These easy sheet pan chicken fajitas are a quick and healthy meal of oven-baked chicken strips with peppers and onions seasoned with a delicious Mexican spice blend. They're perfect for a 30-minute meal on a busy weeknight, and they can also be scaled up to serve a crowd or for meal prep.
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Why This Recipe Works
Looking for a quick and easy dinner option that is also healthy? Look no further than these easy sheet pan chicken fajitas! Packed with seasoned chicken, colorful bell peppers, and onions, this recipe is the perfect balance of flavor and nutrition.
The key to this recipe is the Mexican spice blend that infuses the chicken with bold and authentic flavors. Plus, it's incredibly versatile. It's perfect for a weeknight family dinner or can be scaled up for a crowd. It's also a great meal prep recipe for topping rice bowls and salads.
Not only is this recipe delicious, but it's also easy to clean up, making it perfect for a busy weeknight. So why not give it a try?
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - For this easy fajita recipe, I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. I slice them into thin strips to get every bite well seasoned. Boneless skinless thighs will also work. This recipe is also great with steak or shrimp too. Just adjust the cooking time down 10-12 minutes for shrimp or 10-15 minutes for steak, depending on how well done you want it.
- Veggies - I use sliced onions and a blend of bell peppers to add a variety of colors to the dish. This mix is also usually available frozen if you prefer, but let them thaw before cooking if using those to avoid excess moisture.
- Seasoning Mix - A blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic is combined with olive oil and lime juice. Fresh minced garlic is preferable, but garlic powder will work too. If you like a little spice, you can also add some cayenne pepper.
- Tortillas - We prefer flour tortillas in my house, but corn will work too. If you're on a low-carb, keto, Whole30, or similar diet, you can sub in lettuce wraps for the tortillas.
Seasoning for Chicken Fajitas
- Combine 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Slice the chicken into thin strips around ¼ inch thick. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, around 1-2 limes. Add the seasoning mix and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and toss until it's well-coated. If time allows, cover and refrigerate for around 30 minutes, up to overnight, to allow the chicken to marinate in the seasoning for improved flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss the sliced onions and peppers in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Add the seasoned chicken to a foil-lined sheet pan, then scatter the peppers and onions around the pan. For larger batches, cook the chicken on one sheet pan and the veggies on another.
- Cook for around 15 minutes. Then change the oven to broil and cook on high for another 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown and the chicken is cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
You'll want to serve these oven-baked fajitas fresh out of the oven since the thin chicken strips and veggies can cool pretty quickly. I like to serve these sheet pan chicken fajitas right off of the hot pan. This helps keep them warm a little longer.
Serve them with a plate of warm tortillas and all of your favorite toppings, like a batch of homemade guacamole, sour cream, fresh pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese.
And for sides, my Instant Pot Spanish Rice is perfect with these chicken fajitas!
If you want to serve the fajitas as part of a larger spread, my Enchiladas with Green Sauce and Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are great additions too.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover fajitas in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat the chicken and veggies in a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sheet pan fajitas, you need to cut the chicken before cooking so that it will cook in the same amount of time as your vegetables.
For other cooking methods like grilled chicken fajitas, you can leave the chicken breasts whole and slice them before serving.
The key to flavorful fajitas is in the seasoning. Using a flavorful blend of spices and allowing time for the meat to marinate and absorb the spices will help produce tender, flavorful meat. Also, using fresh ingredients like garlic and lime juice will improve the flavor.
You can also cook the marinated chicken and vegetables on the stovetop if you prefer.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Then add your chicken and vegetables and cook for around 9-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
This recipe is perfect for making a large batch to feed a crowd or for meal prep. The leftover chicken and veggies are great for tons of things, like burrito bowls, adding to quesadillas, or topping nachos and salads.
For larger batches, simply adjust the ingredient quantities as needed and cook as directed.
If you need to use more than one pan, I recommend using separate pans for the veggies and the chicken. That will allow you a little more control over the cooking of each item.
More Mexican Recipies
📖 Recipe
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 3 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
Seasoning Mix
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 cloves minced garlic, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice, 1-2 limes
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with foil.
- Combine ¼ cup of olive oil and the remaining ingredients for the seasoning mix in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add chicken strips then stir until well coated. If time allows cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight.
- Toss the onions and peppers in the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the chicken and vegetables onto the sheet pan in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then change the oven setting to broil and cook on high for about 5 more minutes until the vegetables begin to brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with warm tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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