This simple Chicken Fajita Marinade brings so much great flavor to your favorite chicken fajitas, chicken fajita bowl, chicken enchiladas, or a chicken fajita salad! Made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry!
The Best Chicken Fajita Marinade
On those busy nights, we love nothing more than a quick and easy dinner that can be thrown together in minutes. Delicious chicken fajitas are the perfect easy meal. With 5 minutes to mix together this authentic chicken fajita marinade & 30 minutes to marinate, you will have the best chicken fajitas on the dinner table in no time! Homemade marinade recipes continue to be one of our favorite ways to cook all of our favorite cuts of meat. This easy chicken fajita marinade way better than any store-bought marinade!
Looking for another simple marinade for chicken? You have to try our Greek Chicken Marinade!
What You Will Need
- chili powder & ground cumin – traditional flavor ingredients for any Mexican-inspired recipe.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when making the best fajita marinade recipe.
- paprika & garlic powder – option to use the regular versions of these or a smoked paprika and smoked garlic powder if your grocery store carries them.
- onion powder & dried oregano leaves
- ground cayenne pepper – just a little bit to add a little kick of heat, adjust to your personal preference.
- lime juice – those fresh lime flavors pair so well with the traditional Mexican spices!
- extra virgin olive oil – an essential ingredient when mixing up a marinade for flavorful chicken fajitas.
- pound of chicken – any cut of meat would work – lean chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, etc.
How To Make A Simple Chicken Fajita Marinade
The first steps to making this chicken fajita marinade recipe is to gather all of the ingredients.
Place all of the chicken fajita marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix together to fully combine.
If you are marinating whole chicken breasts, simply place them in a baking dish or large plastic bag and pour the marinade on top.
If you are planning on using the chicken to make fajitas, you can grab a large knife and cutting board to cut the chicken into thin strips first. Then place them in a large bowl with the marinade poured over the top. Give them a toss to make sure the marinade coats all sides of the tenders.
How Long Should Chicken Marinate
Letting chicken marinate for just 30 minutes will result in flavorful, juicy chicken. Some marinade recipes can sit overnight, but since this recipe card uses lime juice we do not recommend marinating it overnight. The acid in citrus juices (lime juice) will start to breakdown the muscle fibers of the chicken. Therefore, it shouldn’t be left to marinate for more than 2 hours.
Best Ways To Cook Marinated Chicken
There are so many options to cook marinated chicken! When making classic chicken fajitas, we just place the chicken tenders in a single layer in a hot skillet to pan fry them. These chicken fajita tenders could also bake in the oven on a baking sheet. If you are marinating whole pieces of chicken, you can also pan fry them in a large cast iron skillet or make marinated grilled chicken! No matter how you choose to cook them, just make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F before eating.
Recipe FAQ
- Season chicken before or after cooking: a chicken fajita seasoning or marinade should be coated on the chicken before cooking, not after.
- Other meats: if you want to try this marinade on a different meat, we highly recommend a flank steak to make steak fajitas or shrimp for shrimp fajitas!
- Serving chicken fajitas: once your chicken fajita meat is cooked, we love serving it with some fajita veggies on flour tortillas or corn tortillas for the perfect Chicken Fajitas. Add a dollop of sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado slices, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top! The sky’s the limit for all your favorite toppings! Or serve over a bed of rice for an epic Chicken Fajita Bowl.
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Other Marinade Recipes You Might Like
Chicken Fajita Marinade
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Marinate Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 batch marinade 1x
- Category: Marinade
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
Chicken Fajita Marinade – a delicious, flavorful and easy homemade chicken fajita marinade recipe that turns out perfectly every time!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika, if you can find it)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (smoked garlic powder, if you can find it)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Place chicken in a reusable silicone bag or glass container.
- Pour marinade over top and ensure chicken is fully coated.
- Seal and store in the refrigerator while the chicken marinates, at least 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from marinade and cook however you wish, discard excess marinade.
Notes
- *Chicken: feel free to cut the chicken into tenders before marinating, if you are making chicken fajitas.
- Flavor Boost: feel free to add in some lime zest to really pump up the flavor!
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