Easy Chicken Fajitas and Marinade

This is one of my very favorite easy dinner recipes! A few years ago my sister-in-law made these chicken fajitas for us and since then they have become one of my go-to recipes.

Everyone always asks for the recipe when I make these fajitas! They are also incredibly easy to make, which is huge a plus.

How do you cut chicken breast?

To make fajitas, you want to start with thin slices of chicken breast. As a result, there will be more surface area to absorb the chicken fajita marinade. Also, they will cook more quickly, and will be easier to wrap into tortillas. 

Follow these tips to make perfectly thin slices of chicken breast:

• Freezing the chicken breasts for about 30 minutes before cutting them makes the job much easier. 
• Use a stable cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife.
• Cut against the grain. This will result in extra tender chicken. Slice the chicken into ½” strips.

How to season easy chicken fajitas

Fajitas are usually milder in flavor than tacos. My chicken fajita marinade includes a special ingredient that isn’t typically in Mexican food- soy sauce! The depth of flavor it adds makes all the difference! This may soon become your favorite way to make fajitas. 

The ingredients that you will need to make the marinade are:

• Soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• Oil– You can use canola or olive oil here. 
• Brown sugar– A light coating of brown sugar covers the outside of the meat. As it cooks, the sugar caramelizes. As a result, the chicken takes on a golden brown color and deliciously sweet taste!
• Lime juice – You should always include an acidic ingredient in any marinade. It helps to tenderize the meat, or in this case, chicken.
• White vinegar
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Ginger
• Chili powder
• Cumin

How to make chicken fajitas

While you do need to plan ahead a bit to let your chicken marinate, the hands-on time for this easy chicken fajita recipe is very short. 

1. Combine the marinade ingredients place them into a large zip top bag with the chicken. Let it marinate for at least an hour but no longer than twelve hours. Keep it in the refrigerator to avoid any dangerous bacteria from growing.
2. In a large skillet, cook the chicken and all the marinade. Do not reserve any of the marinade for later, as it has already been contaminated with raw chicken. 
3. Add onions, peppers and tomatoes (if desired).
4. Cook until just tender. Cooking the ingredients together in one pan means the veggies soak up the flavor of the chicken fajita marinade as well. 

Can you grill the meat?

Grilling chicken for fajitas adds another layer of flavor to the meal. If you do plan to use a grill, you will need to make a few small changes in the way you prepare the marinade and the meat. 

1. Grilling small cuts of meat will dry them out. So, you will need to leave the chicken breasts whole. 
2. Reserve some of the marinade before you add the chicken. 
3. After the chicken is finished marinating, remove it from the marinade and grill. 
4. Now you can slice it into small strips. To ensure that this is the best chicken fajitas recipe, slice across the grain for the juiciest chicken. 
5. Pour the reserved marinade into a grilling pan and saute the veggies in it. 

What goes with fajitas?

Once you learn the basics of how to make fajitas, they are really easy to customize. There are so many delicious toppings that go well with chicken. That makes this the best chicken fajita recipe to make for a party too. 

You can serve them with corn or flour tortillas as the base. Some of my favorite toppings and side dish ideas are:

• Avocado
• Cheese (feta, queso, cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc)
• Tomatoes
• Guacamole
• Pico de gallo
• Lettuce
• Refried beans
• Spanish rice
• Sour cream