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Chicken Fajita Tacos! Perfectly seared chicken rubbed down with a delicious homemade fajita seasoning, tender crisp fajita veggies and your favorite toppings all tucked into a soft tortilla or crunchy taco shell. This 30 minute meal is an easy dinner idea that everyone will love!
What Are Fajita Tacos
Fajita tacos are simply fajitas served up in taco form. Fajitas are typically presented like a build-your-own-taco platter with a sizzling skillet of meat and veggies, soft tortillas and toppings all laid out separately. So instead, we are going to put them together and serve them up as tacos that you can just grab and eat!
This fajita taco recipe features pan-seared chicken that has been seasoned with a flavorful homemade fajita seasoning, loads of colorful fajita veggies and all your favorite toppings. It’s all served up in soft or hard taco shells (your choice!) so you can just dig in and eat! You’re going to love this recipe!
Here’s Why You’ll Love Them
- Easy to make: This is a 30-minute meal cooked in one pan – what’s not to love!
- Perfect for weeknights: An easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
- A crowd pleaser: Great for casual entertaining, taco night or Cinco de Mayo.
- Delicious chicken recipe: Such a yummy way to use chicken breasts. If you are looking for more chicken recipe ideas, then check out these Grilled Tandoori Chicken Kebabs, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas or this Chicken Macaroni Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You will need the following ingredients to make these chicken fajita tacos…
- Chicken Breasts: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs if you prefer).
- Fajita Seasoning: This homemade fajita seasoning is a blend of six spices: chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, onion powder and garlic powder. A bit of cayenne pepper is an optional ingredient if you like a little extra heat.
- Avocado Oil: For searing the chicken breasts and sautéing the veggies. I like to use avocado oil since it is a healthy oil with a neutral taste and high smoke point.
- Veggies: Sliced bell peppers and onion to make the fajita veggies. I like to use a variety of different colored peppers since it’s prettier. I tend to use a white onion in this but red or yellow is fine too!
- Dried Oregano: Gets added to the veggies for extra flavor.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a bright, fresh pop of flavor.
- Taco Shells: Either soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells – whatever you like!
- Toppings: I like to top these with shredded cheese, salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce and some lime wedges on the side.
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
Special Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet: A hot cast iron skillet is ideal for searing the chicken breasts and cooking fajita veggies so that they are tender crisp and slightly charred in spots.
- Instant Read Cooking Thermometer: An instant read thermometer is the best way to achieve perfectly seared chicken breasts. Takes the guess work out!
How To Make Chicken Fajita Tacos
Taco time! Let’s make some easy and delicious chicken fajita tacos!
STEP 1: Mix together fajita seasoning
In a small bowl, combine all the fajita seasoning ingredients. Make sure to set aside 1 teaspoon of the mixture to season the veggies later. The rest will be used as a dry rub for the chicken breasts.
Chili Powder Note: Just a friendly warning to my international friends that the chili powder used in the fajita seasoning refers to the American style chili powder which is a blend and not very spicy. It is NOT simply ground up chili peppers. Your mouth will be on fire if you mix them up!
STEP 2: Season the chicken
Sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts (except for the teaspoon that was set aside). Use your hands to rub it all over the chicken and press it in.
STEP 3: Cook the chicken
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts on both sides until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165F (about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness). Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
Use a thermometer! The best way to achieve perfectly cooked chicken breasts is to use an instant read cooking thermometer. It takes the guess work out! The Thermapen is my favorite and gets used often in my kitchen.
STEP 4: Sauté the fajita veggies
Add another tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sliced bell peppers and onion. Sauté while stirring frequently until veggies are tender crisp and slightly charred in spots. This will take about 5 minutes (or longer if you prefer softer fajita veggies). Once the veggies are almost done, stir through the fajita seasoning that was set aside, dried oregano and some salt and pepper to taste (if needed).
STEP 5: Cut up chicken
Slice, dice or chop up the cooked chicken breasts into small pieces. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the cut up chicken.
STEP 6: Assemble the tacos
Take your warmed soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells and fill with the cut up chicken, fajita veggies and your favorite toppings. Time to dig in and enjoy!
Prep Ahead Tips
With a few minutes of advance prep work, these chicken fajita tacos become a super quick dinner. Simply pre-slice the veggies and mix together the fajita seasoning in advance.
I actually like to keep a big batch of the homemade fajita seasoning stored in a jar so that it is ready to use any time I want to make fajitas or these tacos. For this recipe, you need to measure out 1 teaspoon for the veggies and about 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons for the chicken.
Storing Leftovers
Transfer leftover chicken and fajita veggies to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet until warmed through.
Possible Variations
This recipe is easy to customize. Here are a few ideas:
- Replace chicken breasts: Substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs or a different type of meat like steak, pork or even shrimp.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap out the chicken for tofu, portobello or king oyster mushrooms or use this halloumi fajita filling.
- Grill them: This is a great option in the summer! Instead of using a cast iron skillet, grill the chicken breasts and veggies on the BBQ
- Marinate the chicken: Turn the fajita seasoning into a marinade (instructions here), rub all over the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours.
- Serve it up in different ways: Serve in soft flour or corn tortillas, crunchy taco shells, lettuce cups or make a rice bowl by serving it over rice.
A Few Questions Answered
Fajita vs taco – so what’s the difference? Traditionally, fajita refers to the strips of grilled meat (originally skirt steak) whereas taco refers to how the food is served (folded in a tortilla). These days, fajitas can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp and more! The meat is grilled or pan seared, cut into strips and served with sautéed sliced peppers and onions. It comes to the table with warm tortillas and toppings on the side. Tacos, on the other hand, are already assembled on the tortilla and include meat or a filling that can be prepared in numerous ways and a variety of toppings.
I prefer cooking the chicken breast whole since it allows for a great sear on the outside while keeping the inside juicy. It gets sliced or chopped up after it has had a chance to rest for a few minutes while the veggies cook. Cooking the chicken and veggies separately allows each component to shine and taste their best! The chicken can be seared to perfection and the veggies can be cooked just long enough to still retain some crispness.
Sure! I love the homemade fajita seasoning in the recipe card but if you have taco seasoning on hand, feel free to substitute.
What To Serve With Them
For a weeknight meal, I usually serve these fajita tacos on their own since they already include veggies and chicken in them. For entertaining or to stretch out the meal more, you can also serve a few sides with them.
Here are 30+ delicious fajita side dishes to choose from, including colorful veggies and salads to rice and beans to salsa, dips and much much more. And let’s not forget the margaritas! Wash them down with a Passion Fruit Margarita or one of these Triple Citrus Frozen Margaritas!
More Tex-Mex Recipes To Try
Did you make these Chicken Fajita Tacos? I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Chicken Fajita Tacos
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 12 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish, Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Mexican
Description
Chicken Fajita Tacos! Perfectly seared seasoned chicken, tender crisp fajita veggies and your favorite toppings all tucked into a soft tortilla or crunchy taco shell. This 30 minute meal is an easy dinner idea that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Fajita Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt (I like to use sea salt or Himalayan salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
For The Taco Filling:
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (approx. 3–4 chicken breasts, depends on size)
- 3 bell peppers, cut into strips (I like to use a variety of colors)
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced (any color)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lime
For Serving:
- soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells, warmed up
- toppings of your choice (e.g. salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, lime wedges, etc.)
Instructions
- Mix together fajita seasoning: In a small bowl, stir together the fajita seasoning ingredients. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the mixture to season the veggies (the rest will be used for the chicken).
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle the fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts (except for the teaspoon that was set aside). Use your hands to rub it all over the chicken and press it in.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for about 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165F). Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
- Sauté the fajita veggies: To the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced bell peppers and onion. Sauté while stirring frequently until veggies are tender crisp and slightly charred in spots. This will take about 5 minutes (or longer if you prefer softer veggies). When the veggies are almost done cooking, stir through the teaspoon of fajita seasoning that was set aside, dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste (if needed).
- Cut up chicken: Slice, dice or chop up the cooked chicken breasts into small pieces and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
- Assemble the tacos: Serve in warmed soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells. Assemble the tacos by first adding some chicken, followed by some fajita veggies and then your favorite toppings. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a thermometer! Using an instant read cooking thermometer is the best way to achieve perfectly cooked chicken breasts. It takes the guess work out! The Thermapen is my favorite and gets used in my kitchen constantly.
- Prep Ahead Tip: Speed things up at dinner time by pre-slicing the veggies and mixing together the fajita seasoning in advance.
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftover chicken and fajita veggies in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Chili Powder Note: The chili powder in the fajita seasoning refers to the American style chili powder which is a blend. It is NOT simply ground up chili peppers. Your mouth will be on fire if you mix them up! Just a friendly reminder (especially for international friends).
⬇ PIN it for later! ⬇
I had no idea how easy these are! Pinned to make this weekend!
Loved the homemade chicken seasoning. These made a delicious, easy meal on a weeknight. Team soft shell taco all the way!
My family has a mix of soft shell and hard shell lovers so I always need to make a mix – easy way to keep everyone happy though!
We had these fajita tacos with corn tortillas and they totally satisfied the taco cravings. A great weeknight dinner!
Glad you enjoyed them!
These tacos have all my favourite flavours and they’re so simple to make. This is one of my favourite weeknight dinners because it can be ready in no time and there are no complaints from anyone!
Easy dinners that everyone loves are the best!
these are super tasty and perfect weeknight meal!
I agree! Glad you liked them!
Oh that taco seasoning sounds really good. I must try it.
It’s my homemade fajita seasoning and is perfect to season the chicken in these tacos!
Lovely recipe for weekday dinners! So quick to make, and the seasoning was absolutely perfect! We served these in soft tortillas and both enjoyed it immensely! Thanks!
That makes me so happy to hear!
This is easy to prepare, delicious, and I love the bright bold colors of the tacos. Definitely going to be a favorite.
It’s a favourite over here as well!
Oh yum! You had me at homemade fajita seasoning. So much flavor and definitely the perfect pick for easy weeknight cooking.
I love homemade seasoning mixes! I always keep a batch of this homemade fajita seasoning on hand so that dinner comes together even faster especially on weeknights.
The seasoning was spot on! Thank you for another winner! 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it!