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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
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Best Chicken fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 clove garlic large, 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 cilantro chopped, optional
- 1 1/2 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).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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😁😁
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.
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 !
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!!
This was so delicious ious, very flavorful! I’ll be adding this to my list of recipes for dinner!!
Thanks for the recipe. Easy to put together, tasty as heck, and earned some brownie points with my life partner!
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.
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!!!!
In case you’re still wondering … 🙂 I like to chop the chicken thighs into large bit size pieces, marinate, and then broil in my oven on highest rack for approx 10 mins. Watch it closely, as the time can vary between 8 and 13 ish minutes. This method is quick and gives a delightful grill-like quality.
Hello!I fix the Best Chicken Fajita today and they were delicious. I will make it again.
I was wondering if I could use white meat chicken instead of chicken thighs?
Absolutely!
Do you mean BREASTS?
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!