Easy Chicken Fajitas

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The BEST Quick, Easy, & Budget Friendly Chicken Fajitas Recipe the whole family will love!

Easy Chicken FajitasEasy Chicken Fajitas

One of our favorite dishes to eat on Tuesdays is Easy Chicken Fajitas.

 Why on Tuesdays?

My kids consider every Tuesday to be Taco Tuesday.

We don’t necessarily have to eat TACOS, but we do eat some type of Mexican Dish!

I love that this is such a quick, easy, healthy dinner that I can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.

This recipe calls for chicken breasts, pepper slices, and onion slices that are tossed in an easy homemade seasoning then piled on tortillas, but you could easily swap the chicken out for your favorite protein – steak works great!

When preparing the ingredients for this recipe, fresh is best. BUT, you can often find pre-sliced chicken at the meat counter and pre-sliced vegetables in the produce section.

Frozen works well too, when you’re really in a time pinch.

Easy Chicken Fajitas

HOW TO PREPARE CHICKEN FAJITA INGREDIENTS:

As I mentioned earlier, you CAN buy many ingredients already prepared for you, but it is typically more budget friendly to buy whole ingredients and prepare them yourself at home. 

*BUDGET FRIENDLY TIME SAVER IDEA*

If Chicken Fajitas ( or Steak Fajitas, Shrimp Fajitas, etc) are in regular rotation on your menu plan, be sure to watch sales ads and purchase ingredients when they are on sale. ALL of these freeze well! Just buy on sale, bring home, and pre-slice them. Place in an airtight freezer safe container, label with contents and date, then pop in the freezer. When you’re ready to make them (ideally the night before) move the container to your refrigerator to unthaw. At meal time, you just toss in a heated skillet and cook! 

CHICKEN: When purchasing chicken for fajitas, I typically buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Our local supermarket runs them on sale for $0.99/lb about once a quarter, so I stock up! I pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up before I begin slicing. Next, I trim each breast, then slice into thin horizontal strips. If the breast is thick, you may need to pound it flatter or slice the thickness in half before you begin your horizontal slices. Thinner, narrower strips cook faster!

PEPPERS: You can use any combination of bell pepper colors. They are not all the same price at our supermarket, so I tend to purchase whichever color is on sale. If I’m buying ahead, I’ll purchase the individual colors when they’re on sale, slice thin, then place in an airtight container, label with contents and date, then freeze them. When I’m ready to make fajitas, I can just remove the quantity I need.

ONIONS: Yellow, sweet onions tend to work best. We prefer Vidalia Onions when in season. I like to stock up when I can, slice them, then freeze them to use later, when not in season 🙂 Otherwise, I just buy yellow onions and slice thinly. If you don’t enjoy the “bite” of an onions flavor, soak them in cold water after slicing (if using fresh) to help reduce the bite. If I’m using frozen onion slices, I’ll add some water to the frozen bag when I place it in the fridge. They can soak as they unthaw.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS:

Assemble all ingredients (NOT the tortillas…) together in a gallon size ziplock bag the night before cooking. Add the marinade to the bag and let it soak in. The next night, you’ll just need to pour into a hot skillet and cook! 

For a lower carb option, consider making this Chicken Fajita Salad! All the flavors you love in a fajita without the tortilla!

WHAT TOPPINGS DO YOU USE FOR FAJITAS: 

There are a multitude of toppings you can add to fajitas, depending on your preferences! Some ideas are:

  • Shredded Cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar)
  • Sour Cream
  • Guacamole
  • Queso (available in dairy aisle)
  • Salsa
  • Pico de gallo

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN FAJITAS:

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store tortillas separately. They should be good for 3-5 days when properly stored.

HOW TO REHEAT CHICKEN FAJITAS:

It is only safe to reheat leftover chicken once. The chicken and vegetables may be reheated in the microwave, a skillet, or the oven, until the desired temperature is reached. I typically reheat in a skillet, it only takes a few minutes and it’s easy to keep an eye on them. I reheat tortillas in a separate hot skillet for just a few seconds, until warm.
 

HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CHICKEN FAJITAS:

Place leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. Clearly label the container with the date and contents inside. When properly stored, chicken fajitas should freeze for up to 3 months. 
 

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN FAJITA INGREDIENTS TO COOK LATER:

As  I mentioned earlier, ingredients can be purchased on sale and frozen separately. If purchasing the ingredients at the same time, just prepare them all (slice thinly) then combine in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Seal, label with date and contents, and store in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to prepare, move to the refrigerator the night before so it can unthaw, then transfer to a hot skillet to cook as directed.

 

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Yield: 6

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Easy Chicken Fajitas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 lime
  • 3 bell peppers red, yellow, green or orange
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Slice onion and peppers into strips.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1 lime, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, pepper, cumin and salt.
On a cutting board, slice chicken into strips
In your mixing bowl, combine the chicken slices, onions, and peppers with the spice mixture.
In your skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.
Add 1/2 of the chicken and vegetable mixture and cook until chicken is done, onions are clear, and peppers are soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Repeat with remaining chicken and vegetable mixture.
Serve over tortillas with toppings of your choice, such as sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, etc.
Refried Beans and Mexican Rice make great side dishes!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below & if you recreate this recipe, be sure to share a photo on Instagram. Tag me @when.is.dinner and hashtag #whenisdinner!

© Karen Puleski
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Chicken
Easy Chicken Fajitas

Don’t miss these additional delicious Mexican Food Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

Originally Published 3/9/2013. 

I am an Austin, TX stay at home, blogging mom of three grown children. Cancer Survivor. I love to cook, bake, read, craft, and spend time with my children.

Friendly & Kind comments welcome. This is a positive environment. Recipe Ratings Appreciated!

41 Comments

  2. I don’t get the fajitas at the Mexican place we go to because they’re so expensive. This recipe is a WIN-WIN.

  5. This is definitely not an economy meal, but it is. I love it! I cannot wait to make these savory treats.

  6. I’ve been married over 40 years and we’ve been eating Mexican food since college. Not only is it affordable but it i our favorite food to eat.

  8. These look really good and very simple. I will have to try this recipe for dinner one night.

  11. This looks like such a great dinner and economical too. Going to add this to my weekly menu plan.

  15. I think I would really like these. I’ll have to get the fixins when I go to the grocery this week. The $1.50 cost is awesome too

  19. Impressive cost cutting family meal definitely added to my must try list. I put the ingredients on this week’s shopping list.

  20. We are always looking for new dishes to make. Our meal plan seems to get a little boring every now and then. I am loving that is only costs $1.50 per serving!

  22. This looks good, except for the guacamole. I have tried so hard to like it, but I just can’t get past the texture.

  23. This looks like a really good meal. I love how easy it is to make and how inexpensive it is!

  24. Great savings! I was thinking tacos but maybe we’ll have to join you in fajitas! They look so good!

  26. These look super good. Hey when you have a coupon use it, I say and you go a great deal.
    Fajitas are always a favorite here, we cant go wrong with them. I usually use beef, but chicken is good too, I like the convenience of fajitas!

  28. That sounds great, sounds like supper to me – I just wish you could buy smaller amounts of pre-mixed Guac as I am the only one who eats it in my family it goes bad when I make a little batch as I can’t eat it all.

    M

  30. Chicken Fajitas are a great meal option. Everyone can fix their fajita just the way they want them.

  31. Yummy and easy. Thanks for sharing and showing how to great a great deal too.

  32. UGH. These look DELICIOUS. My son is allergic to milk though, so no sour cream or cheese for us. Bummer.

  34. I love Mexican food! Love it! So happy to have found an another affordable recipe!

    Cheers,
    Julia
    It’s Always Ruetten

  35. I hope you enjoy them, I had no idea my kids would be so crazy about them! They’re asking for them nightly now 🙂

  36. woo! you just solved my dinner trouble. I love mexican food but i’ve always been a little nervous doing fajitas. you make it look really simple and inexpensive! which is really important for me.

  37. Too funny that I’d read this post today, we’re having chicken fajitas for dinner tonight! Mexican meals are my favorite, they’re filling – you can make them fairly healthy, too.

  40. My husband loves fajitas & we have Mexican food at least once a week. It’s very affordable and filling.

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