Skillet chicken fajitas are a fast 35-minute dinner with sizzling Mexican fajita flavor, tender chicken, and peppers tucked into warm tortillas. Use store-bought fajita seasoning, or make the homemade blend included below.
Why You'll Love This Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Skillet chicken fajitas are built for nights when dinner needs to move fast but still feel like something everyone wants to eat. The chicken sears in a hot skillet, the peppers and onions cook in the same pan, and the seasoning can be as easy as a packet or as homemade as you like using our spice blend.
- Fast skillet dinner: Chicken, peppers, and onions cook in one pan for a weeknight fajita meal without turning on the oven.
- Flexible seasoning: Use store-bought fajita seasoning when you are in a hurry, or mix the homemade blend in the recipe card.
- Easy to serve: Warm tortillas, lime, cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, or salsa let everyone build their fajitas at the table.
Ingredients Overview
This recipe uses boneless chicken breasts, a mix of bell peppers, poblano pepper, onion, flour tortillas, lime, and fajita seasoning. The homemade seasoning blend is included in the recipe card, but a store-bought fajita mix works when you need dinner moving fast.
Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts if you prefer darker meat. Large flour tortillas are easiest for wrapping the chicken and peppers, especially if you like to add guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or other toppings.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Season the chicken, sear it in a hot skillet, cook the peppers and onions in the same pan, then slice the chicken and bring everything back together. The step-by-step photos below show the skillet stages from seasoning to serving.
Step 1: If you are making the homemade fajita seasoning, add the spices to a small bowl and stir until evenly combined.
Step 2: Season the chicken on both sides. Heat the olive oil in the skillet, then cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until it reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3: While the chicken cooks, slice the onion, bell peppers, and poblano pepper into thin strips.
Step 4: Add the sliced vegetables to the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining fajita seasoning. Cook until the peppers and onions are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Slice the cooked chicken into thin strips. Add the chicken back to the skillet with the peppers and onions, then adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 6: Warm the flour tortillas, then fill them with the chicken, peppers, and onions. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve with chopped cilantro, guacamole, or your favorite toppings.
Pro Tip
Warm the tortillas before filling them so they fold more easily. Use two tortillas per fajita if you are adding extra toppings or a very full scoop of chicken and peppers.
Serving Suggestions
Serve skillet chicken fajitas in warm flour tortillas with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pineapple pico de gallo.
For a larger Mexican-style dinner add Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, or chorizo refried black beans on the side. They also pair well with Mexican white sauce, Mexican pickled vegetables, or cebollitas asadas.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few easy ways to adjust these skillet chicken fajitas:
- Use chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well if you prefer darker meat.
- Change the peppers: Use any mix of bell peppers you have, or swap the poblano for another bell pepper if you want a milder flavor.
- Use store-bought seasoning: A packet or jarred fajita seasoning works when you want to skip mixing the homemade blend.
- Make it spicier: Add cayenne, chipotle powder, sliced jalapenos, or a hotter salsa at serving time.
- Skip the tortillas: Serve the chicken, peppers, and onions over rice or salad for a fajita bowl.
Tips for Success
A hot skillet and thin slices make a big difference with fajitas.
- Preheat the skillet: Let the pan get hot before adding the chicken so it sears instead of steaming. Cast iron skillets work especially well at searing.
- Do not crowd the chicken: Cook the chicken in one layer so the outside browns properly.
- Slice the vegetables thinly: Thin pepper and onion strips cook faster and fit better inside tortillas.
- Rest before slicing: Let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes so the juices settle before you cut it into strips.
- Warm the tortillas: Warm tortillas fold better and are less likely to split when filled.
Storage Options
Store the fajita filling separately from tortillas and toppings.
- Refrigerate: Store cooked chicken, peppers, and onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the fajita filling in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. The peppers will soften more after thawing, but the filling still works well for bowls and quesadillas.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium heat, or microwave in short intervals until hot.
- Serve fresh tortillas: Warm new tortillas when serving leftovers so the meal tastes fresh again.
Related Recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chili's Steak Fajitas
- Simple Fajita Seasoning
- Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Quick Shrimp Fajita Bowl
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A large stainless steel or nonstick skillet works too. Cast iron holds heat well and gives good browning, but the recipe still works in another large skillet.
Do not overcook the chicken, and use an instant-read thermometer if you have one. Remove the chicken from the skillet when it reaches 165°F, let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it into strips.
For this skillet method, cook the chicken breasts first, let them rest, then slice them into strips. This helps the chicken stay juicier than cutting it into small pieces before cooking.
Large flour tortillas are easiest to fold around chicken, peppers, onions, and toppings. Warm them before filling so they bend without cracking.
The skillet may not be hot enough, or the pan may be crowded. Cook the peppers and onions over medium-high heat and let them sit briefly between stirs so they brown instead of steaming.
Yes. Flour tortillas are the usual choice for fajitas because they fold easily around the filling, but warm corn tortillas also work if you prefer their flavor or need a gluten-free option.
Mexican Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Skillet Chicken Fajitas- 35 Minute Dinner
Equipment
- Round Cast Iron Skillet - 12 Inch
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless - about 3
- 5 teaspoons fajita seasoning store bought, or homemade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion cut into thin slivers
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into slivers
- 1 large yellow bell pepper cut into slivers
- 1 large orange bell pepper cut into slivers
- 1 large poblano pepper cut into slivers
- 8 large flour tortillas burrito size
- limes cut in half
- chopped cilantro for garnish, optional
Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If making the homemade fajita seasoning blend, add the spices to a small bowl and mix them together.1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Season the chicken with half the fajita seasoning on both sides. Heat the olive oil in the skillet and cook the chicken for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until internal temp reads 165F. Transfer to a plate.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1½ lbs chicken breasts, 2 ½ teaspoons fajita seasoning
- While the chicken is cooking, slice the onion and peppers peppers into thin strips.1 large onion, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large yellow bell pepper, 1 large orange bell pepper, 1 large poblano pepper
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining fajita seasoning.2 ½ teaspoons fajita seasoning
- Saute the vegetables in the skillet until they caramelize, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the vegetables are cooking, slice the cooked chicken into thin strips.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet of caramelized onion and pepper strips. Adjust seasoning if needed, and remove from heat.
- Heat up the flour tortillas (optional) in the microwave and top with the skillet chicken fajita and vegetable mixture. Serve with limes, chopped cilantro, and guacamole.8 large flour tortillas, limes, chopped cilantro
Notes
- Preheat the skillet: Let the pan get hot before adding the chicken so it sears instead of steaming. Cast iron skillets work especially well at searing.
- Do not crowd the chicken: Cook the chicken in one layer so the outside browns properly.
- Slice the vegetables thinly: Thin pepper and onion strips cook faster and fit better inside tortillas.
- Rest before slicing: Let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes so the juices settle before you cut it into strips.
- Warm the tortillas: Warm tortillas fold better and are less likely to split when filled.
Nutrition
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