This crock pot chicken fajitas recipe is tender and flavorful, made with raw or rotisserie chicken, peppers, and onions plus salsa and fajita seasoning. Just load the slow cooker and let it make dinner for you—easy, juicy, and foolproof.
⏰ Quick Answer: How Long to Cook Chicken Fajitas in a Crock Pot
Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for around 2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the veggies are tender.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- TL;DR: Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
- 🐓 Ingredients You'll Need
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
- ⏱️ Cooking Time & Temperature
- 🧂 Seasoning & Flavor Tips
- 🐓 Cooking Tips for the Best Results
- 🍗 Rotisserie Chicken Option
- ↕️ Scaling the Recipe and Crock Pot Sizes
- 🍽️ Serving Ideas
- 🐓 Chicken Fajita Recipes
- ❄️ Storage & Reheating
- ❓ 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!"
TL;DR: Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
What it is: Tex-Mex chicken fajitas with tender, flavorful chicken, peppers, and onions slow-cooked with salsa and fajita seasoning.
Why you’ll love it: Minimal prep, juicy, foolproof results—and a rotisserie chicken shortcut for faster cooking.
How to make it: Add everything to the crock pot, cook on low about 4 hours or high 2 hours, shred, and serve in tortillas.
Jump to the Recipe Card or keep reading for pro tips and options.
🐓 Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless breasts, thighs, or even chicken tenders. For precooked chicken, see the Rotisserie Chicken Option below.
- Bell peppers and onions: Slice into ½-inch strips so they keep shape.
- Salsa: Adds Tex-Mex flavor—use mild or spicy to taste.
- Fajita seasoning: Homemade or packet works fine (see recipe card).
- Tortillas and toppings.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
1. Prepare Chicken: Trim and cut into chunks for even cooking.
2. Prepare Vegetables: Slice bell peppers into ½-inch strips and onions into rings.
3. Combine in crock pot: Mix salsa with fajita seasoning in the cooker. Add chicken and coat well, then top with vegetables.
4. Cook: Low 4 hours or High 2 hours — until chicken reaches 165°F and veggies are tender.
5. Shred: Lift chicken from the slow cooker, shred, then return briefly to soak up juices.
6. 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
Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for around 2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the vegetables are tender.
Thinner cuts, like sliced chicken breasts or tenders, will cook faster depending on thickness, so start checking the internal temperature early.
For the most tender results, thighs can cook a bit longer (up to 180°F), but breasts and tenders are perfect at 165°F.
✅ Pro Tip: For food safety, the USDA recommends cooking chicken to 165°F measured at the thickest part. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure.
🧂 Seasoning & Flavor Tips
- Use homemade fajita seasoning for fresher flavor—chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Packet seasoning works fine; just check sodium if you’re sensitive. Taco seasoning also works in a pinch.
- Try a salsa swap for variety: smoky chipotle, salsa verde, or mild pico.
- Add the juice of one lime before cooking for extra brightness.
- Want heat? Toss in sliced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne.
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🐓 Cooking Tips for the Best Results
- Use any cut: Breasts, thighs, or tenders all work well.
- Cut options: Cut chicken into chunks for shredding, or slice into ¼-inch strips across the grain for faster cooking and no shredding needed.
- Add peppers late (last hour) if you want them firmer.
- Drain excess liquid before serving for thicker fajitas.
- For a restaurant-style finish: Spread drained fajitas on a sheet pan and broil or sear briefly to crisp the edges and concentrate flavor.
🍗 Rotisserie Chicken Option
If you’re starting with rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken, cook the salsa, seasoning, peppers, and onions first on low for about 2 hours (or high for 1 hour) until the vegetables are tender.
Then stir in the shredded chicken and cook another 15–20 minutes, just until everything is hot and coated with sauce.
Use about 3 cups of shredded chicken to replace 1 pound of raw chicken.
↕️ Scaling the Recipe and Crock Pot Sizes
- 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: Use a 6-quart or larger cooker.
- Cooking time stays the same, but smaller recipes in larger cookers may finish a little faster.
- Use the serving slider in the recipe card to auto-adjust ingredient amounts.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Finish with sizzle: Drain well, then spread fajitas on a sheet pan and broil or sear briefly to crisp the edges and deepen flavor.
- Classic fajitas: Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings like salsa, cheese, or sour cream.
- Fajita bowls: Spoon over rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa for a lighter meal.
- Salad topping: Add to fresh greens with a little salsa as dressing.
- Leftovers: Great for quesadillas, nachos, or burrito filling the next day.,
🐓 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
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave until hot.
❓ FAQs
No. The slow cooker heats too slowly for frozen chicken to reach a safe temperature quickly enough. Always thaw chicken before cooking.
That’s normal — it’s moisture from the chicken and peppers. Drain before serving if you prefer a thicker filling or crisp it under the broiler for a few minutes.
Yes. It’s naturally low in fat and calories, especially if you use lean chicken and skip heavy toppings.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas (Slow Cooker, Juicy & Flavorful)
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
- 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 about 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours. It is done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 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 any type of chicken you like. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs. Thighs will need to be cooked a bit longer, to about 180°.
- Rotisserie chicken instructions are in the post.
- 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 crockpot. A half recipe will work in a 2-quart crock pot.
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 refreshed photos, a faster rotisserie option, simplified instructions, and a new layout for easier 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