Chipotle Chicken Fajita Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis chipotle chicken fajita recipe is quick, flavorful, and unbelievably delicious – with tender chicken breast, crunchy bell peppers, and your favorite toppings! Ready in 30 minutes for the perfect easy weeknight dinner idea the whole family will love.
Cooked in a cast-iron skillet, the chicken and vegetables get perfectly browned and are loaded with flavor from the delicious herb and spice blend. I love serving these fajitas with Chipotle black beans, spiced pinto beans, and cilantro lime rice!
We love tasty chicken dinners that cook quick – and these fajitas make a wonderful midweek meal! It’s great for busy nights as start-to-finish this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to cook.
Marinating the chicken before cooking adds a ton of great flavor in each bite. Serve with your favorite toppings like guacamole, salsas, lime wedges, and a side of beans and rice.
This Chipotle Chicken Fajita Recipe Is
- Bright
- Smoky
- Spicy
- Easy to Make
- Flavorful
- Made with Simple Ingredients
- Marinated with a Chipotle Spice Blend
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
Chicken is an inexpensive protein, and tastes wonderful in these fajitas. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chicken strips, but you can use pre-cut strips or even chicken thighs if desired.
Onions
I used a mix of both a sweet yellow onion and a red onion for my fajitas – just to add a little color and flavor! You can use your favorite kind of onions, the sweeter the better (like Vidalia).
Peppers
I used a combo of one yellow pepper, and one red bell pepper- again for color and a little flavor variety. You can use green bell pepper, or orange too! I had fresh on hand, but you could also use frozen pepper strips which you can find at the grocery store too for convenience.
I also used canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, a smoky, flavorful chili pepper that make amazing fajitas! Add the can of chipotle peppers in with the marinade, for delicious, spicy flavors in every bite. Or use chipotle powder if desired.
Herbs & Spices
I made a homemade mix of chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt and black pepper, and smoked paprika – and it was delicious. I marinated the chicken in the spices, and used the marinade again for the vegetables.
For fresh herbs, I love loading up fresh cilantro on my fajitas. If you don’t like cilantro (personal preference!), try parsley for that delicious fresh herb flavor.
Fresh Lime Juice
A key ingredient in the fajita marinade! I add fresh lime juice to the chicken marinade, and again serve the fajitas with a wedge of lime for garnish. Or use fresh lime zest if desired!
You could substitute fresh lemon juice in a pinch, but skip the bottled juice! Fresh definitely makes a difference.
Fajita Toppings
These fajitas are good enough as-is, but my favorite part of fajitas and tacos are the toppings! I used onions, fresh herbs, and avocados.
Other toppings that would be delicious are: sliced jalapenos, fire roasted corn salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, lettuce, tomatoes, or cabbage!
Great Fajita Shell Options
You can use either corn tortillas or white flour tortillas, any variety you prefer! Or skip the tortilla and enjoy the chipotle chicken and veggies in chicken fajita bowls with cilantro lime rice. There are some great varieties of taco & fajita shell options out there.
- Lettuce Wraps – I like using romaine hearts or butter lettuce as taco wraps in a pinch. Or shred lettuce and make a salad or lighter chicken bowl!
- Soft Corn Tortillas – these are my favorite, and widely available in grocery stores.
- Hard Shell Corn Tortillas – If you love hard shell tacos, there are some options available in stores.
- Mission Zero Carb Flour Tortillas – for a lower carbohydrate option!
- Tortilla chips – serve chicken or fajita vegetables over regular tortilla chips can turn taco night into nacho night!
How To Make This Recipe
- Marinate the chicken: To a large freezer bag, add the chicken strips, chipotle chiles with adobo sauce, olive oil, lime juice, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well so the chicken is coated evenly in the spice mixture. Seal bag and marinate for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Remove the marinated chicken from the marinade (save the marinade for step 4), and place the chicken in an even layer in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until chicken begins to brown, then flip the chicken and cook it on the other side for 4-5 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once chicken has finished cooking, remove from skillet, and set aside in a bowl.
- To the skillet, add the chopped onions, bell peppers, and the marinade. Cook for 7-8 minutes over medium high heat, until the vegetables begin to soften and brown.
- Add the chicken back into the pan with the vegetables, and cook for 4-5 more minutes until chicken and vegetables are hot.
- To make your fajitas, warm tortillas in the oven. Add 1/3 cup of chicken and vegetables to each tortilla. And add your favorite toppings: I used pickled red onions, cilantro, avocado, and pico de gallo salsa.
- Store leftovers fajita chicken and vegetables in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
More Modern Chicken Dinner Ideas You May Enjoy
- Creamy Jerk Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Paprikash Soup
- Chicken Dopiaza Recipe, Indian Curry With Onions
- Copycat Bahama Breeze Chicken with Cilantro Crema
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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Chipotle Chicken Fajitas
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Ziplock Bag
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 6-ounce can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
- 2 limes plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bell peppers sliced
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 8 tortillas hard or soft shell
- Toppings to garnish pico de gallo salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, green onion, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: To a large freezer bag, add the chicken strips, chipotle chiles with adobo sauce, olive oil, lime juice, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well so the chicken is coated evenly in the spice mixture. Seal bag and marinate for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Remove the marinated chicken from the marinade (save the marinade for step 4), and place the chicken in an even layer in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until chicken begins to brown, then flip the chicken and cook it on the other side for 4-5 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once chicken has finished cooking, remove from skillet, and set aside in a bowl.
- To the skillet, add the chopped onions, bell peppers, and the marinade. Cook for 7-8 minutes over medium high heat, until the vegetables begin to soften and brown.
- Add the chicken back into the pan with the vegetables, and cook for 4-5 more minutes until chicken and vegetables are hot.
- To make your fajitas, warm tortillas in the oven. Add 1/3 cup of chicken and vegetables to each tortilla. And add your favorite toppings: I used red onions, cilantro, avocado, and pico de gallo salsa.
- Store leftovers fajita chicken and vegetables in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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A great meal
Love those Fajitas.
We use chicken so often. This is a great tasting way to change it ip
Tastier than at our nearest Mexican restaurant, tastes great