I love Mexican food! These Easy Chicken Fajitas are a delightful way to satisfy your cravings and give your family a healthy and delicious meal. The technique has been streamlined and you’ll have dinner on the table in under an hour! Perfect for Halloween or any party during the holidays!
You can use any chicken you prefer, but boneless breasts are the easiest to work with. They slice into strips easily. The best way to work with them is to cut them while they are partially frozen and use a very sharp knife. Then let the slices finish thawing in the refrigerator.
Cumin is a beautiful spice that that is found in many Mexican dishes. It is savory and nutty with a pungent flavor. Because it is so strong, start out with a small amount and add more to taste.
There is some prepping to do for this recipe with slicing the vegetables and chicken. This is a job for a great sharp chef’s knife.
When shopping for a knife, it is best if you can hold the knives and get a feel for them before you buy. How do they feel in your hand? Are they balanced well? Will they work for different jobs? My recommendation is to buy the best that you can afford, one at a time, and you’ll soon amass a versatile array of knives. The knives will come with blade protectors – keep them handy!
If you buy a new knife, be sure to buy a sharpening steel with it. This helps keep your knives aligned and sharper longer, reducing the need for professional sharpening. Look for YouTube videos on how to properly use a steel so you don’t damage your knives.
If you only have a couple of good knives and are planning on keeping them in a drawer, always put the blade protectors they came with on the blades. This protects you from being injured and the knives from being damaged. If you are going to have three or more knives, you should buy a block to protect them.
When it comes to wooden knife blocks, you want to look for one where the slots are horizontal to the counter. This protects your knife blades from wear and tear each time you take them out or put them back. If all you can find are vertical slots, put you knives in upside down so the back of the knife is dragged over the edge of the slot. Your knives will stay sharp a lot longer.
If you want, you can make this meal vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and replacing it with large portobello mushrooms cut into strips. The cook time will likely be shorter; cook until the onions and peppers are crisp tender and the mushroom has given up some of its liquid.
If you want to make a sauce, you can add a little water right at the end and stir it in to dissolve the paste left on the vegetables and chicken. Then drizzle that sauce over the chicken in the fajitas.
These chicken fajitas would be perfect food to serve for Halloween or other parties. They are easy, fast, and on the table in under an hour.
Run, don’t walk to make these Easy Chicken Fajitas and you won’t regret it! Delicious and oh so satisfying, your whole family will love them. And they are fast enough to make on weeknights and perfect for casual dinner parties. So flexible and I adore that!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Easy Chicken Fajitas:
- Chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder,
- Olive oil, chicken breasts, bell pepper, onion, limes, GF corn
- tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, hot sauce
PRO Tip:
To warm the tortillas, I like to use the microwave. I place a pile of corn tortillas on a paper plate, top with a second plate, and microwave for about 30 seconds. This warms and gently steams them, making them soft and supple. I always use two tortillas per serving to be sure they don’t tear and split.
PRO Tip:
When you are looking for gluten-free seasonings, I have two favorites, Penzey’s and McCormick brands. Penzey’s has some store fronts but I always buy my spices and herbs from their online shop. McCormick is available at many grocery stores across America. Both companies are very good at labeling their products making it easier to spot potential sources of gluten. I am not sponsored by either company, I just really appreciate their products and way of doing business.
How to make Easy Chicken Fajitas:
- Combine the seasonings with 2 tbsp of the oil and some water in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken strips, bell peppers, and onions, kneading to coat everything with the seasonings. Add a little more water if needed to loosen the paste. Refrigerate 20 minutes to marinate.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet; when shimmering add the contents of the plastic bag to the pan and cook over high heat, stirring often, until vegetables are just tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh lime juice.
- Transfer to a large bowl or platter and serve with warmed tortillas, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, and/or lime wedges.
PRO Tip:
Raw chicken is really slippery and it is easier to cut yourself when working with it. Slice the chicken when it is still partially frozen for the easiest and safest cutting. Then once sliced, place chicken back in the refrigerator to finish thawing safely.
PRO Tip:
If you want to make a sauce, add a little water right at the end and dissolve some of the paste off the vegetables and chicken. You can drizzle it over the fajitas for a little additional spicy flavor.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Easy Chicken Fajitas (Gluten Free)
These Easy Chicken Fajitas are a delightful way to satisfy your cravings for Mexican food and give your family a healthy and delicious meal. With this easy recipe you’ll have dinner on the table in under an hour! If you want an extra bold flavor you can double the seasonings; it will give you enough paste to create a sauce if you want.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp gluten-free chili powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt!)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt!)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 to 4 tbsp water, as needed
- 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound; 454g; two half breasts), cut into slender 1/2-inch strips
- 1 red bell pepper – seeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 medium onion, cut in half through the root, then thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges or slices for serving
- Sliced green onions, for serving
- 8 gluten-free corn tortillas, warmed in the microwave
- Optionally serve with shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced jalapeno peppers, and hot sauce
Instructions
1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and 2 tbsp of the oil. Rub together, through the bag, to create a paste. Add enough of the water to make a fairly loose coating. Add the chicken, bell peppers, and onions, seal, and massage to coat everything with the paste. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. The chicken is done when it registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. If you want a light sauce, you can add some water and dissolve the remaining paste on the vegetables and chicken pieces.
3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl or platter, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and serve with the warmed tortillas and your choice of lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, and/or lime slices or wedges.
4. You can also serve these fajitas with rice and beans if desired.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Be sure you use gluten-free corn tortillas. Many brands now add wheat to make them more flexible so you have to be cautious. Read the label carefully. And be careful of your spices, especially the chili powder, watching for gluten.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a Food and Wine recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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