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A cast iron skillet containing chicken fajitas beside a pink linen napkin, a bowl of sour cream, tortilla, and a stack of plates.
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Chicken Fajitas

The perfect weeknight meal, these Chicken Fajitas only take 30 minutes to cook! Perfectly seared chicken with bell peppers and onions all made in one pan!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 671kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 2 lime
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 to 3 pieces
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 3 bell peppers seeded and sliced into strips

To serve

  • tortillas
  • sour cream
  • lime wedges

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of oil and the zest and juice of the limes. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and black pepper. Stir to form a paste. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat.
  • Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and let rest.
  • Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
  • While peppers cook, slice the chicken breasts into thin strips. Stir the chicken into the vegetable mixture. (If your chicken was undercooked when sliced, cook for a few minutes.) Remove from the heat and serve immediately with tortillas and toppings.

Video

Notes

  • If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them to even thickness, so they cook in the same amount of time. If the chicken breast is too thick in the middle, it leads to an overcooked exterior by the time the interior cooks through.
  • I like the sear that I get by using a cast-iron skillet. If you do not have one, you can use a stainless steel pan or a non-stick skillet.
  • If you have a smaller skillet, cook the fajitas in batches. You want to avoid overcrowding the skillet for the best sear.
  • When adding the chicken breasts to the pan, don’t move them around as the chicken will stick. Once the chicken’s seared, it will release from the pan, and you can flip the breast without it sticking to the pan and tearing.
  • If you’re unsure if the chicken’s cooked, use a meat thermometer. The chicken should be 165F.
  • Try to slice the bell peppers as evenly as possible so they’ll cook through at the same time.
  • If you’re not a fan of tortillas, you can serve the chicken fajitas as a lettuce wrap.

Nutrition

Calories: 671kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1257mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3597IU | Vitamin C: 134mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 5mg