How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

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This easy and healthy, 30-minute, one-pan Best Easy Chicken Fajitas meal makes the perfect quick weeknight dinner! Customize with your favorite toppings and fillings!

If you love one-pan skillet meals (and I’m pretty sure you do) then you’re also going to love my Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet, this One Pan Skillet Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Asparagus, and this One Pan Shrimp and Asparagus

How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

Fajitas are the best are they not? I know I talk the taco talk a lot, and I might also really like Mexican food. Heck, I even get a kick out of fajitas. But this dish is all the best things about tacos, Mexican food, and fajitas and all put together in one pan like a magic dinner show. 

It’s also a great dish if you have any tiny humans running around in your house. It’s easy to pick out things they won’t eat (or easy for them to pick out and throw on the floor the things they don’t want). And for older kids, they enjoy putting together their own meal — filling up a tortilla with the peppers, chicken, and then of course all the fun toppings. (Because toppings are, frankly, the best part of any dish, ever.)

How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

How do You Make Chicken Fajitas?

Making chicken fajitas is a breeze! The first thing I like to do when making any dish is the prep work. I slice my chicken, peppers, and onions into similar-sized strips. This allows for more even cooking, for easy layering in your fajita, and of course, for easy extraction for those tiny hands. (That’s not a reason I love, but I can’t deny it’s a reason all the same!)

Next, I add oil to a large skillet (a dutch oven or wok would work too) set over medium heat. I let the oil heat up for about 30 quick little seconds, then add in the chicken and veggies all together. I add the spices over the top and stir it together until it’s all coated thoroughly. Cook the meat and veggies for about 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. 

I take the whole pan, ingredients and all, off the burner and drizzle the dish with lime juice before serving. I like to serve this dish hot — so I recommend you serve it right away with fresh tortillas and all the toppings you love! 

How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

What Toppings Go with Chicken Fajitas?

Wondering what you should add to your fajitas to really take them to the next level? I’ve got you covered. I am the queen of toppings, garnishes, and add-ins. In no particular order, these are a few of my favorite fajita toppings: 

  • Cheese (queso fresco, cheddar, and Monterey jack are all good with Mexican food)
  • Salsa
  • Cilantro
  • Black olives
  • Sour cream (or use plain Greek yogurt if you’re cutting calories and fat)
  • Hot sauce
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Guacamole 
  • Pickled red onions
  • Pickled jalapeno (or fresh if you’re daring)
  • Beans (if you don’t want to serve beans on the side, I say pile ’em on as a topping!) 
  • Refried beans 
  • Shredded lettuce 
  • Rice (see: beans)

How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

Expert Tips, Tricks and Customizations

The 111th reason why I love fajitas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and basically anything that is build-your-own Mexican is because of the build-your-own part. I imagine there are about an infinite number of ways to put these babies together. 

If you don’t  like chicken, use thin slices of beef or pork, or use shrimp or a meaty fish. Want vegetarian fajitas? Use beans and rice as your base and load up with all your favorite veggies. 

Speaking of veggies, I used peppers and onions here, but you could also add shredded cabbage, corn, avocado (uncooked), mushrooms, tomatoes, or jalapenos or really any vegetables you want — it’s your fajita and you should eat it how you want to. 

How are You Supposed to Eat Fajitas?

I think chicken fajitas are pretty self-explanatory, but I’ve been eating them since I was knee-high to a gas grill so I’ve got that going for me. Whether this is your first or one thousandth time eating fajitas, I’ll walk you through my tried and true method of fajita devouring. 

  1. What I do is to lay a tortilla on my plate, then use tongs to add on the chicken and vegetables so that I don’t grab so much of the sauce and make my tortilla too soggy. 
  2. Then, I layer on the toppings — I don’t think it matters which order you use to layer on. I tend to put the cheese on first so it gets good and melty but I know some people consider that a crime and prefer it to be on the top of the toppings. 
  3. Roll or fold up the tortilla and eat from one end to the other, any ingredients that fall onto your plate can be considered a “bonus” fajita at the end. 

It really is as simple as that, friends! 

How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

More Mexican Dishes

  • Easiest Stuffed Peppers (one ingredient swap makes these THE BEST you’ll ever taste)
  • Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos (can you guess what makes these so creamy??)
  • Fiesta Lime Shrimp and Rice Foil Packs (can’t go wrong with these Tex-Mex flavors)
  • Cheesiest Beef Enchiladas
  • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos (set it and forget it!)

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How long to cook chicken fajitas on stove

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 bell peppers - any color
  • ½ medium onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas
  • juice of 1 lime
  • toppings such as lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, avocados, hot sauce

  • Chop chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips.

  • Drizzle a large skillet over medium heat with oil. Let it come to temperature for about 30 seconds.

  • Add chicken, peppers, and onions to the pan. Season with salt, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder and stir.

  • Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

  • Remove from heat, drizzle with lime juice. Serve immediately with tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Top it off: some of my favorite toppings include guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese. 

Chicken Swap: easily swap out the chicken for shrimp or thinly sliced steak! 

Make it spicy: add 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder OR 1-2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles packed in adobo sauce) to the skillet. 

Calories: 346 kcal, Carbohydrates: 38 g, Protein: 18 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 1072 mg, Potassium: 537 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 2960 IU, Vitamin C: 116 mg, Calcium: 80 mg, Iron: 3 mg

How do you know when chicken fajitas are done?

For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.

How long should fajita meat be cooked?

Season the fajita meat on both sides with the fajita seasoning. Grill the fajitas for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until cooked to the desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, place on a clean tray and cover with foil. Keep warm until ready to slice.

Do you cook fajitas on high heat?

Fajita meat is typically a thin cut of steak or chicken that cooks quickly. For best results, cook fajita meat over high heat for a short period of time. This will help to seal in the flavor and keep the meat moist.

Do you use oil when cooking fajitas?

To cook fajitas on the stove, simply heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the meat and vegetables of your choice and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they are nicely browned. Be sure to season the fajitas with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices before serving. Enjoy!