Quick Look at this Grilled Chicken Fajitas Recipe | Easy Weeknight Dinner
- Ready In: 1 hour
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: chicken breasts, bell peppers, onions, garlic, fresh lime juice, and the best fajita seasoning recipe!
- Dietary Info: Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free
- Best For: weeknight dinner, fajita bar for a dinner party, backyard cookout
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor-packed dinner that is all cooked on the grill = minimal clean-up!
- Prep veggies and toppings while the chicken marinates to save on time.
- Fajita Bar: once cooked, set it all out and let your guests build their own.
- Gas grill provides the BEST charred flavor to this classic, Mexican-inspired dish!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chicken Breasts – highly recommend using chicken breasts and cutting them into tenders or strips for quick cooking and maximizing the surface area for the seasoning.
- Red Onion + Yellow Onion – using two different onions is one of our pro tips for adding the best depth of flavor.
- Fajita Seasoning – it only takes 5 minutes to turn your pantry spices into a simple fajita seasoning!
- Lime Juice – never sleep on some fresh lime juice! That touch of acidity brings the whole dish to life!
How To Grill Chicken Fajitas Perfectly
Step 1 – Mix up the chicken fajita marinade in a small bowl.
Step 2 – Pour on the chicken, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
How Long to Marinate Fajita Chicken?
Due to the acidity of the lime juice, it is best to only marinate the chicken for 30 minutes – 2 hours maximum. Letting it sit for longer will begin to breakdown the chicken fibers and can damage the overall texture.
Step 3 – Prep the peppers, onions, garlic, and seasoning.
Step 4 – Toss to combine with a little olive oil.
Step 5 – Place the marinated chicken on greased, hot grill grates to cook 3-4 minutes per side or until fully cooked.
Step 6 – Toss fajita veggies on a greased grill pan to cook for 4-6 minutes.
Pro Tip
To ensure that the chicken stays tender and juicy, it is important to keep an eye on the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches 165 degrees F. I typically pull chicken off the grill at 162 degrees F because it will rise about 5 degrees while it rests and nobody wants dried out chicken.
Step 7 – Remove everything from the grill and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.
Best Ways To Serve Grilled Chicken Fajitas
There are a variety of ways to enjoy these perfectly grilled chicken fajitas. A few favorites are:
- Tortillas: pick-up your favorite tortillas and fill with the chicken and veggies. They can be flour tortillas, corn tortillas, gluten-free, etc (personally, I love Siete tortillas).
- Rice Bowl: cook up your favorite rice and pile up the fajita mixture on top with your desired toppings!
- Meal Prep: divide leftovers between airtight containers and store in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week.
Grilled Chicken Fajita Toppings
Enjoy with a variety of fresh and flavorful toppings:
- cilantro lime crema
- fresh homemade guacamole
- sour cream
- freshly chopped cilantro
- roasted corn salsa
- cotija cheese
- lime wedges for fresh lime juice
FAQs: Grilling Chicken Fajitas
Simply move from one end of the chicken breast to the other and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips, moving against the grain. Continue this process for all of the chicken.
Yes, chicken thighs can definitely be used. If you do use thighs, I would recommend keeping them whole on the grill and cut them after cooking due to their smaller size. They may require a longer cook time, so keep an eye on that internal temperature.
Two hours would provide the best flavor while also preventing the acidity of the lime juice to breakdown the chicken fibers.
Start the grill at a high heat (400-450 degrees F). Once the chicken and veggies have been placed on the grill, it can be dropped to a medium heat around 350 degrees F.
Keep the chicken and fajita veggies in a separate airtight container from any toppings or sauces to prevent sogginess. They can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Other Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
Grilled Fajita Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chicken tenders or strips
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, more, if desired
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika, regular or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, regular or smoked garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (optional – more, if desired)
Grilled Fajita Veggies:
- 3 bell peppers, sliced (red, green, orange)
- ½ red onion, sliced
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Other Fajita Toppings and Serving Suggestions:
- tortillas of your choice, warmed
- cilantro lime sauce
- homemade fresh guacamole, or avocado chunks
- corn salsa salad
- dairy free sour cream
- lime wedges
- cotija cheese, crumbled
- fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Season 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts lightly with kosher salt and ground black pepper – pressing the salt and pepper into the meat. Place chicken in a large reusable silicone bag or glass baking dish and set aside.
- Marinate Chicken: Add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 3 teaspoons chili powder, 3 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (if using) to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring it is fully coated. Seal and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
- Prepare Veggies: Place 3 bell peppers (sliced), ½ red onion (sliced), ½ yellow onion (sliced), 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Toss to coat.
- Grill Chicken + Veggies: Ensure grill grates are clean and heat grill to medium-high heat (400-450℉). Place a grill pan on one side of the grill for the veggies (a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil works too). Place chicken directly on the grill grates (see notes) and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 162℉ (they will continue to cook while they rest and reach 165℉). Place veggies in the grill basket and let cook 4-6 minutes or until firm but tender; toss occasionally. Depending upon the size of your grill you may need to do the chicken in batches, which is fine.
- Rest Chicken: Remove chicken and veggies from grill and let chicken rest 5-10 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the chicken and veggies on warm tortillas with some cilantro lime sauce, easy corn salsa, and any other toppings you desire!
Notes
- Chicken directly on grill grates: we tested grilling the chicken both directly on the grill grates and on a grill pan – while it may be easier to cook them on a grill pan because you don’t have to worry about them falling through the grill grates, they tasted SO much better directly on the grill! Works either way, but that is our recommendation.
- Grill Pan vs. Foil: You will definitely need to use a grill pan for the veggies – if you don’t have one, use some heavy duty foil to create a homemade “basket” by folding up the sides a bit.
- Storage: place in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We recommend storing the meat, veggies, sauce, salsa, etc, each in a separate container to make reheating easier the next day and to prevent sogginess.
- Next Level: we HAVE to give a shout out to this Cilantro Lime Sauce – it is just what you need to take this recipe to the next level. We use it on our Flank Steak Fajitas and everyone LOVES it!
- Nutrition Info: does not include the toppings and serving suggestions because that will be different for everyone.
Bridget says
We make these every summer and they are so good!
Mark McGowan says
Great recipe! Had friends over for a late summer evening and this recipe is a full-on KEEPER! Have a lot of green, yellow and red bell peppers in my garden and this was the perfect use for them! So glad I have leftovers for lunch today!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed this one, Mark (and love that you used peppers from your garden)! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review – I really appreciate it!