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    🏠Home » Recipes » Mexican Recipes

    Chicken Fajita Marinade Recipe

    Mar 25, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · Last modified: Nov 28, 2023 · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe - TOC - Print

    This easy Chicken Fajitas Marinade Recipe has a wonderful taste and fits nicely in a low-calorie or low-fat, healthy diet. Enjoy some incredible homemade fajitas tonight.

    This is a healthy marinade. When used with chicken breast, it is under 300 calories and about 8 grams of fat. Just follow the simple step-by-step photo instructions.

    🐓Ingredients

    Lime juice
    Olive oil
    Garlic—crushed or minced
    Liquid smoke—optional but recommended
    Pantry ingredients—soy sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
    For severing—chicken, bell peppers, onion, tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, or anything else you like

    chicken fajita on a white plate.
    Jump To:
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Marinated Chicken Fajitas
    • How long to marinade
    • Related Recipes
    • ❄️Storage of Leftovers
    • ❓FAQs
    • Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Featured Comment from Charlene:
    "5 stars. We had these tonight for dinner, and WOW fantastic! I was really curious about the lime, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together and these were amazing!"

    Great fajitas start with a great fajita marinade that will penetrate the meat. We all love chicken fajitas, and now you can easily make this classic Mexican recipe at home from scratch. And yours will be better than the restaurants.

    👨‍🍳How to Make Marinated Chicken Fajitas

    1. Mix chicken marinade. Clean and trim chicken breasts, then marinate for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
    2. Prep the bell peppers and onion. Start to cook in a large skillet, and add soy sauce and lime juice during cooking. Cook until the onion is clearing and browning—8 to 9 minutes. Remove from skillet and cover.
    3. Add more oil to the pan, drain, and add the marinated chicken. Cook until browning some and 165°.
    4. Break up the cooked chicken, add the vegetables back into the chicken, and cook for a few minutes to reheat the vegetables.
    5. Serve hot with tortillas and toppings.

    For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

    How long to marinade

    The marinade will work reasonably quickly—as little as 10-15 minutes will give lots of good flavor.

    Like many marinades, longer is usually better. So, 2 hours will get every bit of flavor, and you can leave it longer, up to 8 hours, but longer can damage the meat due to the acid in the lime juice.

    Related Recipes

    Don't miss the other chicken fajita recipes, like Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, Grilled Chicken Fajitas, and Chicken Fajita Quesadillas.

    Check out other easy marinade recipes, like Easy Chicken Marinade, Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Breasts, Chicken Marinade with Lemon, Garlic, and Butter, and The Best Steak Marinade.

    ❄️Storage of Leftovers

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days—reheat covered in the oven or on the stovetop. A microwave will change the texture of the chicken.

    The chicken will freeze well, but the cooked vegetables will lose texture if frozen.

    ❓FAQs

    How to serve chicken fajitas?

    We are all familiar with the sizzling presentation at the restaurant. Move that skillet to the table and serve on warm tortillas and toppings. Typical toppings are cheddar or Mexican cheese, salsa, pico de Gallo, slices of jalapeno, sour cream, or guacamole,

    How to warm tortillas?

    Warm tortillas in a foil pack in the oven. Or, in the microwave, give them a light sprinkle of a few drops of water, wrap them in a thin dish towel, and microwave a stack for 10-20 seconds.

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    ↑Jump to Table of Contents

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes, Mexican Recipes

    Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

    Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    seasoning for marinade.

    Start by mixing a marinade in a 1-gallon zip lock. 2 tablespoons lime juice, 4 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional), ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/ 4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1-2 cloves of garlic crushed.

    raw chicken breasts sliced on a white board.

    Clean and trim about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into strips about ½ inch thick.

    chicken in the marinade in a bag.

    Add to the marinade for about 15 minutes, but refrigerated for 2 hours is better. Do not marinade for more than 8 hours.

    chopped onion with red and green pepper on a black board.

    Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron pan and heat over medium-high heat. While heating, slice up a large onion and two peppers. Mix 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a small bowl.

    cooking peppers and onions in a cast iron skillet.

    When the oil is hot, add the veggies, and after a few minutes, add the water, soy sauce, and lime mixture. When onions are clearing and starting to brown (about 8-9 minutes), remove from pan, set aside, and cover.

    cooking chicken in the skillet.

    Add a little oil to the pan. When hot, add the drained chicken and brown. Near the end of cooking, break apart the chicken with a wooden spoon. This will make much smaller pieces and prove the meat is cooked. Check a few large pieces with an instant-read thermometer to be sure you are at 165°—about 8-9 minutes.

    cooked chicken with peppers and onion in cast iron skillet.

    When the chicken is done, add the veggies back to the pan. Cook and stir for a minute or two until the veggies are reheated.

    chicken fajita on a white plate.

    Serve hot in the skillet with heated tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, and anything else you like. An easy way to heat tortillas is to sprinkle a dish towel with some water, put them inside, and heat them in a microwave.

    ↑Jump to Table of Contents

    📖 Recipe

    Close up image of a chicken fajita on a white plate

    Chicken Fajita Marinade Recipe

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    This easy Chicken Fajitas Marinade Recipe has a wonderful taste and fits nicely in a low-calorie or low-fat, healthy diet. Enjoy some incredible homemade fajitas tonight.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.70 from 13 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 ½ to 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - cut into thin slices or cubes. Thighs are fine.

    Marinade

    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • 4 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke - optional
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - adjust for heat
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1-2 cloves garlic - crushed

    Veggies

    • 1 teaspoon oil
    • 1 pepper - large or 2 medium - green or red
    • 1 onion - large
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice

    Serving

    • 4-6 flour tortillas
    • cheese - usually cheddar
    • sour cream
    • salsa
    • Guacamole
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start by mixing a marinade in a 1-gallon zip lock. 2 tablespoons lime juice, 4 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional), ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/ 4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1-2 cloves of garlic crushed.
      seasoning for marinade
    • Clean and trim about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into strips about ½ inch thick.
      raw chicken breasts sliced on a white board
    • Add to the marinade for about 15 minutes, but refrigerated for 2 hours is better. Do not marinade for more than 6 hours.
      chicken in the marinade in a bag
    • Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron pan and heat over medium-high heat. While heating, slice up a large onion and two peppers. Mix 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a small bowl.
      chopped onion with red and green pepper on a black board
    • When the oil is hot, add the veggies, and after a few minutes, add the water, soy sauce, and lime mixture. When onions are clearing and starting to brown (about 8-9 minutes), remove from pan and set aside and cover.
      cooking peppers and onions in a cast iron skillet
    • Add a little oil to the pan. When hot, add the drained chicken and brown. Near the end of cooking, break apart the chicken with a wooden spoon. This will make much smaller pieces and prove the meat is cooked. Check a few large pieces with an instant-read thermometer to be sure you are at 165°—about 8-9 minutes.
      cooking chicken in the skillet
    • When the chicken is done, add the veggies back to the pan. Cook and stir for a minute or two until the veggies are reheated.
      cooked chicken with peppers and onion in cast iron skillet
    • Serve hot in the skillet with heated tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, and anything else you like. An easy way to heat tortillas is to sprinkle a dish towel with some water, put the tortillas inside, and heat them in a microwave.
      chicken fajita on a white plate
    Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Lime juice is important. The liquid smoke is not. If you use liquid smoke (I do suggest it), it must be of good quality.
    2. This has a touch of heat. Cut down the cayenne if you want.
    3. You can use chicken breasts or thighs.
    4. Raw chicken only here. This is not a recipe for pre-cooked chicken.
    5. Fajitas are good refrigerated and reheated for up to 4 days.
    6. Nutrition is meat and veggies only. No toppings or tortillas. And ⅓ of the marinade is counted as absorbed, which is probably too high.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 293.8 kcal (15%)Carbohydrates : 3.6 g (1%)Protein : 48.8 g (98%)Fat : 8.1 g (12%)Saturated Fat : 1.5 g (8%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 1.3 gMonounsaturated Fat : 3.2 gTrans Fat : 0.03 gCholesterol : 145.2 mg (48%)Sodium : 547.6 mg (23%)Potassium : 905.5 mg (26%)Fiber : 0.7 g (3%)Sugar : 1.3 g (1%)Vitamin A : 176.6 IU (4%)Vitamin C : 6.3 mg (8%)Calcium : 23 mg (2%)Iron : 1 mg (6%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Mexican

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published May 3, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Molly sunning herself.

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    About Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Hi, welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. I'm DrDan, I'm a board certified physician and a lover of cooking delicious easy recipes I have perfected at home for two or larger household. As an award winning educator, let me guide you to finding the joys of cooking everyday food at home.
    Read more About DrDan | Subscribe to the Newsletters

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    1. Gail

      May 13, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      Can I use bottled lime juice?

      Reply
    2. Fran

      April 29, 2021 at 10:52 am

      Your new website is almost as good as your recipes......and that means it is great! Thank you for everything.....keep on cooking....for two of course.

      Reply
    3. Catherine

      April 28, 2021 at 10:10 am

      5 stars
      Dr Dan, this recipe sounds and looks delicious. I’ve pinned it under my Mexican food pin and will be trying it soon.
      I read every word of your text regarding the new website and not sure what you meant as the “reminder”? The site looks great and have no thoughts of unsubscribing.....your recipes are a staple here. Thanks for making them available. Catherine

      Reply
    4. Darice T

      May 05, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      I always make a mixture of chicken and steak when making Fajitas. It tastes great and there is no deciding between the two.

      Reply
    5. Ziyi

      May 07, 2019 at 3:21 am

      5 stars
      I love exploring tortilla with different fillings and this turned out to be so good! Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Charlene

      May 05, 2019 at 12:58 am

      5 stars
      We had these tonight for dinner and WOW fantastic! I was really curious about the lime, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together and these were amazing! Highly recommend, nice to have had the meat prepared ahead of time so dinner went together in a snap. Thanks Dr. Dan - another great recipe!

      Reply
    7. Lara

      April 29, 2019 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Delicious on the grill, too. Having that slightly charred taste ramps up the flavor even more, and no skillet to clean!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        May 01, 2019 at 12:42 pm

        Hi Lara,
        I agree, the grill does add something special.
        Thanks for the note and rating.
        DrDan

    8. Marsha

      October 08, 2014 at 10:09 pm

      Does the T stand for teaspoon or table spoon? Thanks

      Reply
      • DrDan

        October 08, 2014 at 10:16 pm

        T is tablespoon and t is teaspoon. I just moved the FAQ section onto the main part of the menu bar to help.
        DrDan

    9. Chris

      May 09, 2012 at 8:30 pm

      I love fajitas, probably one of my favorite meals from the grill.

      I have to have a little cumin in mine, one of the definitive flavors in the profile.

      Reply

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