Authentic Chicken Fajita Recipe (Fajitas de pollo)
An Authentic Mexican Chicken Fajita Recipe packed with delicious flavors and perfectly sauteed! I can already hear the bell peppers, onions, and tender marinated chicken sizzling in the pan just before being served nice and hot!
½-1teaspoonancho chili powderor replace with regular chili powder
1teaspoonkosher salt
Chicken Fajita Ingredients
3-4mediumchicken breastsboneless, skinless, cut into ½ inch strips
2largeonionsI used one sweet onion and one red onion, sliced thin
3-4bell peppersI used green, red, orange, and yellow, use your favorite
3tablespoonsolive oildivided
Serving Options
Guacamole, Pico de gallo, or salsa, Spanish rice, refried beans, sour cream or Mexican crema, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, flour or corn tortillas.Use your favorites
Combine all marinade ingredients until you have a thick, but pourable marinade, if necessary add a little more lime juice to thin out. In a large bowl or freezer baggie, add sliced chicken and the marinade, turning until all chicken is coated. Marinate at least 30 minutes (on the counter), or longer, but place in fridge. May be marinated up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Make Chicken Fajitas
While the chicken is marinating, prep the remaining vegetables and even start cooking. Slice the onions and peppers into thin strips.
In a large skillet (cast iron or similar works best) heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, carefully add the sliced onions and stir, sauteing for 4-5 minutes until softened and just starting to brown.
Add sliced peppers and turn them with the onions, sauteing 4-8 minutes until soft and caramelized. If you like your veggies crisper, stay on the low end of the time, I like mine softer and more caramelized, so I cook them for longer. There is no right or wrong way.Remove to a plate and cover with foil while you cook the chicken.
Add an additional tablespoon of oil to the same pan (you want all that flavor) over medium-high heat; carefully add chicken strips, not crowding the pan (do in batches if necessary) and quickly stir fry the chicken 5-6 minutes until cooked through.
During the last minute of cooking, add the peppers and onions back into the pan, using tongs to turn and rotate the fajitas until combined with chicken and heated through. Serve immediately.
If restaurant-style, sizzling, and slightly charred fajitas are desired, place a cast iron skillet into your oven on its highest heat setting while preparing the fajitas. Very carefully (use a pot holder or special heat gloves to grab the pan) when ready to serve, add hot fajitas to the hot pan and watch (and hear) they sizzle.
Notes
Easy & Quick Pico de Gallo
2-3 Roma or similar tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons diced onion
1-2 tablespoons white vinegar
Pinch of salt
Mix together tomatoes, onion, and salt, and let sit while you make the rest of the fajitas.Toppings for Authentic Mexican Chicken Fajita Recipe
Guacamole is a classic Mexican condiment made with mashed avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and spices.
Pico de Gallo or Salsa: Make your own quick pico de gallo above or this super easy blender salsa.
Refried Beans: Reheat some on the stovetop or instant pot, top with cheese and serve. Pinto or black beans.
Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
Shredded Lettuce & Grated Cheese
Flour or Corn Tortillas
VariationsVegetarian Fajitas: Make vegetarian fajitas with meaty portabella mushrooms, pinto or black beans, tofu, or a plant-based meat alternative. You may also want to increase the vegetables or add variety, like yellow and zucchini squash or broccoli. Swap or Add Protein: Serve a variety of meats or swap the chicken for shrimp or beef. If you’re making a combination, marinate each in separate containers. Remember only to saute shrimp until it becomes opaque. Spicy Fajitas: Sprinkle some cayenne pepper into the marinade for a little kick of heat, and add some chopped fresh jalapeño when sauteing the peppers.Chicken Fajita Salad: Serve this recipe over a bed of lettuce or mixed greens to make it a refreshing and flavorful salad. You can even serve it over rice for homemade fajitas burrito bowls.