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    🏠Home » Recipes » Mexican Recipes

    Easy Chicken Fajitas with Simple Marinade

    Mar 25, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 11 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.67 from 12 votes

    This Easy Chicken Fajitas recipe uses a simple marinade for a wonderful taste and fits nicely in a low-calorie or low-fat, healthy diet. Enjoy some incredible homemade fajitas tonight.

    Close up image of a chicken fajita on a white plate
    Jump To:
    • 👍Why you should try this recipe
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Chicken Fajitas
    • ✔️Tips
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Storage of Leftovers
    • 📖Chicken Fajita Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
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    The key to why this recipe is so good is the marinade. Most home recipes are some dry spice mix from the store. It is just not acceptable after you try this.

    👍Why you should try this recipe

    • 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.
    • The "secret" to this recipe is the fajita marinade. Using a liquid that will penetrate slices of chicken instead of dry spices on a whole chicken breast, you get outstanding flavor quickly.
    • This is reasonably healthy, with under 300 calories and about 8 grams of fat.
    • Just follow the simple step-by-step photo instructions. You have a new house favorite with only a little work and almost no skill.

    🐓Ingredients

    • Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts
    • Chicken Marinade Ingredients
      • lime juice
      • olive oil
      • kosher salt
      • liquid smoke—optional
      • cayenne pepper—adjust for heat
      • black pepper
      • soy sauce
      • garlic—crushed
    • Bell peppers
    • Onion
    • To cook vegetables—olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice
    • Serving—tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, anything else you like

    👨‍🍳How to Make Chicken Fajitas

    1. Mix chicken marinade. Clean and trim chicken breasts, then marinate for up to 2 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.

    ✔️Tips

    • Fresh chicken is preferred here. Use skinless boneless breasts or thighs. I don't recommend pre-cooked shredded chicken like a rotisserie chicken since you won't take advantage of the marinade.
    • The chicken is cut into strips before marinating to give more surface area for the marinade to penetrate instead of marinating intact chicken breasts.
    • The liquid marinade will penetrate better than dry seasoning on the surface.
    • The ingredients of the marinade are pretty standard outside of the liquid smoke. Skip it if you want, but it adds a nice touch of smoke. If you do use it, it must be of good quality.

    ❓FAQs

    How long to mariade chicken fajitas.

    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 about 5-6 hours but longer can damage the meat due to the acid in the lime juice.

    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 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.

    ❄️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.

    📖Chicken Fajita Recipes

    Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

    Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

    Grilled Chicken Fajitas in 30 Minutes

    Chicken Quesadillas

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    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
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    🖼️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 6 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 and 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 the tortillas inside, and heat them in a microwave.

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    Recipe

    Close up image of a chicken fajita on a white plate

    Easy Chicken Fajitas with Simple Marinade

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    This Easy Chicken Fajitas recipe uses a simple marinade for 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
    4.67 from 12 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
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. You can use chicken breasts or thighs.
    2. Raw chicken only here. This is not a recipe for pre-cooked chicken.
    3. Lime juice is important. The liquid smoke is not. If you use liquid smoke (I do suggest it), it must be of good quality.
    4. This has a touch of heat. Cut down the cayenne if you want.
    5. 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 probable too high.
     
     
    Nutritional information is for chicken and veggies only.

    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

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Chicken Fajitas with Simple Marinade
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 293.8 Calories from Fat 73
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8.1g12%
    Saturated Fat 1.5g8%
    Trans Fat 0.03g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3.2g
    Cholesterol 145.2mg48%
    Sodium 547.6mg23%
    Potassium 905.5mg26%
    Carbohydrates 3.6g1%
    Fiber 0.7g3%
    Sugar 1.3g1%
    Protein 48.8g98%
    Vitamin A 176.6IU4%
    Vitamin C 6.3mg8%
    Calcium 23mg2%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    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.

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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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