These BEST Chicken Fajitas are so quick to throw together. Chicken gets marinated in the best juicy lime marinade, then seared for that unmistakeable crisp-charred outer edge!
Serve with onions and colourful bell pepper strips and traditional corn tortillas (or flour tortillas) for the best dinner in minutes. OR wrap them in a lettuce leaf for a low carb option. These are the Best Chicken Fajitas and they are so versatile!
BEST CHICKEN FAJITAS
Chicken Fajitas would have to be one of the easiest recipes out there, BUT people (used to be me) usually opt to buy seasoning in a packet from the supermarket. Well, these chicken fajitas hit those packets over the head a million times over. Why buy it when you can make it SO MUCH BETTER yourself with just a handful of ingredients, and maybe only 3 extra minutes added to your prep time?
CHICKEN FAJITA MARINADE
My marinade base consists of 5 ingredients. ONLY 5.
- Lime juice (freshly squeezed is best)
- Cumin
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Chili (you can use crushed red pepper flakes or ground chili)
From here, you can add as much salt and pepper as you wish, finely chopped cilantro, dried oregano, whatever you have on hand. SO MUCH BETTER than a dry rub! You’re guaranteed tender, juicy chicken just from the addition of tangy lime juice.
CHICKEN BREAST OR THIGHS
This one is personal preference, although my favourite option is chicken thighs. You can’t beat naturally juicy thigh strips in a tortilla wrap. Having said that, my husband is all for chicken breasts and isn’t that the beauty of cooking! There’s no right or wrong. Charred edges can absolutely be achieved with both cuts.
Cast iron skillet or pan
A cast iron skillet is what I use for the best sear. To use cast iron, make sure you’ve seasoned it properly first to avoid the meat sticking on the base. HOWEVER, if you don’t own a cast iron, you can most certainly use a nonstick pan. Just get your pans hot first before adding your chicken.
Add your thighs in whole and cook them until they are completely cooked through. Allow them to rest, then slice. THIS guarantees the juiciest chicken thigh strips EVER. Cooking them as strips won’t give you an incredibly juicy result.
I choose three different coloured red bell peppers (or capsicums) to get the best visual impact of seeing fajitas on a plate. You can also add orange or use whatever colours you can find in your store.
You guys have so far loved my take on some incredibly crispy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork), not to mention these popular Chili Lime Steak Fajitas. Being a big believer of “if you’re onto something REALLY good, why change it?” I didn’t mess around too much with your much loved chicken fajita marinade found in this amazing grilled chicken fajita salad.
There you have it. The most juiciest, tender chicken strips with charred golden crusts and crunchy outer edges. Perfectly seared. Amazingly juicy.
Since I serve our fajitas straight from the skillet onto the table with a buffet of fajita additions, I add avocado slices to the pan just to slightly heat them up a tiny little bit. You could choose to serve this as a scrumptious Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowl to avoid too many hungry hands!
Best toppings to serve with chicken fajitas
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Pico De Gallo
- Cheese (I use a Mexican blend, but you can use Cheddar, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack
- Black Beans & Rice
MORE RECIPES
Carne Asada
Crispy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork)
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Best Chicken fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 clove garlic large, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½-1 teaspoon ground chili adjust to your desired spice preference
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped, optional
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 3 large bell peppers cut into strips, I use green, red and yellow
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 2 avocados peeled, seeded and sliced
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl, combine lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, chili and cilantro; mix together. Add the chicken thighs and If time allows, let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet or pan (12-inch | 30cm) on medium-high heat until smoking. Add a drizzle of olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, charred and cooked right through (about 8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets). Flip them a couple of times while cooking so they get a nice even char.Transfer chicken to a warm plate, loosely tent with foil and let rest.
- Add the peppers and onions to the skillet (drizzle with a little extra oil only if needed), and cook until the onion is soft and the peppers are slightly charred and cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice chicken into strips.Serve with warmed tortillas, chopped cilantro and sliced avocado (plus your desired fillings).
Casey says
Could I make this with steak and shrimp as well? It is so delicious with the chicken!
teachermrw says
The fajitas were very tasty. In fact, this is perhaps the best recipe for home-cooked chicken fajitas I have prepared. The lime juice-based marinade is a unique aspect of the recipe; many fajita recipes don’t include a marinade. I used chipotle chili, which made. the fajitas a bit spicy, yet still yummy. I also used oregano in place of cilantro; I am not fond of cilantro. I will be preparing this again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Teri H says
These fajitas were SO FLIPPIN’ GOOD!! I’ve been struggling lately to make good fajitas so I found and tried this recipe last night and this will now be my go-to recipe. I had the time, so I marinated the chicken and like another reviewer did, I cooked the chicken in the air fryer and the onions and peppers in a pan with the rest of the marinade. Absolutely delicious!!
Miri says
These are stellar! I copied another commenter by cooking the chicken in my air fryer and cooked the veggies while it was in there. Everything came together perfectly! This will be part of my regular rotation now. Thank you as always!
Karina says
Hi Miri, I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked out so well for you in the air fryer! Cooking the chicken and veggies together is a fantastic time-saving idea. I’m honored to be part of your regular rotation now. Thank you for your kind words, and happy cooking!
Liesa B says
Great as written without any salt. I always add a little cornstarch to velvet the chicken. Everyone put it together the way they like and it made a great spread. Thank you
Karina says
Hi Liesa, I’m delighted to hear that you found the recipe great as written, and your addition of cornstarch for velveting the chicken is a fantastic touch. It’s wonderful that everyone could customize it to their liking and create a great spread. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I’m glad you enjoyed it! If you ever try more recipes or have questions, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking!
Jenny says
Thanks for the great recipe. No need to search for another. My guy and I love it.
Claire Mary Jenkins says
I couldn’t believe how simple this was and so flavourful! These are literally the best chicken fajitas. The meat is so succulent. This was a big favourite with all the family. None of your dishes ever disappoint, Karina!
Yvonne Grace says
I made this last night for a Cinco de Mayo dinner party. It was delicious. I had to use chipotle chili since I didn’t have regular chili. I will definitely make this again, thank you!
Abu Bokkar Siddik says
Hello I like the food of this restaurant and my favorite food is fish soup.
BillyRyan says
Best fajita recipe!!
Fast, easy, delicious!
I will definitely make it again~