Don’t you just love fajitas? I do. Chicken, steak, shrimp, I’ll take them any which way really. You know that sizzling, smoking hot pan that comes out when you order them at Tex-Mex restaurants? It’s pretty hard to resist. Especially when it comes with all the fixings like soft & warm tortillas, fresh avocado, beans, sour cream, the works. Yep, I’m a sucker for the fixings almost as much as I am for the main dish. It all goes together so well.
And while restaurant-style is pretty amazing, I’m happy to say these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas absolutely do the trick when the craving strikes. And as the name suggests, it’s all (mostly) done in one pan, in the oven which means no slaving over a hot stove. Just a little time in a homemade marinade and you’ve got really fabulous flavor infused in the classic chicken, peppers and onion combo. You can opt to just slice up some fresh limes and avocado, throw on a little cilantro and wrap it all up in a tortilla or include some sides like corn, beans or rice. Or even take the hot mixture right out of the oven and top it over a quick salad. Homemade dinner perfection. And healthy to boot.
So, let’s get talking what makes this dish so delicious. While ripe, sweet & colorful bell peppers and red onion really shine in this, the flavor punch is in the marinade. I like to combine fresh garlic, lemon, lime and orange juice, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil for fajita perfection. You could swap out the chicken and add steak or shrimp. The shrimp would marinate a little less, about an hour, but the chicken and steak really should get a couple hours to soak up all that goodness. Then spread it all out onto a large sheet pan and place in a very hot oven for just about 15-20 minutes. A quick pop under the broiler to finish it off and voila, add a margarita and you might forget you’re still at home.
These fajitas really are one of our favorite dinners. And honestly, the leftovers might just be better than the first night. That flavor really gets amplified. It’s a beautiful thing. So if you’re feeding a big family, maybe double this so you’ve got more for the next day. Or if you’re just one or two people you can also make it, and portion it out for about 4 days of weekday lunches. Burrito style one day, salad the next, burrito bowl, tacos, fajita quesadilla, I could go on and on. And I promise you won’t tire of it. If you have time, make some Mexican style elote and a pot of beans. Maybe even some quick guacamole. YUM. You won’t regret it. My kids also love it with cilantro brown rice too (that recipe is coming soon.)
Give this a try, I think it just might become one of your favs too. And if you do, as always I would love to hear about it either down in the comment section or tagged on Instagram. Hope you have a fabulous rest of your week.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 lg multi-colored bell pappers, seeded and cut into 1/2" strips
- 1 lg red onion, cut into about 1/2" strips
For the marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 lg lemon, juiced (about 2 tbsps)
- 1/2 medium orange juiced (about 2 1/2 tbsps)
- 1/2 lg lime, juiced (about 1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Mexican chili powder
- 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
To serve:
- warm corn or flour tortillas
- fresh cilantro
- fresh avocado or guacamole
- hot sauce
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- hot sauce
Instructions
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In a large bowl, or a large zip-top bag (for easier clean-up,) add all the marinade ingredients and mix well to combine.
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Slice the chicken breasts in about 1" strips and add to the bag with the marinade. Add the sliced bell peppers and onions and gently mix everything together to make sure all the ingredients are combined and coated. Marinate covered, or with the bag closed, in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. (You can bake right away but the flavor is much better if everything has some time to sit.)
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Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with a little olive oil or a sheet of foil.
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Spread the chicken and vegetables on the sheet pan in an even layer and place in the hot oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the meat is cooked through, then place the pan under the broiler for about 5-10 minutes so everything gets a slight char.
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Serve with warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, avocado, hot sauce and whatever else you desire. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If substituting shrimp for the chicken, marinate for no more than 2 hours or the acid can start to cook the shrimp.
*To make this vegetarian, skip the chicken and add a few more veggies of choice.
