This Chicken Fajitas Recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner option. In thirty minutes, you’ll have the most delicious meal!

a photo of chicken fajitas recipe in a bowl with tortilla chips

A Note from Teri on Chicken Fajitas

I absolutely love finding ways to make weeknight eating fabulous and delicious. I have a recipe for beef fajitas in my cookbook, and this recipe is a sister to that. The book is a must for so many wonderful recipes!

This chicken fajitas recipe is the perfect example of taking a simple dish and using a few magic elixirs to take it to the next level. The smoky red pepper sauce tastes incredible on top of these fajita bowls, and the best part is, you can make the sauce in advance and have it ready to go on fajita night.

If you aren’t making the smoky red pepper sauce, you can absolutely substitute it for something like sour cream, or any other magic elixir you love. For the chicken marinade and the fajitas, we opted to use Marinated Red Onions and their oil, because it makes the dish that much more delicious. If you don’t have them on hand, you can substitute extra virgin olive oil and onions, but trust me, you are going to want this recipe with marinated onions!

My favorite part of a meal like this is that every eater can make the meal their own. Serve your fajitas on a platter with an array of toppings so everyone can create their own bowl! It keeps things easier for you and makes sure everyone gets exactly what they want.

a photo of peppers, onions and jalapenos in bowls

Ingredients and Variations

Smoky Red Pepper Sauce:

  • Red bell peppers
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Mayonnaise
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Hot sauce
  • Cayenne

Marinade:

Chicken Fajitas:

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Yellow pepper, Orange pepper, Red pepper
  • Jalapeno
  • Marinated Onions
  • Cooked white rice
  • Pico de gallo or salsa
  • Sour cream, if not making the red pepper sauce
  • Avocados
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chips 
  • Lime wedges

We served this chicken fajitas recipe in bowls, but you can opt for tortillas instead! It would also be delicious as a salad. Feel free to mix up the toppings with whatever you enjoy.

How to Make Chicken Fajitas

a photo of chicken marinating in a baking dish
a photo of broiled red peppers

Step One: Make Marinade and Broil Red Peppers

Preheat the broiler and raise the oven rack to 5 or 6 inches below the heat source. For the chicken, mix all marinade spices in a shallow container and stir to combine well. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat in the spice mixture. Pour the Marinated Red Onion oil and vinegar over the chicken and toss again to make sure everything is well-coated in the marinade. Set aside.

Put the red bell peppers for the Smoky Red Pepper Sauce on a baking sheet and drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Broil until charred on all sides, flipping them over every 5 minutes, about 15 minutes total. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool. 

a photo of the measured ingredients for smoky red pepper sauce
a photo of fajita chicken sauteing in a pan

Step Two: Make Sauce and Cook Chicken

Remove and discard the charred skin, seeds, and stems and transfer the flesh from the peppers to a blender or food processor. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, hot sauce, and cayenne, and blend until smooth. Set aside. 

Cut the yellow, orange, and red bell peppers into 1/4 -inch strips. Cut the wide end of the jalapeno off and with a knife, scoop out the seeds then slice the jalapeno into thin rounds. Set the peppers aside. 

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the half the chicken and cook strips 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness). When done, remove the chicken from the pan, place on a cutting board to rest, and repeat with the remaining chicken strips, adding a little more olive oil if needed. Set the chicken aside. 

a photo of peppers and onions in a pan
a photo of peppers and onions plated on a platter

Step Three: Saute Peppers and Serve

Immediately, add the peppers and the jalapenos to the pan, adding additional olive oil if needed. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until peppers are softened. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of the Marinated Red Onions to the pan, stirring to combine. Turn off heat. 

To serve, divide the rice among four bowls and top each with some chicken, peppers, and onions. Top with a spoonful of the Smoky Red Pepper Sauce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, and a healthy squeeze of lime! Alternatively, you can present everything on a platter and have your eaters join in on the fun by building their own bowls. 

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, place the chicken fajitas on the stove and gently heat until warmed through. I also like to serve leftovers cold on a salad!

a photo of chicken fajitas recipe in a bowl with tortilla chips

Try These Other Weeknight Recipes

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a photo of chicken fajitas recipe in a bowl with tortilla chips

Chicken Fajitas Recipe

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  • Author: Teri Turner
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

Make this chicken fajitas recipe for a delicious weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

For Smoky Red Pepper Sauce: 

  •   2 medium red bell peppers
  •   1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  •   1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  •   ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •   1 cup mayonnaise
  •   2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  •   1 teaspoon hot sauce
  •   ¼ teaspoon cayenne

For the marinade:

  •   2 teaspoons kosher salt
  •   ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •   1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  •   1 teaspoon garlic powder 
  •   1/3 cup Marinated Red Onion oil
  •   1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the fajitas: 

  •   2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch thick strips
  •   Extra-virgin olive oil, for sauteing 
  •   1 medium yellow pepper
  •   1 medium orange pepper
  •   1 medium red pepper
  •   1 medium jalapeno, cut into thin rounds
  •   1 cup Marinated Onions

For serving: 

  •   2 cups cooked white rice
  •   Store-bought pico de gallo or salsa
  •   Sour cream, if not making the red pepper sauce
  •   1-2 avocados, sliced or cubed 
  •   Chopped cilantro
  •   Tortilla chips 
  •   Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Preheat the broiler and raise the oven rack to 5 or 6 inches below the heat source.
  2. For the chicken, mix all marinade spices in a shallow container and stir to combine well. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat in the spice mixture. Pour the Marinated Red Onion oil and vinegar over the chicken and toss again to make sure everything is well-coated in the marinade. Set aside.
  3. Put the red bell peppers for the Smoky Red Pepper Sauce on a baking sheet and drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Broil until charred on all sides, flipping them over every 5 minutes, about 15 minutes total. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool. 
  4. Remove and discard the charred skin, seeds, and stems and transfer the flesh from the peppers to a blender or food processor. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, hot sauce, and cayenne, and blend until smooth. Set aside. 
  5. Cut the yellow, orange, and red bell peppers into 1/4 -inch strips. Cut the wide end of the jalapeno off and with a knife, scoop out the seeds then slice the jalapeno into thin rounds. Set the peppers aside. 
  6. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the half the chicken and cook strips 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness). When done, remove the chicken from the pan, place on a cutting board to rest, and repeat with the remaining chicken strips, adding a little more olive oil if needed. Set the chicken aside. 
  7. Immediately, add the peppers and the jalapenos to the pan, adding additional olive oil if needed. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until peppers are softened. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of the Marinated Red Onions to the pan, stirring to combine. Turn off heat. 
  8. To serve,  divide the rice among four bowls and top each with some chicken, peppers, and onions. Top with a spoonful of the Smoky Red Pepper Sauce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, and a healthy squeeze of lime! Alternatively, you can present everything on a platter and have your eaters join in on the fun by building their own bowls. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 636
  • Sugar: 5.4 g
  • Sodium: 282.9 mg
  • Fat: 37.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.7 g
  • Protein: 38.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 121.9 mg