June 13, 2016

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

by Natalie

These easy, flavorful, sheet pan chicken fajitas are sure to become a favorite! They’re oven-roasted to perfection!

I love a quick and simple dinner. These sheet pan fajitas are just that! They only take a few minutes to prep and the rest is done in the oven. Meanwhile, you can whip up some of our favorite spanish rice and a bowl of homemade guacamole!

Easy Sheet Pan Fajitas

We’ve made these fajitas at least 7 times over the past few months. I think it’s safe to say they’re a favorite. They take a little extra prep work (meaning you’ve gotta slice up peppers, onions, and chicken) but other than that, they’re a breeze.

A few things I love about these sheet pan fajitas is everything is cooked on the same sheet pan so all the flavors blend together. It is pretty healthy with all the veggies and protein. You don’t have to babysit it at the stove. And you have fewer dishes to do after dinner!!

How to Make Chicken Fajitas

Prep

You can marinate the chicken overnight in a liquid marinade but I prefer to use a dry rub. I prefer it because I usually forget to marinate my chicken in advance plus, dry rubs work better than liquid marinades! We want the moisture from the chicken to evaporate quickly so it will sear well and create a delicious caramelized crust. Adding moisture (marinade) makes getting that crispy sear more difficult.

Begin by chopping the bell peppers, onions and chicken. Here’s a quick tip for cutting raw chicken; use a sharp knife that is not serrated. Make a clean cut rather than a sawing motion.

And with peppers and onions, we want to cut them in long strips, so cut the top of the bell pepper off and then place that side of the pepper down on the cutting board. Then make four cuts to remove the outside flesh close to the core. Then discard the core while also trying to remove all seeds that have fallen off. Take those larger pieces and cut into long strips

Roast

While doing all your prep work, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place your baking sheet in the oven so it is nice and hot!

When it is hot, place your bell peppers and onions on the sheet. Spread them out evenly across the pan and roast them for 8 minutes. (Warming the pan before adding the veggies gives you less of a risk that the veggies stick and burn on the pan.)

While the veggies are roasting, mix the chicken and seasonings (dry rub). You can use the store-bought version if you are looking for a short cut!

Add the chicken to the pan (making sure to separate the pieces of chicken so they don’t stick together) and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are roasted and the fajitas are golden brown!

After it comes out of the oven squeeze some lime juice over top (add a touch of freshly chopped cilantro) and it’s ready to be devoured- and trust me it will!

Serve

I like to put my fajitas in a flour tortilla, but you can use corn or omit the tortilla altogether if you are trying to eat keto/low carb! Then I like to top it with cheese, sour cream, salsa and lettuce.

FAQs

How to control the spice level? If you are concerned about the spice level you can decrease the amount of chili powder and chili flakes. This might be something to consider if you’re making it for kiddos.

Can you put whole pieces of chicken on the pan? If you choose to not cut the raw chicken just make sure to cook until the chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that it reaches 165 degrees.

Can this be made in the crockpot? Yes, you can make this in the crockpot. Cover the bottom of the pot with a can of diced tomatoes and then the boneless chicken breasts and then the sliced veggies. Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours then you can cut or shred the chicken. Just cook until the chicken is done and the veggies are tender. This is a great option but you will miss out on the caramelized texture of the chicken and roasted flavor of the veggies!

Can this be made in the Instant Pot? Toss the chicken in the dry rub and then place the chicken strips on the stainless steel insert in the instant pot with a little oil on the bottom. Top with sliced peppers and add a ½ cup of water. Then set to manual high pressure for 10 minutes and after that quick release the pressure.

Toppings and Side Ideas

I’m not going to lie. We could eat these every week and I’d be totally fine with that. They’re insanely flavorful and you can easily customize them by adding whatever toppings you’d like.

Toppings:

Sliced black olives
Jalapenos
Queso fresco
Monterey jack cheese
Avocado
Sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa
Cilantro

We love to serve these fajitas with:

How to Store + Make Ahead

This recipe is definitely best fresh but you can do some of the prep work ahead of time! You can chop the veggies and chicken, the night before or the morning of, and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Or you can even chop them and freeze them for a future meal, just thaw it in the fridge the night before!

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat either in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop!

Just know that these are gonna be good and you will soon find this recipe on repeat! Enjoy!!

For more recipes, check out:

4-6 servings