Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe (Easy)

Recipe updated: April 16th, 2024

This skillet chicken fajitas recipe is one that I have made for many years now. It’s an easy meal to make for the whole family that’s quick, tasty, and so delicious.

These chicken fajitas, with colorful bell peppers and homemade taste, are the perfect weeknight dinner for those busy nights. Prep the chicken and marinate it in the refrigerator. Afterward, slice the bell peppers and onions, then fry everything together in a large pan. That’s it.

If you like this easy skillet chicken fajitas recipe, you will be sure to also like our other easy dinner recipes such as hot and spicy ground beef tacos, Korean style ground beef, and easy homemade pizza.

This is a large batch of chicken fajitas so we can have them for leftovers the next evening. You can cut this recipe in half if you prefer. Large batches are sort of a theme for most of the dinners I make. I love leftovers – no cooking the next night!

🔪 Key Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 large red, yellow, and orange sliced bell peppers (of your favorite color)
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 packets of McCormick chipotle pepper marinade mix – 1.13 ounces each
• Flour tortillas (for serving)
• Sharp cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Skillet Chicken Fajitas

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Tip: You can break up these steps throughout the day so it doesn’t feel like you have been in the kitchen for hours come dinner time. For example, prepare the chicken and marinade the night before. In the morning before work, if you have time, slice the onion and bell peppers and put them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.

Step 1. Prepare the Marinade Mix

In a medium bowl, add 2 packets of McCormick grill mates chipotle pepper marinade mix and 1/2 cup water together with 1/2 cup olive oil. Mix until completely blended and then set it aside for now.

Step 2. Cut and Marinade the Chicken

Use a cutting board and a sharp kitchen knife to cut the raw chicken into one-inch cubes, or thin strips, whichever you prefer. After that, place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag together with the marinade mix in the refrigerator. Let the chicken soak in the marinade for at least 15 minutes up to a couple of hours, or even overnight. The longer the chicken marinades, the better.

Tip: You can cut the chicken into cubes in the afternoon (or the night before), and let it soak in the marinade for a couple of hours until it’s time to cook it.

Step 3. Chop the Onions

In the meantime, while the chicken is in the refrigerator marinating, slice the onion into pieces. Set the onions aside for now.

Step 4. Slice the Bell Peppers

Cut up the orange bell peppers, red bell peppers, and yellow bell peppers. Set the bell peppers aside for now.

Step 5. Cook the Chicken

When it’s about 45 minutes until dinner time, start frying the chicken marinade mixture in a large skillet on the stove top on medium-high heat. Let the chicken cook for about 45 minutes until no pink is showing. Flip the pieces of chicken during the cooking process.

Step 6. Turn the Heat Down

When the chicken is done, there should be no pink showing. Turn the burner down to medium heat. You can use an instant-read food thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Note: Stoves can cook differently from one stove to another, so if medium heat is too hot, turn the burner down to medium-low heat, or adjust the heating accordingly.

Step 7. Add the Sliced Vegetables to the Cooked Chicken

After the chicken is fried, add the sliced bell peppers and the onions together with the chicken in the frying pan.

Step 8. Cook Onions and Bell Peppers until Tender

Stir the bell peppers and onions together with the chicken and cook until the vegetables are tender. That’s it, so set the dinner table, it is now time to eat.

⭐️ Recipe Variations

• Add extra herbs and seasoning of your choice such as fresh cilantro, onion powder, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, or garlic powder.
• If you prefer dark meat, you can use chicken thighs for the meat instead of chicken breasts.
• Like it hot? Add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
• Use sliced red onions instead of yellow onions.

❓ FAQs

✏️ Final Thoughts

This easy chicken fajitas recipe can be served with flour or corn tortillas. Put cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, refried beans, Spanish rice, or Mexican rice in your tortilla, or on the side.

We like to put a single layer of refried beans on top of our warm tortillas, a layer of Mexican rice, the marinated chicken fajitas mixture, and then cheddar cheese on top. You can also add any of your favorite toppings.

📁 Recipe Card

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