Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Chicken breast tenders and three colors of bell pepper roasted with warm fajita spices, finished with lime and cilantro. Ready in about 30 minutes.
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 small red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- several turns of freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- lime, for squeezing
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
- tortillas, warmed
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the onion, bell peppers, chicken tenders, olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices.
- Toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread the chicken, bell peppers, and onion out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Then switch the oven to broil and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to let the vegetables pick up some color, watching closely so they don't burn.
- During the last five minutes of roasting (not while broiling), wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the hot fajita mixture and top with fresh cilantro.
- Serve in the warm tortillas.
Chef's Note: Spreading everything into a single layer on the pan matters more than it seems — overcrowded chicken and vegetables steam instead of roast, so give the pan enough room to let real browning happen. The quick broil at the end is what gives the peppers and onion some char without overcooking the chicken, which finishes at the lower roasting temperature just before that.
Slicing all three bell peppers and the onion to the same 1/4-inch thickness helps everything cook at the same rate, so you don't end up with some pieces charred and others still crisp. Squeezing the lime juice on while everything's still hot right off the pan brightens the whole dish in a way that adding it later just doesn't replicate.
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