The 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 the 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 type of thing, I didn’t mess around too much with your much loved chicken fajita marinade found in this amazing grilled chicken fajita salad here.
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.
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 fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-1 teaspoon ground chili (adjust to your desired spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
- 1 1/2 pounds (650 grams) chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 3 large bell peppers (or capsicums), 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).
Annalisa says
This was so bomb! I have made fajitas a lot but these are were the BEST. So simple but so so tasty! I used thighs cuz they have more flavor. Didnt have avocado but didn’t miss em. Will be using this marinade on everything! Thank you! You are are genius!
Tarissa says
Soooo good!
Yvonne B says
Omgosh! This is the 2nd time I have made this recipe and my husband and I absolutely LOVE it! I used chicken thighs and they were moist and juicy! Easy enough to make for a crowd! Easy, Peasy and oh so good!
Lana P says
Delicious! Used a cast iron grill pan and served with charred corn tortillas and a sprinkle of cilantro. I’m sure avocado would be a great addition, but we didn’t have one and it wasn’t missed. Definitely wouldn’t skip marinating – at least let the chicken marinate while cutting up the vegetables. Lastly, the husband is sensitive to hot food so I used Kashmiri chilli powder instead of cayenne powder or pepper flakes as it’s much milder. Regular sweet paprika could be used here too if you don’t like it spicy. Thank you, Karina!
Mindy Mcjunkin says
This recipe was AMAZING!!! I used chicken breast instead of thighs, and marinated for 4hrs. then grilled it. Was absolutely ridiculously amazing
Catherine says
HOOOOLLLY SMOKES this recipe was the best!! Thank you!! the chicken thighs turned out juicy after marinating in the fridge for a little over an hour. Stuck these in the air fryer at 360 degrees for ten minutes, then flipped them over for another 5-7 and they turned out PERFECTLY. so tender. saving this recipe <3
Nelson says
This was SO yummy!!! Thank you so much for posting. I diced up chicken breasts instead of thighs. It was SO good. I didn’t marinate the chicken. FIVE STARS😁😁
Michelle L. says
Omg! This recipe is sure to put a smile on your face-especially with the quarantining going on. My son and I absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe and such easy steps.
Anu says
This was amazing . I am always hesitant trying out new recipes , but I sure am glad I tried this one cause this was loaded with flavor ! I added a bit more chilli powder and garlic when I made it . If you want to try a fajita recipe look no further , this is a winner !
Jennifer L Fowler says
I’ve made this recipe twice now…and all I can say is “OH MY GOSH!!!” It is absolutely delicious! Since I am not a fan of thighs, I made mine using two boneless skinless chicken breasts that I butterflied. Tasted AMAZING!!! Hubby and kiddos LOVED it! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!!
Michelle says
This was so delicious ious, very flavorful! I’ll be adding this to my list of recipes for dinner!!
Keith says
Thanks for the recipe. Easy to put together, tasty as heck, and earned some brownie points with my life partner!
Mark says
I’m usually very critical of my own cooking, but this recipe was over-the-top! Limited number of ingredients, easy preparation, and explosive with flavor. One of the best dishes I’ve ever made.
Quinn says
Hi Karina!
I LOVE this recipe. I am wanting to bake them in the oven on a sheet pan and I tried it last week and my chicken came out dry. What temp and time would you recommend?
Thank you!!!!
Monique Straughter says
Hello!I fix the Best Chicken Fajita today and they were delicious. I will make it again.
Stacey Heller says
I was wondering if I could use white meat chicken instead of chicken thighs?
Karina says
Absolutely!
Jenifer says
Very easy and very good I had a marinade similar to this and have lost it. I was so happy to find your recipe.I also made the black bean and rice to go along. Loving having your site on my radar!
Linda says
Best EVER – WOW followed all exactly – except I slipped with the cumin and put in about 1 tbsp. -not sure It still came out incredibly delicious. No more package MSG packs for me this marinade is amazing with only 30 minutes. Thank you for sharing this keeper!
Manuel III Vasquez says
just got your recipe from my Google feed and WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE! I’VE GOTTEN SO L accustomed to horrifically bad fajita recipes. from big names like SerioususEats , and other poularplatforms with accomplished chefs…that seem to completely mix the mark and can’t even understand the concept of fajitas in their recipes and articles. Your recipe blows them away. It feels very much like true to the originating cuisine and is one that I think any Tejano would be very proud to make at home…and some might even claim as their own family’s creation. Thanks for sharing your version with others.
Viki D says
OMGoodness…………..made these for dinner last night when I got home from work. Fantastic and they took no time to put together. They are going into my regular recipe rotation. They were so good I shared the recipe with all of my friends and pinned it so I won’t lose it. Thank you………..superb!!!!
Jalisa Miller says
This meal was easy and absolutely great!! I doubled everything due to the pack of chicken that I purchased and let the chicken marinade for a few hours while we put up Christmas decorations and it turned out soooooo tender and delicious!! My fiance and daughter were going crazy over this meal! Thank you thank you thank you!
Roro says
Oh my good grief these are delicious. Had them for our wedding anniversary dinner with champagne!!!
Amy says
Made this tonight for a family of 5, Exactly per the directions, but doubled it. Used the cilantro and avocado – OH EM GEE!! Soooo freaking delicious! Because I doubled it, I had to deglaze the pan after each batch of chicken, but worth the extra step…definitely going to be making this again! Topped with sour cream, salsa, and Tex mex cheese. Will definitely make a pico de gallo next time- I think that extra mile would be worth it. Thank you!
Clare says
These were great, the whole family loved them and I have some really picky eaters!
LIz says
just made this today, it was amazing! Works great with gluten free flatbread too! 🙂
Ruksana Williams says
I have tried this and absolutely love it. I have friends who are vegan, could I substitute the chicken for mushrooms or jackfruit? Wondering if the marinade would work well with either of them
Jill says
These were AMAZING! Soooooo moist and flavorful. For sure a keeper that I will make over and over. I couldn’t resist sprinkling a tiny bit more salt and seasoning when they were out of the marinade and into the pan. I also love to a add a bit of lime zest and a splash of juice to my sour cream. Thank you so much for this, I feel like I now have the perfect recipe!
Kimberli says
This recipe was so good! My eight year old daughter helped me cook and she is a picky eater, but she loved the chicken. I let the marinade sit for an extra 30 minutes. Love!!
Kat Daniel says
Winner winner chicken dinner. The marinade was perfect.
Larry says
Very nice. I covered the chicken in the cast iron skillet which allowed it to cook properly.
Mona says
Made this recipe just today. It was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. Also I’ve made your chili lime steak fajitas. Just soooooo good!
Thank you again!
Esther Ramadan says
Did you cut your chicken through the middle to make them thin? Yours looks a lot thinner than mine typically do.
Karina says
Hi Esther,
No I did not.
JJ says
The good stuff! Exactly like the fajitas you would get in a restaurant in So-Cal. Where I grew up it was standard to use green bell peppers and cut them and the onions into good sized squares.
Karina says
I am so glad that you enjoyed them!! They really are so good. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for following along with me! xo
Beth says
I make this recipe once a week, and I always look forward to fajita night! This recipe is sooooo good, thank you for sharing!!!!
Marilyn Schmidt says
Is there a site I can go to to print this recipe?
Karina says
Yes, please visit my site at cafedelites.com. Here is the link to this recipe for you: https://cafedelites.com/chicken-fajitas/. You can print any of my recipes from my site. Thanks for following along with me! XO
Trish says
Made this last night. Needless to say the pan was empty. Everyone loved it!! Thank you
Darla U says
LOVE THIS RECIPE!! My Boys keep begging me to make it again. Thanks so much for sharing. Also tried this with Pork not bad but the Chicken thighs was the best tasting!
Maggie Unzueta says
This dish looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now!
Beverly Chance says
I am not a good cook…at all. I decided to try cooking again here lately and found your website. This was the first recipe to try…THANK YOU! It turned out delicious, the directions were spot on, nothing confusing, I barreled right through. Thanks again.
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you tried this recipe and it worked great for you! Thank you for sharing and following along with me! XO
Diane Bernard says
Made chicken fajitas with this recipe and it was awesome! My husband owns a restaurant & is the chef and he declared this as THE BEST Mexican dish I’ve ever made! Made it exactly as you did but did add some fresh hot peppers coz th hubbly loves them! Thanks for the recipe!
ken Weaver says
I made this over the weekend and my 2 sons loved it
Laura Burton says
Can I marinate the chicken longer than 30 minutes?
Karina says
Yes, of course! YUM!
Angie says
I made this tonight for my family. Very flavorful. Very easy to make. My family loved it. Will be making again.
Karina says
YAY!! That is so exciting to hear! Thanks so much for sharing!
Debbie says
I made this tonight for my family and they loved it. I followed the directions as written. So easy and so flavorful. A crowd pleaser at my house. Will be making again and again. Thank you!
Karina says
That is awesome! Too perfect! So glad that it worked out for you! Thanks for sharing!
Sharon Hamilton says
I made the chicken fajitas last night. Soooo delicious. The marinade made the chicken truly juicy and even more tasty than I could have imagined! This recipe is going to be a frequent meal and so good I will most definitely make it for dinner guests. Thanks for the great recipe. I’m moving on to other Cafe Delites recipes FOR SURE!!!
Tymeron Smith says
YAY! Perfect! Thanks so much for your love and support! I really appreciate it!
jessica says
I love this Chicken fajitas SO much! I’ll have to give it a try one of these days thanks for sharing
Karin B says
Can you post a pic of what your ground chili bottle looks like? I have no clue what that is, but I want to! 🙂
Beverly Y says
It’s just chili powder. McCormick’s or Badia or even store brand. That’s all.