Skillet Chicken Fajitas, or Tacos de Pollo Asado, are easy to make and taste amazing. Tender marinaded chicken thighs in a delicious taco piled high with peppers, onions, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. A Tex-Mex lovers dream come true!
Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Equipment
- glass bowl – for the marinade
- wire whisk
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lime juice – fresh squeezed
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chile powder
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
Chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs
The Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onions – halved and sliced
- ½ red bell pepper – sliced
- ½ yellow bell pepper – sliced
- ½ green bell pepper – sliced
- ½ orange bell pepper – sliced
Tacos
- 8 flour tortillas – warmed
- ½ cup cheese – cheddar or jack, freshly grated
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves – torn
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup Salsa – such as Salsa de Tomate Asado
- 1 fresh jalapeño – sliced thin
Instructions
Marinade the chicken
- In a glass bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lime juice, 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp chile powder, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 3 cloves garlic
- Add chicken thighs to the marinade, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.4 chicken thighs
Cook the chicken
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet. Bring up to medium-high heat.2 tbsp olive oil
- Add the marinaded chicken thighs to the hot oil.
- Brown the chicken on all sides.
- Add remaining marinade, and continue cooking and turning the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Remove the chicken thighs, and set aside.
- Add the vegetables to the hot oil, which should now be infused with marinade. Toss the vegetables in the skillet until soft and beginning to brown.1 medium yellow onions, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1/2 orange bell pepper
- Cut the chicken thighs into ½ inch slices. Add them back to the pan with the vegetables. Sauté for a minute to reheat the chicken with the vegetables.
- Remove to a serving tray.
Make the tacos
- Warm flour tortillas on a comal.8 flour tortillas
- Use tongs to fill each tortilla with chicken and vegetables. Add toppings such as cheese, cilantro, sour cream, refried beans, jalapeños or salsa.1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup Salsa, 1 fresh jalapeño
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Marinade
Marinading the chicken and vegetables is the secret to amazingly flavored skillet chicken fajitas. This is the same fajita marinade I use to make Fajitas Arracheras – traditional beef skirt steak fajitas. I make it exactly the same way every time, and it is always delicious.
Cook the marinated chicken first. Then add the marinade to the hot skillet before the vegetables. This will impart the marinade flavor to the vegetables too.
Browning the chicken and vegetables
To get the best browning of the chicken and the vegetables, use a large skillet. Don’t overcrowd the chicken thighs. This allows for the chicken thighs to properly brown. Wait until the chicken browns before adding the remaining marinade. Spread the vegetables out as much as possible so they will brown, too.
Skillet or grill
If it’s nice outside, grill the chicken thighs over mesquite. Chicken fajitas are even better this way! See my char-grilled chicken recipe for tips.
Pairings
Skillet chicken fajitas pair perfectly with fresh guacamole, Mexican rice, and frijoles charros.
Is it really a fajita?
I prefer to call skillet chicken fajitas ‘Tacos de Pollo Asado’, which means ‘roasted chicken tacos’. Real fajitas are made with beef skirt-steak. Whatever you call them, they are delicious!
Related Recipes
Salsa de Tomate Asado
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