This savory, flavorful, and juicy Grilled Chicken Fajitas Recipe is an utter delight! Sizzling, tender chicken breast soak up a Mexican-inspired marinade then grilled until charred and succulent. Slice the grilled chicken thin and wrap it in warm tortillas with grilled veggies. The perfect light, feel-good dinner with deliciously bold Tex-Mex flavor…an instant favorite!
Recipe first posted on March 11 2010 and last updated with clearer instructions on April 29, 2024.
My father came to visit last week and a few days before he was to arrive I asked if he had any special requests. “Pizza. And something Mexican would be great!”
Something Mexican hmmm… I always make tostadas and tacos and chicken tortilla soup. I just made pozole and sopa de albondigas last week and I’m not feeling enchiladas.
Ah yes, fajitas—chicken fajitas. Why I always forget about homemade fajitas I can’t tell you because they are something everyone loves plus they’re really easy to marinate and throw on the grill with no complicated techniques or hard to find ingredients. We’ve got ourselves a win-win situation!
The secret to a great chicken fajita recipe starts with the best chicken fajita marinade. I have a whole bunch of different fajita marinades that I like, from citrus to soy-sriracha, there are so many options.
This one relies heavily on dried spices like coriander, cumin, and dried oregano, plus fresh garlic and lime juice that elevates the juicy chicken and gives it depth.
✨If you love fajitas, you’ll love my carne asada tacos recipe! ✨
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Great Recipe
- Uses simple, basic ingredients available at any grocery store
- Marinade comes together easily
- Chicken stays moist and juicy
- Flavors are balanced and not super spicy
- Solid, tried-and-true Tex-Mex fajita recipe
- Healthy! A light and satisfying dinner full of protein and fresh veggies
Are Fajitas Mexican?
No, you won’t find fajitas like these if you travel to Mexico, except in restaurants specializing in American food. Fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish first made a century ago by cattle ranchers who would thinly slice the lesser cuts of beef (skirt steak, flank steak, etc) to make them more tender and less chewy. The dish made its way into Tex-Mex restaurants and onto sizzling platters which became so popular that the term “fajitas” now means anything marinated in lime juice and chili powder and served on a wickedly hot cast iron skillet.
We are going to use a grill for this recipe, but if you don’t have a grill or want to cook inside, you can take a cue from your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and use a cast iron skillet instead.
Grilled Chicken Fajitas Recipe Ingredients
See recipe card for full list of ingredients.
- Chicken: I’m using boneless, skinless chicken breasts here because sometimes I like that cleaner flavor, it allows the marinade to shine through. You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you want a richer, fattier flavor.
- Lime juice: fresh-squeezed for the marinade, plus a few more lime wedges for serving.
- Spices: kosher salt, coriander, black pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin
- Veggies: any of the following veggies would work great! Red onion, yellow onion, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, jalapeños.
- Warm tortillas: flour tortillas are traditional for fajitas but substitute corn tortillas if you’d like.
- Favorite Toppings: serve with slices of ripe avocado then add a sprinkle of cilantro or scallions, add a dollop of sour cream, a squirt of hot sauce, lime juice, or make a batch of pickled red onions for an extra kick! Add salsa and guacamole if you like.
- Optional Sauces: I always make a batch of pico de gallo to go with the fajitas but if you want to swap that or make an additional sauce try my charred jalapeño avocado crema or cilantro-mango habanero salsa.
How To Make These Delicious Chicken Fajitas
step one
Marinate the chicken. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag. The longer you can let them sit in the marinade, the better but give it at least an hour.
step two
Heat grill. About 30 minutes before you’d like to begin grilling, pull the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, about 450-500 degrees F and clean the grill grates. This is also a good time to season the veggies. Place them in a large bowl and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
step three
Grill chicken. Place chicken on the preheated grill, draining and discarding any excess marinade. Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until it has nice grill marks and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove from the grill and cover with foil while the veggies cook.
step four
Grill veggies. Place veggies on the hot grill and cook until lightly charred and tender.
step five
Slice and serve. Slice chicken and veggies into thin strips and serve with warm tortillas and all the toppings.
✨Serve these delicious fajitas with my crock pot borracho beans ✨
Chef Tips
- This is a standard marinade that can be used with any type of meat. If you prefer steak fajitas, substitute 1 1/2-2 pounds strip steak or flank steak for the chicken breast. The grill time will vary depending on the thickness of the meat but roughly about 4-5 minutes per side.
- I like to cut the vegetables in large pieces to prevent them from falling through the grates and then slice them thinner after grilling. You can also use a grill basket if that’s easier.
- If your grill is large enough you can place chicken on one side of the grill and the veggies on the other to cook at the same time.
Top 5 Most Popular Grilling Recipes
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Grilled Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Chicken marinated with coriander and cumin and grilled along with sweet bell peppers and onions. Dairy and gluten free!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 3-inch slices
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 3-inch slices
- 2 large jalapeños (optional, substitute another sweet pepper if you don't like spice)
- tortillas, avocado and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Combine the 4 chicken breasts, juice from 1 lime, the 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, the 2 cloves chopped garlic, the 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, the 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the 1 teaspoon dried oregano, the 1 teaspoon salt, the 1 teaspoon cumin, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or up to a day in advance.
- 30 minutes before grilling remove chicken from the refrigerator. Heat outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Clean and brush grates with oil. While grill is heating, toss the 1 large onion, red and green peppers, and whole jalapenos in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken on the preheated grill, draining & discarding any excess marinade. Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through with beautifully charred grill marks. Transfer to a plate or small baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm while the vegetables cook.
- Place vegetables on the grill, turning every few minutes, until tender, about 10 minutes total. Slice chicken and vegetables into thin strips. Serve with warm tortillas, avocado slices and lime wedges.
Notes
- No Grill? No Problem! If you don't have a grill, cook the chicken and veggies in a hot cast-iron skillet on the stovetop just like they do at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.
- Get Creative: Experiment with your favorite toppings! Sliced avocado, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and fresh salsas are all delicious additions.
- Steak Substitute: This marinade also works great with flank steak or skirt steak. See Chef Tips for grilling times.
- Warm those tortillas! For the best fajita experience, warm your tortillas on a skillet or directly over a gas flame before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 29g
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I’m serving fajitas this Sunday. I love the variety of meats and salsas and side dishes. Mexican food is really the best, and all of my friends love cilantro! Yours are beautiful. I making sous vide flank stead and also pork belly chorizo for the meats. Then all of the good grilled veggies as well. Hopefully THIS year my husband doesn’t have too many margaritas!!!
Oh wow Mimi, sounds delicious! Good luck with the margaritas 🙂