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These Chicken Fajitas are everything you want in a weeknight dinner: fast, flavorful, and endlessly customizable. Juicy chicken is soaked in the best chicken fajitas marinade made with fresh lime, garlic, and spices, then seared to perfection for that crisp-charred edge you can’t resist.
Pile them high with tender onions and colorful bell peppers, then tuck them into warm corn or flour tortillas for the best chicken fajitas you’ll ever make. Craving a lighter bite? Wrap them in crisp lettuce leaves for an easy chicken fajitas recipe that’s naturally low carb.
What Makes These Chicken Fajitas Work
What makes these Chicken Fajitas so good is the perfect mix of flavor and speed. The chicken fajitas marinade with lime juice, olive oil, garlic and spices keeps the chicken juicy and full of smoky zest. Cooking in a hot skillet gives it a crisp char while the onions and peppers turn sweet and tender.
This easy chicken fajitas recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and tastes like your favorite Mexican restaurant. Serve in tortillas, over rice or in lettuce wraps for the best chicken fajitas any night of the week.
What Goes Into These Chicken Fajitas
A few fresh ingredients and pantry staples come together to make the most flavorful Chicken Fajitas. The marinade adds bright, zesty notes, while the vegetables bring color and sweetness to every bite.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime brightens the marinade and tenderizes the chicken.
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy and flavorful after cooking.
- Bell Peppers: A mix of green, red and yellow peppers adds sweetness, crunch and vibrant color.
- Red Onion: Thinly sliced for a hint of sharpness that softens as it cooks.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Chicken Fajitas
- Make the Marinade: In a bowl, mix lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder and cilantro. Add the chicken and coat well.
- Heat the Pan: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and lightly smoking. Drizzle in a little oil to coat the bottom.
- Cook the Chicken: Sear the chicken on both sides until golden and cooked through. Turn a few times for an even char.
- Rest the Chicken: Transfer the chicken to a warm plate and loosely cover with foil. Let it rest while you cook the vegetables.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add bell peppers and onion to the same skillet. Cook until softened and slightly charred, then season with salt and pepper.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice the rested chicken into strips. Serve with warm tortillas, avocado slices, cilantro and any other favorite fillings.
Serve your Chicken Fajitas with Cheesy Bacon Bolognese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for a hearty side, Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad for something fresh, and Nutella Stuffed Churro French Toast to end the meal on a sweet note.
Recipe FAQ’s
This one is personal preference, although my favorite is chicken thighs for their natural juiciness in a tortilla wrap. That’s the beauty of cooking—there’s no right or wrong. You can get those crisp charred edges with both cuts.
A cast iron skillet is my go-to for the best sear, as long as it’s seasoned well to prevent sticking. If you don’t have one, a heavy nonstick pan works too, just make sure it’s hot before adding the chicken.
For the juiciest chicken strips, cook the thighs whole until done, let them rest, then slice. Cutting them before cooking won’t lock in as much moisture.
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.
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Hands down the very best fajitas I have ever made!!! You nailed it with this recipe. Based on this alone I will be subscribing to your posts and exploring your recipes. Thank you so much for elevating my cooking.
This is a tasty recipe, but it takes WAY LONGER than the 15 minutes described to cook. Even your instructions say to sear the chicken 8 mins on both sides… well that’s 16 mins before the peppers and onions get seared. Those veggies take a little while as well. Might want to update the time.
The best chicken fajitas recipe ever!!!!! Thank you!
I made this with chicken breast cutlets, marinated for 2 hours. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
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!
Absolutely the best chicken fajitas I’ve EVER had!
Soooo good!
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!
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!
This recipe was AMAZING!!! I used chicken breast instead of thighs, and marinated for 4hrs. then grilled it. Was absolutely ridiculously amazing
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