Our Favorite Chicken Fajitas
I love how flavorful these chicken fajitas turn out! Thanks to a quick citrusy marinade, the chicken becomes incredibly tasty and so juicy. Get your favorite fajita toppings ready because these are good! Is there anything better than a big skillet of sizzling chicken fajitas? Well, these chicken fajitas are some of the best I’ve made, thanks to our garlic citrus marinade. If you are in a hurry, just 30 minutes in this marinade is a game-changer, but you can always go longer! These garlic citrus chicken fajitas are my family’s favorite (though we also love our ultimate fajitas with beef, chicken, and shrimp!). They are easy, delicious, and are perfect tucked into homemade tortillas and topped with all our favorite fajita toppings (hello, pico de gallo and guacamole!). Key Ingredients Chicken: We developed this recipe for chicken breast, but you can definitely substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you’d prefer them. They will turn out even more tender and juicy. Pork chops would also be pretty excellent. The Marinade: Here’s the star of the show. To make our marinade, you’ll combine freshly squeezed orange and lime juice with minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. I marinate my chicken for at least 30 minutes, but you can go for up to 6 hours if you want to. Fajita Veggies: I love the chicken in this recipe, but when it comes to fajitas, my favorite part is ALWAYS the veggies. I keep it classic and use sliced onion and sliced bell peppers. You’ll save a little marinade from the chicken and toss it with the veggies to get some crispy garlic flavor throughout. To add more veggies, try mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash. Tortillas: Use your favorite store-bought tortillas or try homemade! I love these soft flour tortillas for fajitas, but you can also use corn. Here’s our corn tortillas recipe. Chicken: We developed this recipe for chicken breast, but you can definitely substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you’d prefer them. They will turn out even more tender and juicy. Pork chops would also be pretty excellent. The Marinade: Here’s the star of the show. To make our marinade, you’ll combine freshly squeezed orange and lime juice with minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. I marinate my chicken for at least 30 minutes, but you can go for up to 6 hours if you want to. Fajita Veggies: I love the chicken in this recipe, but when it comes to fajitas, my favorite part is ALWAYS the veggies. I keep it classic and use sliced onion and sliced bell peppers. You’ll save a little marinade from the chicken and toss it with the veggies to get some crispy garlic flavor throughout. To add more veggies, try mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash. Tortillas: Use your favorite store-bought tortillas or try homemade! I love these soft flour tortillas for fajitas, but you can also use corn. Here’s our corn tortillas recipe. Our Favorite Chicken Fajitas PREP 45 mins COOK 25 mins TOTAL 1 hr 10 mins PREP 45 mins COOK 25 mins TOTAL 1 hr 10 mins The fresh, bright citrus marinade makes these chicken fajitas so good. Since we use lean chicken breasts, we love adding flavor with a marinade made with orange juice, lime juice, spices, and garlic. It’s easy to throw together and makes such a difference in the flavor and juiciness of these chicken fajitas! Marinate for at least 30 minutes or go up to 6 hours (longer might be okay, but the acid in the marinade can change the texture of the chicken). 6 Servings You Will Need 1 ½ pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh squeezed lime juice 2 teaspoons chili powder, try homemade chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons avocado oil 2 onions, halved and sliced 3 bell peppers, seeded and sliced about 1/4 inch thick 1 jalapeño, minced Salt and fresh ground black pepper 12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed, try homemade flour tortillas Fajita toppings like pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, crumbled or shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce Directions 1Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, then reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and pour the rest into a resealable bag ready for marinating the chicken. 2Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken into the bag with marinade. Move the chicken around to coat it well. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 6 hours). Flip the bag over from time to time to move around the marinade. 3Prepare veggies: Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until they soften and begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until peppers soften, 3 to 4 minutes. 4Season with salt and pepper, then pour in the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan up and into the vegetables. Remove vegetables from the pan and keep warm, covered in foil, while you cook the chicken. 5Cook chicken: Heat the skillet used for vegetables over medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in the pan. Cook until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook, flipping over occasionally until browned on both sides, and an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees F; 10 to 15 minutes. If your chicken is thick, cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes to help cook the middle. 6Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch thick strips. 7To serve: Place the vegetables back into the skillet and, if necessary, reheat. Nestle the chicken on top, and then serve with warm tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings. 1Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, then reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and pour the rest into a resealable bag ready for marinating the chicken. 2Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken into the bag with marinade. Move the chicken around to coat it well. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 6 hours). Flip the bag over from time to time to move around the marinade. 3Prepare veggies: Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until they soften and begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until peppers soften, 3 to 4 minutes. 4Season with salt and pepper, then pour in the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan up and into the vegetables. Remove vegetables from the pan and keep warm, covered in foil, while you cook the chicken. 5Cook chicken: Heat the skillet used for vegetables over medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in the pan. Cook until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook, flipping over occasionally until browned on both sides, and an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees F; 10 to 15 minutes. If your chicken is thick, cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes to help cook the middle. 6Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch thick strips. 7To serve: Place the vegetables back into the skillet and, if necessary, reheat. Nestle the chicken on top, and then serve with warm tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings. Adam and Joanne's Tips To warm tortillas: wrap them in foil and warm in a low oven, or wrap in a towel and warm in the microwave. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include tortillas or toppings in the calculations. To warm tortillas: wrap them in foil and warm in a low oven, or wrap in a towel and warm in the microwave. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include tortillas or toppings in the calculations. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of the recipe / Calories 240 / Total Fat 8.2g / Saturated Fat 1.3g / Cholesterol 82.7mg / Sodium 199.1mg / Carbohydrate 13.7g / Dietary Fiber 3.3g / Total Sugars 7.5g / Protein 27.3g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us Previous Post: Lemon Garlic Sauteed Cabbage Next Post: Mini Fish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw