The Best Chicken Fajitas

This is restaurant classic is easier than you might think to make at home.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 12, 2024
Elise Bauer

Yay, chicken fajitas! So easy to make, and so quick. The method involves quickly searing the meat on a griddle or grill, and then slicing and serving with quickly seared peppers and onions. And, of course, flour tortillas.

Chicken Fajitas resting in a cast iron platter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

What Does "Fajita" Mean?

A little bit of back story. The word "fajita" means "little belt" from "faja" for strip or belt, and the diminutive "ita." It describes a skirt steak, and fajitas were traditionally made with grilled skirt steak, though now they can be made with chicken, shrimp, you name it.

Chicken Fajitas wrapped in tortillas

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

The Best Chicken for Fajitas

Now with a skirt steak (when making steak fajitas) it makes a lot of sense to quickly sear the meat and cut it across the grain to serve. You want the steak to be rare in the middle.

But with chicken? Not so much. Rare is not good for chicken. A way to get around this is to either cut the chicken in strips to begin with or to start with thinner pieces of chicken.

I prefer to start with a thinner piece of chicken, that way it's less likely to dry out. If you have chicken breasts that are around a half pound each or more, you will want to slice them in half horizontally, so that the center thickness is around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.

Rather than thinning the meat with a meat pounder, which will not result in the right texture and consistency for fajitas, I slice the chicken breasts horizontally.

You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer. Just keep in mind they may need a couple of extra minutes to cook.

Searing chicken breasts in cast iron pan for chicken fajitas

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

How to Season and Cook Chicken Fajitas

The cutlets are marinated for a minimum of 30 minutes (an hour or longer is best) in a spicy marinade with chili powder, cilantro, and jalapeño. You can marinate up to 24 hours in advance, but any longer than that and the lime juice in the marinade will start to "cook" the chicken.

To cook, you sear the cutlets on a hot cast iron pan (you could also easily use a hot grill), and after letting them rest a few minutes, slice them across the grain of the meat. Cook the peppers and onions in the same pan while the meat is resting.

Like Tex-Mex? Try These Recipes

Chicken Fajitas on a cast iron serving skillet

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Another Way to Make Fajitas

Do you love sheet pan recipes and don't want to smoke up your kitchen? Try our sheet pan chicken fajitas recipe!

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

The Best Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Marinate 30 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 4 servings

Save time by marinating the chicken while you prep the onions and peppers.

Ingredients

For the fajitas

  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

  • Salt, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons canola or extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise (root to tip) into 1/4-inch strips

  • 3 pepper bell peppers (various colors), sliced into 1/4-inch strips

For the marinade

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

For serving

  • 8 to 12 flour tortillas

  • Homemade or store-bought salsa

  • Sliced avocado or guacamole

  • Sour cream

  • Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Method

  1. Cut thick chicken breasts in half horizontally:

    Chicken breasts come in different sizes. If you have chicken breasts that are around a half pound each or more, you will want to slice them in half horizontally, so that the center thickness is around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.

    (We do not recommend pounding the chicken breasts, doing so will not result in the right texture/consistency for fajitas.)

    Chicken being cut in half horizontally

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    A chicken breast being cut in half horizontally

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  2. Marinate the chicken:

    Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a glass or plastic container. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge.

    Chicken being marinated in a glass bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade:

    Wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt.

  4. Sear the chicken on high heat:

    Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for a minute or so.

    As soon as the oil begins to smoke, lay the chicken breast pieces in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, and if you have had to cut the chicken breasts, you may have to work in batches.

    Let the chicken cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, until you have a good sear. Once seared well on one side, turn the pieces over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until well seared on the second side.

    Three pieces of chicken cooking in a cast iron skillet

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Searing chicken breasts in cast iron pan

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  5. Stack the seared breasts, cover with foil, and let rest:

    Once seared on the second side, remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes.

    If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.

    Here's a tip: Stack the seared chicken breasts and then cover them in foil. Together they will retain heat better as you cook the peppers and onions.

    Cooked chicken in a stack resting on a cutting board

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Cooked chicken covered in foil on a cutting board

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  6. Sauté the peppers and onions:

    While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan. Heat on high. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan.

    Use a metal spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the onions and peppers with the oil and brown bits. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer in the pan.

    Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. You want them to sear with some blackening. Stir the vegetables and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

    Bell peppers and onions cooking on a cast iron skillet

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  7. Slice the chicken and serve:

    Slice the chicken across the grain into strips. Serve at once with the peppers and onions, some warm tortillas, and sides of shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and/or thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed with vinegar and salt.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

    Chicken being sliced on a cutting board

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
294 Calories
14g Fat
8g Carbs
33g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 294
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 605mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 49mg 247%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 642mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.