can use corn tortillas. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until warm.
Though not traditional, you certainly can. They are your fajitas, so add whatever you want.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Easy Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
Chicken Fajita Marinade
- ¼ olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chicken Fajitas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 3 bell peppers in assorted cut into thin strips any color but variety is better
- limes for squeezing over cooked fajitas mixture and for garnish
- 8 flour tortillas
- sour cream
- guacamole
- fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a zipper bag or bowl. Add the chicken and marinate for 30-60 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.
- Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the veggies to the skillet, cooking until the onion is soft, and the peppers are slightly charred.
- Cut the chicken, add it back to the skillet, and stir to combine and warm. Squeeze a little extra lime juice over the fajita mixture.
- Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, and fresh lime slices.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for 30-60 minutes. This gives the chicken ample time to tenderize and absorb the marinade flavors. Marinating chicken much longer than that does nothing to enhance the flavors and may indeed toughen the chicken.
- Cut the chicken right before adding it to the skillet to ensure it stays juicy.
- For a low-carb meal, throw the cooked chicken in a bowl with some lettuce, black beans, avocado, and salsa.
Nutrition
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May
I so looooove fajitas but my recipe does not have guacamole and it’s the one big thing I want to add in there. I’m gonna integrate your recipe to mine — and see how it goes.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, May! Enjoy!
Ralph H
These chicken fajitas are amazing! I love them because they are marinated with lime and orange juice for extra flavor. Delicious with cilantro lime rice on the side.
Sammie
Fajitas are my favorite recipe to eat while watching a movie. I remember back in the day, my friend and I would always cook fajitas and some potato wedges in my apartment while having a night in. Delicious every time! I am sure these will be just as good!
Catherine
I tried these easy chicken fajitas last night, and wow – they were a hit with the whole family! So simple to make, and the flavor was amazing.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catherine!
Milton Recovery
PICTURERS look delicious im gonna have to try this one out ! thanks for your post
Beth Pierce
You are welcome! Enjoy!
Viola
Nothing is better than chicken fajitas, and your recipe is one of my new favorites. It was so good!
Emily Flint
I was searching for a fajita recipe that didn’t use packaged spices and I’m so glad I found this one! It was so, so good and my family devoured it in minutes. LOL. We will be making it again!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Fajitas are always such a fun family meal. I’m going to try your suggestion of adding Chipotle to the sauce.
Sadia Malik
delicious and colorful dish, will make again
Adrianne
Yum, I love the colours and flavour of this dish! Sounds like we will be having it next Mexican night we have. Those spices all sounds delicious also!
AISilva
My family loves chicken fajitas! I can’t wait to make this recipe for them. I would love to incorporate the chipotle peppers too, though I think my kids might have a hard time!
Alexa
We tried this chicken fajita this week and loved it! Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Lisalia
Beth I loved this recipe! Here’s what made the difference for me… smoked paprika AND adobo sauce. You really took this to next level deliciousness with that. Gives just the perfect mystery ingredient that my family said these were amazing. Can’t wait to have them again.
Aimee Shugarman
LOVED how easy these fajitas were to make for the family. Definitely going on our dinner rotation!
Toni
This recipe is really amazing!! I loved that it is so easy to make!
Mairead
Thanks for this great fajita recipe. It’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo or any day. Love all the veggies in these fajitas.