Slow cooker chicken fajitas are tender, juicy, and loaded with bell peppers, onions, and bold fajita seasoning. Just let the crock pot handle the cooking while you go about your day, then shred the chicken and pile it into warm tortillas.
The chicken cooks in the slow cooker with salsa and spices until it's tender and flavorful. Near the end, you'll shred it right in the pot and let it soak up all that Tex-Mex goodness before serving.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 💛 Why I Love This Recipe
- 🐓 Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- ⏱ Cooking Time & Temperature
- 🐓 Chicken Tips
- 🧂 Seasoning Tips & Variations
- 🤔 Tips for the Best Results
- ↕️ Adjusting the Recipe Size
- 🍽️ Serving Ideas
- 🐓 Chicken Fajita Recipes
- ❄️ Storage & Reheating Leftovers
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Laurie:
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"I made this a few days ago and we loved it. It was tasty, not too spicy and simple to prepare. The only problem with it is the favorable smell went thru the house!"
💛 Why I Love This Recipe
- Versatile: Use any chicken you like - precooked rotisserie, breasts, thighs, or even tenders.
- Hands-off cooking: The slow cooker does almost all the work while you go about your day.
- Big flavor, minimal effort: Salsa and fajita spices infuse every bite with Tex-Mex goodness.
- Perfect for meal prep: Great fresh, but also reheats and freezes beautifully for later.
- Flexible size: Adjust the recipe to fit a mini 2-quart crock pot or a full-size cooker.
🐓 Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Chicken: skinless boneless breasts, thighs, or chicken tenders
Bell peppers and onions
Salsa
Seasoning: Use packaged fajita seasoning or homemade fajita seasoning (preferred)-chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Serving: Tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheese, other toppings
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
1. Prepare Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken: Trim and cut into chunks.
If using precooked chicken: Shred or chop and set aside for later.
Vegetables: Slice bell peppers into ½-inch strips and onions into thin rings.
2. Mix in the Slow Cooker
Combine: In the slow cooker, mix salsa with fajita seasoning.
Add: Place raw chicken in the sauce and coat well, then top with the vegetables.
3. Cook
Raw chicken: Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2½-3 hours, until chicken reaches 165°F.
Precooked chicken: Cook vegetables and sauce on their own, then stir in chicken during the last 30 minutes to heat through.
✅ Pro Tip: Chicken shreds easiest when fully cooked. For breasts and tenders, that's 165°F. For thighs, while safe at 165°F, they're most tender at 180°+.
✏️ Rotisserie chicken note: When cooking vegetables and sauce without raw chicken, they will cook faster - usually about ¾ of the recommended time. Check at around the halfway point, then cook until veggies are tender but not overcooked. Add the chicken during the last 30 minutes to heat through.
4. Shred and Serve
Remove chicken: Use a slotted spoon to lift chicken from the slow cooker.
Shred: Place on a cutting board or in a bowl, shred, then return briefly to the pot to soak up juices.
Serve: Spoon into warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏱ Cooking Time & Temperature
- Raw chicken: Low for 4-6 hours or high for 2½-3 hours, until chicken reaches 165°F.
- Chicken thighs: Safe at 165°F, but most tender at 180°+.
- Precooked chicken: Add during the last 30 minutes, just long enough to heat through.
🐓 Chicken Tips
- Use skinless boneless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders.
- Thighs are more forgiving and stay moist; breasts are leaner but still tender if cooked to temp.
- Rotisserie swap: About 1 pound of raw chicken equals roughly 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
- For the best texture, cut raw chicken into chunks so it cooks evenly and shreds easily.
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🧂 Seasoning Tips & Variations
- Homemade seasoning: Mix chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder for bold, fresh flavor.
- Packet seasoning: Store-bought fajita or taco seasoning works, but may have fillers and less flavor.
- Salsa swap: Change the flavor profile with smoky salsa, salsa verde, or mild vs. hot varieties.
- Citrus boost: Add the juice of one lime before cooking for extra brightness.
- Heat level: Adjust spice by using hotter salsa, adding jalapeños, or a pinch of cayenne.
🤔 Tips for the Best Results
- Check doneness: Use an instant-read thermometer - chicken breasts and tenders should reach 165°F; thighs are safe at 165°F but most tender at 180°+.
- Cut for structure: Slice peppers and onions into ½-inch strips so they hold their shape during cooking.
- Crispier veggies: Add peppers in the last hour of cooking.
- Finish with sizzle: For extra flavor, heat a skillet with a few teaspoons of oil over medium-high. After draining well, sear for a few minutes - or spread on a sheet pan and broil briefly.
↕️ Adjusting the Recipe Size
- Half batch: Fits in a 2-quart mini crock pot - perfect for smaller households.
- Full batch: Works in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
- Double batch: Fits in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Cooking time stays the same, but smaller recipes in larger cookers may finish faster - check early and monitor chicken temperature.
- To scale up or down: Adjust the number of servings in the recipe card, then use the ingredient amounts shown there (not in the step-by-step instructions).
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Classic fajitas: Warm flour or corn tortillas with shredded cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and lime wedges.
- Fajita bowls: Serve over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice with beans, salsa, and avocado.
- Salad topping: Spoon over crisp greens with salsa as dressing.
- Party platter: Drain well, then keep warm in the slow cooker and let guests build their own fajitas.
- Side dish ideas: Pair with refried beans, black beans, or Mexican rice.
🐓 Chicken Fajita Recipes
Other chicken fajita recipes you may like:
- Easy Chicken Fajitas - Stovetop recipe with a flavorful marinade.
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas - Oven-baked with minimal cleanup.
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas - Smoky and quick on the grill.
- Chicken Fajita Quesadillas - A cheesy twist using fajita filling.
❄️ Storage & Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months - thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Microwave, stovetop, or oven until hot.
- Leftover ideas: Chop and use for nachos, quesadillas, or as a cold topping for a green salad.
❓ FAQs
Yes. They fit well with many healthy diets, including low-calorie and low-fat diets. For keto or low-carb, serve in lettuce leaves.
For gluten-free, most corn tortillas work, or serve over a salad or rice bowl. Always check ingredients for hidden gluten or additives.
No. Frozen chicken can be unsafe in a slow cooker because it may not reach a safe temperature quickly enough. There's also a risk of cracking ceramic inserts.
It will take longer to cook, which can overcook the vegetables. Always thaw chicken before adding it to the crock pot.
Discard it - it's mostly moisture released from the chicken and bell peppers.
📖The Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas (Juicy & Tender)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1½-2 pounds Chicken - breasts, tenders, or thighs
- ¾ cup Salsa
- 2-3 Bell peppers - color of your choice
- 1 Onion - large sliced thin
- 1 envelop Fajita seasoning - OR make your own
- tortillas and toppings for serving
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare Chicken and Vegetables
- Trim 1½-2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders.
- Slice 2-3 bell peppers, color of your choice, and 1 large onion into ½-inch slices.
Mix in the Slow Cooker
- Add ¾ cup salsa to a smaller crock pot (3-quart or larger). Stir in either the fajita seasoning packet OR 4 teaspoons of chili powder with 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cumin. Mix well and spread evenly over the bottom.
- Add chicken to the salsa, coat the chicken, and then top with all the veggies.
Cook
- Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2½-3 hours. It is done when the chicken is 165°F and the vegetables are tender. If using thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 180°F.
Shred and Serve
- Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot for 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavor.
- Remove the fajitas from the crock pot with a slotted spoon and discard excess fluid. Serve with tortillas, on salads, or rice bowls.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use the chicken you like. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Thighs will need to be cooked a bit longer, to about 180°.
- You can use precooked chicken, cut up or shredded. Use 3-4 cups, place it in the crockpot, and mix well when the vegetables are tender. The vegetables will cook 25%-50% faster without raw chicken, so check early.
- This recipe fits nicely in a 3-quart crockpot, but can be cooked in a larger one-it will cook faster.
- If you're making a double batch, use a 6-quart or larger crock pot. A half recipe will work in a 2-quart crock pot.
- Cooking time varies due to crockpot variations. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°, and the vegetables are tender.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published July 30, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Nancy says
very good
Laurie says
I made this a few days ago and we loved it. It was tasty, not too spicy and simple to prepare. The only problem with it is the favorable smell went thru the house! We had some leftover to freeze which made us very happy!
Thank you!
marcy youker says
love your recipes, I usually cut them down for 2, thanks, keep up the good work!
Johnny says
How wide do you slice your chicken strips? Yours look pretty wide in the photo. Also, yours look a lot longer than 1" in the photo. Is the idea to cut them into eatable strips before cooking like you would if you were making fajitas in a skillet, or do you cut the chicken up a bit after it has cooked? By the way, I love your Easy Chicken Fajitas, but I just wanted to try them in the crockpot. Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Johnny,
Welcome to the blog. I break up the chicken some after cooking with a spoon. My wife likes what she calls "chunky shred". But cut them up a bit before cooking if you want.
Dan