Tired of boring old chicken recipes but don’t want to get takeout? These Grilled Chicken Fajitas are quick, packed with flavor, and will satisfy your Mexican food cravings!
This grilled chicken fajita recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. Packed with tons of smoky flavor, these grilled chicken fajitas will make a great addition to your weekly dinner rotation. Unlike our smoked chicken breasts, this version is grilled hot and fast for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or a little Taco Tuesday rebellion.
What Are Grilled Chicken Fajitas?
Juicy and tender chicken thighs are seasoned with a blend of fajita seasoning, chili powder, and lime zest and grilled to perfection alongside a colorful medley of fajita vegetables like green and red peppers, yellow onions, and jalapeños. All wrapped up in a warm tortilla and topped with your favorite fixings like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa; these delicious fajitas will surely become a family favorite!
Grilled Chicken Fajita Ingredients
- Fresh Limes: Adds a tangy flavor to the marinade.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps evenly distribute the flavors and tenderizes the chicken. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
- Garlic Cloves: Provide a savory flavor to the marinade.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a unique umami flavor to the marinade.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness to balance the tanginess of the lime juice.
- Jalapeno: Adds a spicy kick to the marinade.
- Minced Fresh Cilantro: Provides a fresh and herbaceous flavor to the marinade.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Cook more evenly and stay tender.
- Red Onion: Adds a slightly sweet and crisp texture to the fajitas.
- Red and Green Bell Peppers Add a pop of color and a slightly sweet flavor to the fajitas.
- Tortillas: Flour or corn, depending on preference or dietary needs. Serve as the base for the fajitas.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fajita Marinade
- Whisk together the lime juice, 4 tbs oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and a dash of pepper in a small bowl.
- Reserve 1/4 cup, and pour the rest into a resealable zip lock bag with the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Grill the Chicken Fajitas
- In the meantime, get a good fire going in the charcoal grill. Get those coals nice and grey. Clean the grill grate and place it over hot coals.
- Brush the onion (secure with a toothpick if needed to keep onion rings from sliding apart) and pepper with the remaining oil.
- Carefully spray the grill grate with grilling oil or use an oil-soaked paper towel and rub over the grate.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it over the hot side of the grill. Place the onion and pepper quarters, skin side down, over the cooler side.
- Cook the chicken until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook until chicken is cooked through. Then, grill chicken for 4 to 5 minutes longer until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F with an instant thermometer.
- Continue to cook the peppers and onion until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Heat the tortillas a few at a time over the cooler side of the grill, 20 seconds per side. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Separate the onion rings, slice the pepper and chicken on a cutting board, and toss with reserved marinade.
- Warm tortillas, if needed. Serve with your favorite fajita toppings.
Girl Carnivore EXPERT RECIPE TIPS
The key to making the best chicken fajitas is to pound the chicken breasts before grilling. Pounding the meat ensures even cooking throughout and makes it easier for the marinate to penetrate the fibers. As a result, you’re left with beautifully tender chicken that’s bursting with rich flavor.
Leftovers & Reheating
Store the leftover chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Although the veggies may be more wilted, they will still taste just as fabulous as the first time!
As for reheating, you can microwave your grilled chicken fajitas for 30-45 seconds with a damp paper towel on top to keep them juicy. If you have a little bit more time, try reheating it on a skillet for a few minutes until the fajitas are warm enough for your liking.
What to Serve With Grilled Chicken Fajitas
You can serve grilled chicken fajitas with tortillas, turn them into burrito bowls, or even place them on a bed of Grilled Jalapeño Popper Fries!
To mix up a bbq, serve grilled flank steak fajitas alongside these. Or, to round out this meal, make some rice, cauliflower rice, and rajas con crema. For an added bonus, try poblano crema or homemade chimichurri for saucy toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Totally depends on your personal preference or dietary needs! Flour tortillas are soft, pliable, and won’t crumble under pressure. Meanwhile, corn tortillas are firmer, slightly sweeter, and gluten-free, making them a great option if you’re watching your calories or have a gluten allergy.
Sure, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Using chicken thighs will give you juicier and more flavorful fajitas!
Absolutely! If you don’t have access to a grill, you can still make delicious chicken fajitas in a cast iron skillet. Just be sure to cook the chicken and vegetables over medium heat to avoid burning, and flip them frequently to ensure they cook evenly.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to toppings! Some popular options include diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and pickled jalapeños. And don’t forget the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole! The more toppings, the better.
Absolutely! Fajita bowls are a great option if you’re watching your carb intake or just want to mix things up. Simply layer your grilled chicken and veggies over a bed of rice or lettuce and top with all your favorite fixings. It’s like a deconstructed fajita and just as delicious.
Yes! You can use yellow or orange peppers if you prefer! Orange and yellow bell peppers tend to be on the sweeter side instead of savory, like green bell peppers.
We also love fire-roasted poblano peppers for a richer flavor.
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Look no further than these grilled chicken fajitas if you want a delicious and nutritious meal that will satisfy your Tex-Mex cravings! Made with juicy grilled chicken breast, vibrant veggies, and warm tortillas, this dish is a quick and simple pleasure that will undoubtedly delight your palate! Be sure to rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader.
Charcoal Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 limes fresh juice is best
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced medium to large cloves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp teas brown sugar
- 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper
- 3 boneless chicken breasts. pounded to 1/2″ thick
- 1 red onion large, cut into 1/2″ thick rounds
- 1 red bell pepper large, stemmed, seeded and quartered
- 1 green bell pepper large, stemmed, seeded and quartered
- tortillas
Instructions
- Whisk together the lime juice, 4 tbs oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, some salt and a dash of pepper in a small bowl.
- Reserve 1/4 cup, and pour the rest into a resealable zip lock bag with the chicken. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, get a good fire going in the charcoal grill. Get those coals nice and grey. Clean grate and place over hot coals.
- Brush the onion (secure with a toothpick if needed to keep onion rings from sliding apart) and pepper with remaining oil.
- Carefully spray grate with grilling oil or use an oil soaked paper towel and rub over the grate.
- Remove chicken from marinade and place over the hot side of the grill. Place the onion and pepper quarters, skin side down, over the cooler side.
- Cook the chicken until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes longer, and reads 160 degrees with an instant thermometer.
- Continue to cook the peppers and ion until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and keep warm.
- Heat the tortillas a few at a time over the cooler side of the grill, 20 seconds per side. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Separate the onion rings, slice the pepper and chicken and toss with reserved marinade.
- Serve with desired accompaniments.
Notes
Nutrition
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I love fajitas the most. I want to grab one.
I shouldn’t be looking at this post being this hungry!!!! hahaha they look so good I want to grab one asap! 🙂