These easy chicken fajitas are an excellent weeknight meal – full of flavor and simple to make. This classic Mexican recipe consists of grilled chicken that has been marinated in a spicy and tangy marinade, with caramelized onions and bell peppers / capsicum. Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
What to serve with chicken fajitas?
The classic chicken fajita combination is with tortilla wraps, sour cream, lime wedges and sliced avocado. However, you can change the sides based on what you like, as well as what’s available. For instance, I know lime wedges are the traditional accompaniment for chicken fajitas, but they weren’t available in Pakistan, and now even when I see them in the market I still get lemon.
Some other toppings and sides that would go great with chicken fajitas are sriracha sauce, shredded cheese, guacamole (check out recipe here), tomato salsa, pico de gallo and chopped coriander / cilantro. With so many options for customization, you can actually create a fajita bar for dinner or for a party where you can set out all the options, and people can create their own fajitas.
Chicken fajitas also make excellent leftovers – use them in wraps or sandwiches, make a fajita salad with some salad greens, black beans, corn and avocado, or make a fajita bowl with rice, black beans, corn and avocado. Endless flavor combinations!
How to make these easy chicken fajitas?
The prep and cook time for these chicken fajitas is super quick and can be done in around 30 minutes.
Marinate the chicken: Start with marinating the chicken in spices, and lemon juice. Though it is possible to cook the chicken right away, it is best to let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least an hour up to 24 hours.
Cook the chicken: Heat oil a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Sear the chicken and cook on medium heat till done. It’s best to use a cast iron pan for the fajitas but if not available another pan can be used. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Sauté the bell peppers / capsicums and onions: Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Don’t remove those charred bits from the chicken spices as they will only add more flavor to the vegetables. Add the sliced onions and bell peppers / capsicums, and sauté them on medium heat till caramelized. Remove and set aside.
Serve the chicken fajitas: Place the chicken, bell peppers / capsicums and onions on a platter. Warm up some tortillas, dish out some sour cream and cut up some lemon wedges. Place the vegetables and chicken in the middle of the tortilla, and top with your preferred condiments and sides. Fold and enjoy. I also like to serve some chili sauce (Sriracha is my favorite) for an added kick of heat.
Looking for more dinner inspiration - check out the following recipes.
- Rissoles - Australian ground mince patties
- Chicken Quesadillas
- White Sauce Pasta w/ Garlic Mushrooms and Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Shepherd's Pie
- Chicken Paprika Stroganoff
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Easy chicken fajitas
Ingredients
For the fajita marinade:
- ¼ cup / 65 ml lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder or ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 500 g / 1.2 pounds chicken breasts about 2 large, sliced
For the fajita wraps:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 small capsicums / bell peppers, deseeded and sliced if possible, use a mix of colors (red, yellow and green) otherwise whatever is available
- 1 large onion halved and sliced thickly
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
To serve:
- 8 – 10 small tortillas or wraps
- Sour cream
- Fresh lemon wedges
- Sriracha Sauce
Instructions
For the fajita marinade:
- Place the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add sliced chicken and marinate for 1 hour in the fridge or overnight.
For the fajita wraps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy based (cast iron is best, otherwise use whatever is availablskillet or frying pan on medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until caramelized. Turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes till done. Remove to a plate and set aside. In case you are using chicken breast, let rest for a few minutes and then slice thinly. Chicken breast would require a few additional minutes to cook versus sliced chicken.
- In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil on medium high heat and add the vegetables. Add salt, black pepper and red chili flakes. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes till caramelized. Remove the vegetables onto a plate.
To serve:
- Set the chicken, onion and bell peppers / capsicum on a platter.
- Warm the tortillas on a tawa, frying pan, or sandwich press.
- Top the tortilla with bell peppers / capsicum and onions. Top with the sliced chicken.
- Drizzle with sour cream, squeeze over some lemon juice and finally top with some sriracha sauce if you like a bit of kick.
- Fold, and enjoy.
Notes
Tastes just like the fajitas that I had at a Mexican restaurant 2 years ago.