Chicken Fajitas
Seared strips of spiced chicken with charred bell peppers and onion, finished with a bright squeeze of lime — a fast, colorful Tex-Mex skillet dinner ready to pile onto warm tortillas.
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approximately 1 pound
- 1 medium onion
- 1 lime
- 3 bell peppers, red, yellow, green, or orange
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin, optional
- Cut the onion into thin, even slivers, then slice the bell peppers into strips of a similar width. Keeping the pieces roughly the same size helps everything cook through at the same rate once it hits the hot pan. Set the sliced vegetables aside in a bowl while you prepare the chicken and its seasoning.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the juice of half the lime, the chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, cumin if using, and half a teaspoon of salt until you have a loose, fragrant spice mixture. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips, cutting against the grain to help keep the meat tender once seared. Add the chicken to the spice mixture and toss thoroughly so every strip is evenly coated — this quick toss acts like a fast marinade, letting the seasoning cling to the meat before it hits the pan.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half of the seasoned chicken in a single layer, taking care not to crowd the pan, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden outside and just cooked through. Transfer the first batch to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken — cooking in batches like this keeps the pan hot enough to sear the meat properly instead of steaming it.
- Set the cooked chicken aside and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan. If you soaked the onions to soften their bite, drain them well before adding to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sliced peppers, season with the remaining quarter teaspoon of salt, and toss well, cooking for another 2 minutes or just until the vegetables are hot and lightly softened but still have some bite. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to combine, letting everything warm through together for about a minute.
- Finish with a generous squeeze of the remaining lime juice over the top — the fresh acidity lifts all the smoky, savory flavors built up in the pan. Serve hot, piled onto warm tortillas for everyone to build their own fajitas.
Chef's Note: Fajitas are all about quick, high-heat cooking — searing the chicken in batches rather than crowding the pan is what gives you that lightly charred, restaurant-style edge instead of pale, steamed strips. The warm spice blend of chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin does a lot of work in a very short amount of time, so don't skip tossing the chicken thoroughly before it goes into the pan.
If you're serving these to kids or anyone sensitive to raw onion's sharpness, soak the sliced onion in cold water for about 10 minutes before cooking and drain well — it softens the bite without losing the flavor. Warm your tortillas in a dry skillet or wrapped in foil in the oven just before serving so they stay soft and pliable enough to fold around the filling.
A few tools that make this recipe easier to get right.
As an Amazon Associate, Salt & Simmer earns from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.