Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Homemade Chicken Fajitas
Chicken fajitas with buttery garlic and lime are easy to get hungry for when the skillet is sizzling. The peppers keep some bite beside the sliced chicken, with a bright finish over the whole pan.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Marinate while preparing vegetables
Coat the thin chicken with seasoning, the first lime portion and oil, then set aside while slicing peppers and onion.
2. Take vegetables out before chicken
Cook pepper and onion strips in the hot skillet, then remove while the chicken cooks in one layer.
3. Finish chicken gently under a lid
After searing both sides, lower heat, cover and cook through before taking chicken out to slice.
Get to know the ingredients
Thin chicken breasts
Start with thin breasts or halve them horizontally before the marinade, ready for the skillet sear and covered finish.
Pressed garlic
Press the garlic for the final butter-and-lime stage, after the cooked chicken has been removed for slicing.
Sliced sweet peppers
Cut peppers into thin strips before their hot skillet cook; you can use any combination of the listed sweet pepper colors.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Homemade Chicken Fajitas
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Reunite off the heat
Cook butter, garlic and remaining lime briefly, remove from heat and stir in vegetables and sliced chicken before the cilantro finish.
A little more help as you go
Butter is optional
You can omit butter at the final stage if you prefer, while keeping the garlic and lime finish.
Reheat in short intervals
You can use microwave reheating in short increments or covered oven reheating for saved portions of the fajitas.
A few questions you might have
Can I use prepared fajita seasoning?
Yes. Store-bought or homemade seasoning is included for coating the chicken with oil and the first lime portion.
Does all the lime go into the marinade?
Half starts in the chicken coating; the rest goes into the final skillet stage with butter and garlic.
Should I slice the chicken before cooking?
Cook the thin breasts first, check the stated 165°F finish and then remove and slice before returning to the vegetables.
How long can leftovers be refrigerated?
Keep meal-size portions airtight in the refrigerator for three to four days, or freeze for up to a month.
Is a different cooking oil allowed?
You can use other high-smoke-point oils, including canola or avocado, in place of vegetable oil for the skillet stages.
Any more cooking tips?
Substitutions: Fajita seasoning – You can use pre-made fajita seasoning bought at the store or homemade. I highly recommend using my homemade fajita seasoning. Vegetable oil – You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or any cooking oil that has a higher smoke point. Bell peppers – You can use any combination of green, red, orange, and yellow sweet bell peppers. Yellow onion – You can use any variety of onion you like in this recipe. To cut onions for fajitas, I like to cut the ends off then cut the onion in half. Then slice the onion from top to bottom (cut end to cut end) in slices about 1/2″ thick. This gives slices of onion that are not too long, and perfectly sized to fit in a fajita. Butter – The butter is optional, but I love to use it because it adds both a richness and depth of flavor and that signature sizzle at the end. How to Store: To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store: in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in the freezer up to a month How to Reheat: This can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments, or cover with tin foil and place into the oven to reheat.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
