Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are incredibly easy to make! All you need is a few basic ingredients and a large sheet pan to make this meal happen. The chicken turns out amazingly tender with a nice crisp and the peppers and onions are loaded with flavor!
With only a handful of ingredients and a super straightforward cooking method, my sheet pan chicken fajitas are sure to be a hit at your next Mexican night. The chicken is amazingly tender and crispy, and the vegetables are loaded with flavor! Talk about a win-win.
I’m lucky enough to have a brilliant carnicería near my home. This incredible butcher’s shop serves up the most amazing pre-marinated meats, along with mountains of fresh salsa and guacamole to go with! I’ve lost count of the number of lazy nights I’ve swung by, come home with a mountain of chicken or beef, and thrown together a burrito bowl or a plate of tacos.
Last time I got the craving, I thought I’d try it at home instead! Welcome to my sheet pan chicken fajitas. AKA: my DIY tribute to my local carnicería.
This chicken fajita sheet pan brings together all of those incredible Mexican flavors with very little effort. We simply marinate chicken thighs, bell peppers, and onions in a sandwich bag and bake everything in the oven!
This is a perfect recipe for making in bulk and refrigerating. So, throw together a massive sheet pan’s worth of chicken fajitas ahead of time. Then, you’re free to serve them with a stack of fresh tortillas, wrapped in a burrito, or on top of some Homemade Spanish Rice or Mexican Rice.
It’s simple, yet stunningly tasty!
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Here are all the things you’ll need to make sheet pan chicken fajitas. I’ve added a few customizations in the next section in case you want to change things up!
Boneless Chicken Thighs: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for optimal flavor and texture. Chicken thighs have more fat than boneless skinless chicken breasts, which helps keep the meat moist as it bakes.
If you’re dead set on using chicken breast, marinate for longer to compensate for the drier meat!
Yellow Onion: We double-dip the onion in this recipe. It transfers tons of savory goodness over to the chicken during the marinating process. Then, it delivers that classic mellow savory-sweetness once it’s cooked down!
Bell Peppers: Fajitas simply aren’t fajitas without bell peppers. Red bell peppers and green bell peppers are traditional, but you can use whatever colors you prefer! Bell peppers add their iconic, mellow, sweet flavor to our chicken fajita sheet pan without turning up the spice.
Avocado Oil: Avocado oil helps the chili powder and sea salt stick to the meat and veggies. It also helps them to crisp and brown during the cooking process! Avocado oil has a high smoke point too, making it perfect for a high-temperature dish like sheet pan chicken fajitas.
I don’t recommend using olive oil because it can burn during the baking process.
Chili Powder: Eyeball your chili powder based on how much heat you like! If you can’t handle spice, just don’t use it. Use taco seasoning if you prefer.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Draws moisture out of the surface of the chicken as it marinades, preventing the meat from turning mushy as it bakes.
Recipe Customizations
- Throw in 3 to 5 cloves of garlic or 2 teaspoons of garlic powder at the marinating step for an extra umami tang!
- This recipe works just as well with steak as it does with chicken. Featherblade or skirt steak is traditionally used in dishes like fajitas. So, go nuts!
- For spicier fajitas, simply add one or two hot jalapeños, poblano peppers, or a dash of hot sauce to the marinade.
Helpful Tips for Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Want to go the extra mile? Create your own chili powder blend by combining paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, and dried oregano!
- Twenty-four hours is really the limit for marinating chicken. Any longer and the protein fibers will start to break down, and the pieces will turn mushy and unappetizing.
- You can use a meat thermometer to help you cook the chicken to perfection. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, then turn the oven off when the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Begin by chopping your chicken thighs into strips, slicing the onion, and cutting the bell peppers into matchsticks.
Add all three to a large mixing bowl, along with the avocado oil, chili powder, and sea salt. Toss everything together until it’s all coated in oil and seasonings.
Transfer the contents of the bowl to a large Ziploc bag and refrigerate for between 1 and 24 hours. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor!
When it’s time to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread the fajita mixture in an even layer over a large baking sheet, ensuring that no pieces overlap. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked through and has developed a nice brown crisp, pull the sheet pan fajitas from the oven.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve with tortillas, rice, black beans, or your choice of side dish! I like making tacos out of these easy sheet pan chicken fajitas.
I use warm flour tortillas and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, chopped red onion, fresh cilantro, and some avocado slices on top. They are also great as lettuce wraps for a lighter meal.
Enjoy these easy chicken fajitas as tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls with your favorite toppings.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This sheet pan fajita recipe tastes even better the next day! Feel free to meal prep it in advance for busy weeknights!
These smoky, sweet, and spicy sheet pan chicken fajitas have all the flavor with none of the effort. This sheet pan chicken fajita recipe is my favorite sheet pan meal to get dinner on the table quickly and have a large batch of leftovers to boot!
Enjoy my sheet pan chicken fajitas? Here are five more magical Mexican dishes for you to try.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes:
- Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef
- Grilled Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Carnitas Enchiladas
- Fish Tacos with Orange Salsa
- Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Chile Verde Burrito Bowls
- Crock Pot Barbacoa Beef Tacos
Let me know in the comments if they make your next Mexican night a success!
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into strips
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 2 bell peppers colors of choice, cut into match sticks
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the chopped chicken, onion, and bell peppers to a large mixing bowl along with the avocado oil, chili powder and sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until it is all well-coated in oil and seasoning.
- Transfer everything to a large zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24.
- When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the fajita mixture over a large baking sheet into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and has a nice brown crisp on it.
- Serve chicken fajitas with tortillas or use it in burritos or burrito bowls.
Made these for dinner last night and the were very good. I was a bit slow getting started on them yesterday, so I switched dinner plans and let them marinate for 24 hours. I will definiltey plan on marinating them that long in the future. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
Love that! Marinating always gives meat such amazing flavor. Thank you for sharing! xo