It has happened. After months of questions about our favorite Steak Fajitas Marinade, we’ve finally turned it into an adult and kid approved one skillet chicken fajitas!

A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

Our three year old just gave up naps. Well, he’s almost 3 1/2 and guess what, that’s early for my kids. Our oldest napped until she was in kindergarten and would still come home and sleep occasionally and our second daughter napped through most of kindergarten!! I tried to take it away but they were so tired every afternoon! 

Now, I’m not complaining, but it was odd. Daylight savings hit (SERIOUSLY, can we be done with that yet?!) and he just started sleeping in so late he wouldn’t nap. And on top of it he wasn’t eating dinner, so we took away all day time snacks and not only is he eating like a champ (though we did have to keep him busy the first week to break the snack habit), but he’s happier too, go figure!

I personally build my life around meals and snacks but kids really do fine with just their meals sometimes. These adult and kid approved one skillet chicken fajitas are all thanks to the little guy. 

He made the marinade with my help (cooking together often helps kids break their picky eating) and then he DEVOURED dinner that night!! SUCH A WIN!!

A closeup photo ofchicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

All that Citrus

Let’s talk for a minute about the marinade for this chicken. There are three types of citrus juice in it that all work together to build a more complex flavor:

  • orange juice
  • lime juice
  • pineapple juice

Then we have a whole host of spices that combine to make the most scrumptious fajita flavor:

  • garlic powder
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • smoked paprika
  • coriander
  • salt
  • pepper

Chopped cilantro rounds out the marinade with a pop of freshness. The chicken only needs to marinade for 30-90 minutes max. A lot of people think the longer you marinade, the most flavor will soak into the chicken, but that is not the case here. If you marinade much more than 90 minutes, the meat will start to toughen.

Be sure to reserve a 1/4 cup of the marinade for later! Yum!

A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

Peppers and Onions

While the chicken is marinading, get started on the peppers and onions. We like to use a red, green, and orange bell pepper for all the color it adds. They also have varying degrees of sweetness (red being the most sweet and green being the least) which makes for a great combination on your palate. The peppers need to all be cored, seeded and sliced.

We always use a yellow onion for our fajitas because it has that bold onion flava and sweetens so nicely when it is cooked. The onion should also be sliced. We use a little butter and little olive oil to saute the peppers and onions as well as a little of our homemade taco seasoning. It isn’t even detectable other than how much more flavorful the peppers and onions become. It’s a whole new level of goodness!

A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

Eat More “Chikin”

Have you seen those billboards for Chick-Fil-A of cows painting signs encouraging everyone to eat more chicken? They always make me smile. What a clever ad campaign! Once the peppers and onions are cooked, they are removed to a plate and it’s time to cook the “chikin”. You’re welcome cows! Remove the chicken from the marinade, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and places the chicken in the pan. Turn the chicken occasionally to make sure it is cooked through. Then add the reserved marinade and cooked peppers and onions and stir it all together until everything is warm.

A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken and sauteed peppers and onions

Tortillas and Toppings

Let’s just take a minute to talk about how good the cook and serve tortillas are! Holy moly! We buy the huge pack from Costco and find just about any reason to use them. They are delicious with these fajitas! If you prefer just regular precooked tortillas, those get the job done just fine as well!

Everyone in our family likes their fajitas a little different. Some like it just plain with just the chicken, peppers and onions. Others like it loaded with toppings. Here are some of the toppings we like to have on hand:

  • Sour cream pr plain Greek yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Sliced Avocado or Guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Limes
  • Sliced purple onions
  • Jalapenos (fresh preferably…for Cade…too spicy for me!)

A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

Can Fajitas be Frozen?

This recipe makes a great freezer meal! Winning! You can freeze the uncooked meat and marinade in one freezer bag and the peppers and onions in another freezer bag for up to 3 weeks. When you are ready to cook them, allow them to thaw in the fridge and then cook as directed in the instructions.

If you used a Food Saver, they can be frozen completely cooked for up to 3 months.

A photo of a flour tortilla filled with chicken fajita filling, sliced red onions, and sliced avocadoes.

Your whole family is going to gobbling these one skillet chicken fajitas right up! And you’ll only have one pan to clean when you’re done! Woot!

 

More EASY MEXICAN RECIPES:

Looking for more outrageously good Mexican recipes? Here are a few of our faves: 

 

Adult AND Kid Approved One Skillet Chicken Fajitas

4.43 from 7 votes
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Additional Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Description

These juicy, flavorful chicken, peppers and onions fajitas are hands down the best fajitas I've ever had and it all starts with a marinade and a secret in the peppers

Ingredients 

Marinade

  • 1/3 Cup Orange Juice
  • Juice of 1 1/2 limes
  • 1/3 Cup Pineapple Juice
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Canola Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 2 1/2 Teaspoons Cumin
  • 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
  • 4 Chicken Breasts, sliced

Peppers and Onions

  • 1 Red, Orange and Green Bell Peppers, one of each, three peppers total, cored, seeded and sliced
  • 1 Teaspoon Taco Seasoning, homemade
  • 1 Onion, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil, plus more if needed

Toppings

  • Flour Tortillas
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Sour cream
  • Cheese
  • Limes
  • Salsa

Instructions

Marinade

  • In a plastic storage bag or baking dish, whisk together all of the marinade, adding the cilantro at the end.
  • Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade.
  • Add the chicken to the ziploc of marinade, seal and refrigerate for 30-90 minutes
  • Meanwhile, prepare the peppers and onions.
  • Once the peppers and onions are cooked, remove to a plate.
  • Drain the juices off and heat the skillet to medium high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally until cooked.
  • Add the reserved marinade and peppers and onions and cook until everything is hot again. Serve with tortillas and toppings

Peppers and Onions

  • In a cast iron skillet (we prefer this one from Lodge), over medium heat add the butter and oil.
  • Add the peppers and onions and the seasoning.
  • Once the veggies begin cooking, turn the heat to medium low and while stirring occasionally, allow to cook for about 20 minutes or until golden and tender.
  • Remove to a plate

Notes

This makes a really great freezer meal! Just freeze the meat and marinade in one bag, sliced peppers and onions in another for up to 3 weeks. Or if you use a food saver up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 33gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 983mgPotassium: 721mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1188IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Over 500 Family Dinner Recipes Ideas
Cuisine: Mexican

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A photo of a cast iron skillet full of chicken fajita filling - cooked chicken, sauteed peppers and onions, lime wedges, sliced purple onion, and sliced avocados.

Mexican RECIPES

Looking for more delicious Mexican recipes? Try our Best Homemade Quesadillas, Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken, Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas, Smothered Honey Lime Chicken Burritos, Crock Pot Cafe Rio Chicken Copycat, Instant Pot Taco Soup, or Easy Grilled Steak Burrito Bowls!

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