Easy Chicken Fajita Pasta

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Delicious Chicken Fajita Pasta featuring Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta. Chicken breast added to onion, bell peppers and garlic, then seasoned with a pack of fajita mix. This creamy chicken fajitas pasta sauce tastes amazing and what make this recipe even better it that it’s fast, easy to cook, and affordable. Making this a perfect pasta dish for busy weeknight dinners.

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Easy Chicken Fajita Pasta

I have to tell you. My family was really hesitant to try this Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe. For whatever reason, they did not think the combination of Chicken Fajita Ingredients and Pasta would be a good combination.

However, I saw this dish at a party not too long ago, and all of the people in attendance were raving about it, so I put it on my list of recipes to try.

Once my family tasted my Creamy Fajitas Chicken Pasta they were hooked, and I’ve been asked to cook this recipe regularly ever since.

We love eating pasta in our home, and I usually make 2-3 pasta dishes per week, so it’s a staple in our pantry. I am also a big fan of Stop & Shop Grocery stores, and this past week, they had Barilla pasta on sale, so I stocked up on several varieties.

Make sure you grab some of the New Barilla Pronto Pasta next time you shop at Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores, or Martin’s Food Markets. Barilla Pronto Pasta is also available through Peapod! It’s a great quick pasta option for those busy weeknights as there’s no need to precook the pasta first!

How to make my Easy Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe:

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• Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
• When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and add 1/2 a packed of chicken fajita seasoning.
• Stir the chicken around until it is fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

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• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on medium high.
• When the oil is hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining 1/2 fajita seasoning packet.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies are cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
• Add minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

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• In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked Barilla Pronto pasta, and salt.
• Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

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• Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet with the pasta and stir to combine until heated through, about 4 minutes.
• Serve the pasta, topping it with some shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, if desired. Also consider serving with this delicious prickly pear margarita, it would be a delightful cocktail to enjoy with your meal!

Recipe ingredients & substitutions:

• OIL: I use olive oil as it has the best flavor but you can use any other variety of light flavored oil
• CHICKEN: I cooked this recipe using boneless and skinless chicken breasts, that had been sliced into bite-size pieces. You could also use chicken thighs. Or next time I might even substitute the chicken for beef steak, just to change it up a bit!
• FAJITA SEASONING: I use a packet of fajita seasoning, you can use any variety.
• VEGETABLES: I add sliced onions, sliced peppers and minced garlic to the pasta sauce.
• BROTH: A can of chicken broth is added to the pasta sauce.
• CREAM: The creamy element to this pasta sauce comes from heavy cream. You could also use cream cheese if you don’t have heavy cream, you might just need to loosen the sauce a little with some extra chicken broth.
• TOMATOES: I use a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles for extra flavor. If you don’t want it too hot just use regular diced tomatoes.
• PASTA: I have used Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta for ease (see why below). But you can use any variety of pasta that your family enjoy eating and it can be gluten free or regular. Fettuccine, spaghetti, shells, farfalle or fusilli would all work in this dish so use what you have in the larder. You will just have to cook the pasta first before adding to the sauce and that will result in a longer cook time.
• TOPPINGS: Toppings are entirely optional. I like to top my pasta with shredded cheese sour cream, and guacamole, but have included some more suggestions later in the post.

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What is the best pasta to use in this recipe?

If you haven’t tried the Pronto Pasta from Barilla, I highly recommend it. It features one pan preparation (as seen in this recipe), you do not have to wait for the water or liquid to boil before you add the pasta, and best of all, you do not have to drain the pasta water before adding it to a recipe!

This is such a great feature for those of us whose weeknights are packed with kids activities, PTO meetings, etc. I adapted the recipe my friend gave me to work with the Pronto Pasta, and it took 15 minutes off the cook time since I didn’t have to wait for the water to boil, pasta to cook, and then add to the dish.

Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta toppings:

You can finish this easy pasta dish with a whole variety of toppings. Here are some of my favorites:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• guacamole or chopped avocado
• tomato salsa
• freshly chopped green onion
• charred corn
• pickled jalapenos
• freshly chopped cilantro

What to serve with Chicken Fajitas Pasta:

This is a hearty and filling bowl of pasta, so I keep any side dishes simple. A green salad or tomato salad would work a treat and there is always room for some garlic bread of crusty bread on the table.

If you would like to keep the Mexican theme going then my Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or my Mexican Street Corn Salad would make great tasting side options too.

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FAQs:

How to store leftover Chicken Fajita Pasta?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, heat up gently on the stove or pop into the microwave for a couple of minutes. Add a little water or chicken broth to loosen the sauce if it needs it.

Can I freeze Chicken Fajita Pasta?

This is a great dish to batch cook. Make double the quantity, enjoy some now and freeze the second batch to enjoy at a later date. Once cooked allow the pasta to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

When ready to enjoy defrost thoroughly and heat up gently to warm through, adding a little water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick. Finish with a topping of shredded cheddar cheese and some sliced green onions to freshen it up.

Can this Easy Chicken Fajita Pasta dish be made ahead of time?

As this pasta dish can be cooked and on the table in 30 minutes I like to make it fresh. However, we all have those days when we need to get ahead of the game. So I recommend preparing the veggies and chicken earlier in the day and storing everything in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to start cooking.

Can I use pre-sliced vegetables in this pasta dish?

Yes, absolutely. I was able to get pre-sliced vegetables on sale with a coupon for less than I would’ve paid for whole vegetables. The combination of pre-sliced vegetables and Barilla Pronto Pasta that doesn’t require pre-cooking and draining saves me so much time on busy weeknights!

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Don’t miss these other delicious Mexican inspired recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Mexican Lasagna
• Taco Pie
• Taco Stuffed Avocados
• Keto Cheese Shell Taco Cups
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Beef and Bean Burritos
• Taco Pasta Bake

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Yield: 6

Chicken Fajita Pasta

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 envelope fajita seasoning
• 2 cups each sliced onions and peppers
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 (14-oz) can chicken broth
• 1- pint heavy cream
• 1 (10-ocan Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 8 oz (about 3 cuppenne pasta
• ½ teaspoon salt
• *Top with shredded cheese sour cream, and guacamole, if desired when serving.

Instructions

Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and add 1/2 of the Chicken Fajita Seasoning Packet. Stir the chicken around until it is fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on medium high. When the oil is hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining 1/2 fajita seasoning packet. Cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies are cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked Barilla Pronto pasta, and salt.

Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet with the pasta and stir to combine until heated through, about 4 minutes.

*Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, if desired when serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 569mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g

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!

These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe:

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