Skillet Chicken Fajitas

A quick and dirty skillet chicken fajitas recipe. Cutting the chicken into strips first lets the marinade get in there faster, but if you wanted to grill these chicken fajitas, leave the breasts or thighs whole and marinate at least 1 hour, and up to 6 hours (refrigerated, of course).

I use a combination of red bell pepper, fresh jalapeño, onion and summer squash along with the chicken, but you can use whatever vegetables you like. I do it this way so that I don’t have to worry about making a vegetable dish and it makes this a one-pot (or pan) meal.

chicken fajita recipe

And I guess that technically there’s no such thing as chicken “fajitas” because fajita means “little belt” and it refers specifically to a cut of beef but after 50+ years of Tex-Mex and Mexican-American restaurants making chicken fajitas, I suppose the meaning has been changed to include chicken fajitas, pork fajitas, shrimp fajitas and even vegetable fajitas. And that’s okay with me. How food and language shifts and evolves is fascinating. If it leaves us with delicious dinner in the end, then it can’t be bad.

Serve these chicken fajitas with charro beans and fluffy Mexican-restaurant style rice if you want to get fancy.

Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe video – scroll down for recipe

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Chicken Fajitas Recipe – printable

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Skillet Chicken Fajitas

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4.9 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Hilah Johnson
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (or a combo)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 jalapeño or poblano
  • 1 onion
  • 1 yellow squash or zucchini
  • Toppings:
  • flour or corn tortillas
  • pico de gallo
  • cheese
  • sour cream
  • guacamole
  • lettuce
  • cilantro and onions

Instructions

  1. Combine Worcestershire through oregano in a medium bowl.
  2. Slice chicken into thin strips, no wider than 1/2″ and add to the bowl. Toss well to coat and set refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, slice peppers and onion into strips and set aside. Cut squash lengthwise in half, then into diagonal slices.
  4. Prepare toppings and refrigerate.
  5. When ready to cook, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Once it is very hot, add peppers and onion strips to the skillet and cook for just a couple minutes until tender but not soft. Remove to a bowl. Add squash and cook to your liking. Remove to bowl.
  6. Add more oil if necessary. Add the chicken strips. Cook for about a minute, without stirring, then turn and cook another minute or two until chicken is cooked through.
  7. Add vegetables back to the pan and toss.
  8. Serve in warm tortillas with your choice of toppings.

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24 Comments

  1. Ben on June 2, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    I love it! Gonna do it this weekend for sure. Grilled. So where can I find your awesome hot sauce? I love hot sauces and have about 40 in the house. My daughter loves them too so anytime we can, we try a new one. 🙂






    • Hilah on August 7, 2016 at 10:46 am

      Yay! I make mine with chiles de arbol, garlic, salt and a little vinegar. Might try selling it soon 🙂

  2. Mark on June 2, 2016 at 1:51 pm

    Sounds like a meal or the grill this weekend. I like the thought of some borracho beans and rice. Plus my take of Blue Margaritas with I’m sure there is a better way to make them than the way I do but this is my way I came up with when I was bartender.
    2 parts Jose Cervo Tequila
    .75 triple sec
    .25 blue currant
    A splash of Rose’s Lime juice

    Shake ingredients together with crushed ice and serve with/out salted glass and a lime wedge.






    • Hilah on June 2, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      Yum! Thanks for that recipe, Mark! 🙂

  3. Mark Neff on June 2, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    I just seen your recipe on a margarita and like the 3 to one recipe. I will change the way I do my Blue Margaritas and use all Blue Curraco for triple sec. Then follow the recipe you got. I just noticed your Texas Mex videos. I will be watching and trying them now!!!! The way I stumbled on them was I was looking to see if you have a recipe for Pico de Gallo. I would love to get one from you as well. Thanks for great Texas Mex videos one of my favorite foods.






  4. Larry on June 2, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    So there’s no such real thing as veggie fajitas? That’s on several menus in north Florida. I like to do Hypocrite Fajitas – those are vegetarian with your choice of meat.






    • Ben on June 3, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      LMAO Larry!

  5. Ben on June 5, 2016 at 6:05 am

    I did it! And it was AWESOME! Thank you.






  6. Amber on June 16, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    Damn girl, thank you. I’m trying to get myself to like vegetables and I chowed DOWN on these jams (minus the onion because I still can’t do an onion that’s not charred to a crisp). Also can’t believe how good such a simple marinade is!

    • Hilah on June 17, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      Yay!!! So happy about that, Amber!

  7. Diana on June 27, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    Can I use 1 T of concentrated lime juice instead of 1 T of fresh lime juice? I only bought one lime this week and already used it. Sorry for this elementary question, but I scoured Internet and can’t find the answer.

    • Diana on June 27, 2016 at 2:16 pm

      Never mind, I have a lime and a half. Don’t know why I thought I was all limed out.

      • Hilah on June 27, 2016 at 2:18 pm

        Glad you got it figured out. For future reference, if it’s lime juice concentrate, you can dilute half and half with water to make a sub for fresh lime juice. Enjoy!

  8. Diana on June 27, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    I can’t tell by the picture what kind of onion you used. Almost looks like a purple scallion, if there is such a thing. What type of onion do you recommend for this?

    • Hilah on June 27, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      I used a red onion to add color, but a yellow or white onion works, too!

    • Diana on June 27, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      I decided to go the store after all because I’m out of beer, so I might as well get the proper ingredients while there.

      • Diana on June 27, 2016 at 2:22 pm

        Plus, you don’t want to just buy alcohol at store, it looks kind of bad. But darn I already have a red onion. I’ll have to think of something else to buy… I got it! Red bell pepper.

  9. Diana on June 28, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    I made the marinade exactly as directed. It turned out quite tasty. I ended up just going the taco route, instead of doing the grilled vegetables. Not because I’m lazy, but because I wasn’t sure my teen would eat it. I added some pinto beans and cheese to it. So, I actually went the burrito route, but didn’t fold it like a burrito because I am lazy.

    Anyway, just want to say that I questioned the Worcestershire in my Tex-Mex, but went ahead with it. Excellent marinade.

    I usually make my tacos with beef (steak or ground) and corn tortillas, so this was new for me. Worked out well. Thank you.






  10. Linda on August 27, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    This is damn good! Cut up the veggies and marinated the chicken before running an errand so after I got home it took no time at all to cook up the best fake fajitas ever! Topped with sliced avocado, salsa, shredded cheddar and crema. Can’t wait to make this again. Thanks Hilah!

  11. Justin and Toby on September 18, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    Hey Hilah! Justin and Toby from Wisconsin! Just wanted to say that these fajitas are a staple in our household! They are so yummy, easy to make, and VERY affordable! Thank you for the awesome recipe, Hilah!






    • Hilah on September 18, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      Hooray! Thanks for letting me know, y’all! 😀

  12. Adam Russell on January 16, 2017 at 6:21 pm

    Just made this tonight. I only had one chicken breast so I doubled the veggies but it was absolutely amazing. I’ve done a ton of your recipes and this is definitely top 3!






    • Hilah on January 17, 2017 at 9:00 am

      Yay! So happy to hear that, Adam. Thanks for writing 🙂

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