Making homemade Tex-Mex chicken fajitas with all the fixings, including fresh pico de gallo and restaurant-style salsa, brings bold, authentic flavors right to your kitchen. This flavorful combination rivals your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and makes for a satisfying, crowd-pleasing meal.
Jump to:
🧅 The Ingredients
The perfectly balanced ingredients in the marinade and fajita seasoning infuse the chicken with bold, vibrant flavors that consistently deliver restaurant-quality fajitas. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🌶️ Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work wonderfully, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, too. For beef, check out our Authentic Steak Fajitas.
- Marinade and seasoning – We highly recommend making the marinade and seasoning from scratch. Store-bought will work in a pinch, but you won’t get that classic restaurant-style taste.
- Onions – Be sure to cook the onions long enough that they begin to caramelize. This takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Feel free to add other vegetables such as sliced bell peppers. For a little heat, add a seeded jalapeño pepper or serrano pepper.
- Wine – If you prefer not to cook with wine, omit it. You’ll still have amazing taste.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas
- Step 1: Put together the marinade ingredients and pour over chicken in a large baggie
- Step 2: Sauté the onions in a large pot or skillet with oil and soy sauce.
- Step 3: Mix together the rub ingredients, and then sprinkle over the marinated chicken
- Step 4: Grill chicken until 165°F internal temperature is reached.
- Step 5: Cut the chicken into strips.
- Step 6: Heat the fajita skillet and top with onions and sliced chicken
Expert Tip
Grilling the chicken is ideal, but you can also sauté it in a large, sturdy, hot skillet. Grill (or sauté) until browned on the outside (it’s okay if it chars a little, it’s supposed to do that) and nice and juicy on the inside. You want an internal temperature of 165°F. A digital thermometer ensures perfectly cooked chicken.
🔥 How To Serve
- If you want to replicate that Tex-Mex restaurant fajita experience, and serve them sizzling, heat your fajita pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, as you are slicing the chicken. Just before serving, quickly transfer the onions to the hot skillet and then top with the sliced chicken.
- Bring the sizzling pan to the table (on a hot pad or small wooden cutting board), and then give it a nice squeeze of fresh lime. The sizzle will dazzle your guests!
- We like to offer both homemade corn tortillas and homemade flour tortillas that are nice and warm.
- And of course, you’ll need all the fixings, including authentic refried beans, best-ever guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheddar, fresh pico de gallo, and restaurant-style salsa.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs work best for grilled chicken fajitas because they cook evenly and stay juicy when marinated.
For optimal flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours; overnight marinating can enhance the taste even more.
Yes, you can grill the vegetables and chicken together, but it’s best to use a grill basket or skewers for the veggies to prevent them from falling through the grates.
🌮 Other Classic Tex-Mex Recipes
Ready to make the best fajitas this side of Austin? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Amazing Chicken Fajitas
Video
Equipment
- Gas, charcoal, or electric grill See NOTES on how to cook the meat on the stove.
- Fajita pan or cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
For the Rub
- 2 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon chili powder we love ancho
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
For the Chicken Fajitas
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 large onions sliced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, about 3 to 5 lbs
- ½ cup fajita rub (see instructions)
- 1 large lime quarter
- 16 flour tortillas fajita size
Fixin's
- Easy Gourmet Refried Beans
- Best-Ever Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar, or Monterrey Jack
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Salsa
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients and mix together with a fork. Set aside.2 tablespoon Kosher salt, 2 tablespoon chili powder, 2 tablespoon onion powder, 2 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoon seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin
- Make a marinade by whisking together the white wine, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.½ cup white wine, ½ cup fresh lime juice, ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- Place the chicken in a large zipper baggie or a shallow baking vessel. Close the baggie, or cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight. Massaging the meat every now and then.4 chicken breasts
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the soy sauce and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until starting to brown and caramelize. Set aside.2 large onions, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the rub all over the meat. Save any unused rub for another use.½ cup fajita rub
- Grill the chicken (or sauté in a hot skillet) for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until an internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat a fajita pan, or cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat,
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken diagonally across the grain into strips.
- Carefully add the cooked onions to the piping hot fajita pan (or skillet) and then add the chicken on top.
- Bring the sizzling fajitas to the table and squeeze a lime wedge over the meat.1 large lime
- Serve with warm tortillas and all the fixins.16 flour tortillas, Easy Gourmet Refried Beans, Best-Ever Guacamole, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheddar, or Monterrey Jack, Fresh Pico de Gallo, Homemade Salsa
Marlo Link says
I made your steak fajita recipe & knew immediately I had to try your chicken next!! Absolutely the best! Great flavor! Will make again soon!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Marlo! Sorry for the delayed response! Yay! We are so so happy you are loving our fajitas recipes! Those are near and dear to our hearts (and tastebuds), so this thrills us to hear you love them, too! Thanks so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Diane says
I made these tonight with your easy retried bean recipe. AAAAAmazing fellas! Super easy. The seasoning was spot on and not too much Cumin which I think ruins tex mex dishes. We just devoured these. Once again, thanks for making me look like a way better cook than I really am. Just don’t tell anyone. Hee hee.
Kris Longwell says
Diane!! You make us SO HAPPY!!! And we know without a doubt that you are an AWESOME cook!!! Give yourself a bunch of credit…you deserve it! We’re just so happy to give you a little inspiration to “do your thing” in the kitchen! And as always, thank you so much for letting us know and for the awesome review! You are a rock star!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Patti says
Maybe just me but I don’t see the link for the fajita pan! I think this is what I’ve been missing as a final step!
krislongwell says
Hi Patty! Sorry about that! We’ve added links in the post and here it is right here! Lodge LFSR3 Cast Iron Fajita Set, Pre-Seasoned
” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Fajita Pan