Juicy slices of chicken thighs marinated in spices and cooked to perfection team up with sautéed onions and bell peppers in these Easy Weeknight Fajitas for a delicious and quick dinner option that is ready in jiffy! 

TexMex Food: What is it and Where Does it Come From?

Are you a fan of TexMex Food? I happen to be a huge fan myself.  I’m not sure why I’ve missed the opportunity to share one of my favorite quick and easy TexMex dinner recipes with you yet but today I’m fixing that!

According to research, I have done on the internet Tex-Mex cuisine is an American regional type of food that comes from the food creations of the Tejano people from Texas.

From what I read on this food, it spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country and even as fat as Canada. 

Tex-Mex is still said to be the most popular in Texas and some neighboring areas, especially nearby states in both the US and Mexico. I’m in Arkansas so get to benefit from lots of great places serving up authentic TexMex in our area. Yum!

We can thank this awesome cuisine for the inspiration for my Easy Weeknight Chicken Fajitas.  They are one of my favorite TexMex dishes and I can’t wait to share them with you. 

How Do You Make Easy Weeknight Fajitas?

Originally, the term fajitas were used to describe grilled strips of meat served in a tortilla. These days you can find steak, chicken, shrimp, or even vegetarian fajitas filled with beans or tofu.

The fantastic thing about Fajitas is that they take minimal prep and minimal cooking time before they are ready to serve.

Besides the fact that they taste heavenly, the quickness of the recipe and the fact that you only need a few basic ingredients are my favorite parts of these fajitas. 

Here’s Your Shopping List:

• Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
• A Large Onion
• Bell Peppers of various colors like red, yellow, or green
• Spices like: cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
• Cooking Oil
• low carb tortillas or wraps of your choice

I like to give my protein as much flavor as possible when making fajitas so I try to think ahead so I can marinate my chicken thighs overnight but if you don’t have time for that you can just mix up the spices and let the meat set as you chop up the veggies you’ll be using after the meat is cooked.

Steps in Preparing the Fajitas:

To marinate your chicken place it in a large bowl or plastic bag and add in a couple tablespoons of oil and all the spices. Stir or toss the chicken thighs around in the oil and spices to ensure they all get coated before setting them aside for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Again I like to do mine the night before I go to bed to give them extra time in the spices but this is optional depending on your time restraints.

As the chicken thighs are marinating, I like to use this time to slice up the onions and bell peppers into strips. Once the meat has set for the marinating time and you have sliced all the onions and peppers then you are ready to cook the fajitas.

I use a large skillet and only cook a few of the chicken thighs at a time because overcrowding the pan would steam my chicken instead of letting it brown nicely and take on that wonderful carnalized flavor.

Continue to cook the chicken thighs until they are all well done and remove them from the skillet to rest. Add your sliced onions and pepper to the same skillet and if need you can add a couple of teaspoons of oil to prevent them from sticking.

I recommend sautéing the veggies until they are just tender. Avoid overcooking them and making them mushy, a little texture will be great with the chicken on the fajita wraps.

Slice the chicken into thin slices lengthwise and add it to the cooked onions and peppers. At this time feel free to give the fajita mixture a taste test to see if it needs any additional salt or spice.

Now, you’re ready to serve these delicious Weeknight Chicken Fajitas. 

Do I have to use Chicken Thighs?

No, of course, you are not bound to chicken thighs in this recipe. Fajitas are an amazing and versatile dish! You can easily use chicken breast, shrimp, or even steak!

I choose the boneless and skinless thighs because they are so juicy and flavorful. 

But if you aren’t a fan of dark meat then by all means use your favorite meat choice. For those that need a meatless option, you can skip the meat and use black beans or tofu if that is your thing. 

What Can I Use For Wraps? 

Depending on your dietary needs there are many options for tortillas or wraps out there that you can use for these Easy Weeknight Fajitas. 

Some of these options are simple like store-bought low-carb tortillas while the others are recipe links that you can use to make your own wraps at home if you are gluten-free or just looking for lower carbs. 

• Premade Low Carb Mission Tortillas from the grocery store.
• Keto Tortillas Using Almond Flour, The Diet Chief
• THM Wonder Wraps (gluten-free & low-carb), THM Authors

You can also check out this great post on The Best Low Carb Tortillas in 10 Minutes from Keto Connect where they discuss lots of great options. 

Which Toppings Are Best for Fajitas?

Man, it’s hard for me to say what is “best” because I love them all. There’s really no limit when it comes to topping.

The great thing is you can set out serval options for your family or friends and everyone can use whichever ones they want.

I have a few favorites I’ll share that include guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, jalapenos, and these delicious Pickled Onions I make. 

What Should I Serve Chicken Fajitas?

Fajitas are wonderful served with an easy side like a Mexican Cauliflower Rice if you are keeping it low carb. So many great things they can be paired with.

But if you don’t mind the crossover with higher carbs perhaps a side of black beans or one of these recipes: Spanish Rice from my THM Blogger friend Darcie or my Instant Pot Taco Rice! 

We eat low carb so we love using the side of cauliflower rice. A side of fresh limes is also great for a sprinkle of tartness. 

Yield: Serves 6

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Flavorfully seasoned chicken thighs paired with sautéed onions and colorful peppers make up this quick dinner recipe that the whole family will love.

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Ingredients

Chicken & Veggies

• 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium green bell peppers
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper

Fajita Marinade

• 2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil
• 1 Tablespoon of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 Paprika (or smoked paprika)
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper (ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (optional)
• wraps of choice for serving

Instructions

1. To marinate the chicken thighs place them in a large bowl and add the 2 Tablespoons oil and lime juice then toss the chicken carefully so all is coated. Set aside to mix the spices.
2. In a small bowl mix all the spices together and combine well. If you want to leave the salt out or adjust this to your liking that is fine.
3. Once the spices are all mixed pour them over the chicken thighs and stir them well so that all the chicken thighs have a coating of the spices on them. Let the chicken thighs sit for at least 20-30 minutes.
4. While the chicken thighs are marinating slice the onion and the bell peppers into thin strips and set them aside.
5. When the chicken is done marinating place a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through. This will take about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your chicken thighs. There should be enough oil on the chicken not to need any extra oil for cooking but if the chicken starts to stick you can add a couple of teaspoons to the pan.
6. Once the chicken thighs are cooked through remove them from the pan to let them rest.
7. Add the sliced onions and peppers to the same skillet with a little bit of cooking oil if needed. Cook the mixture just until they are tender but not mushy.
8. While the onions and peppers are cooking and the chicken things have rested for 5 minutes or so slice up the chicken thighs into strips and add them back into the pan with the onions and peppers.
9. Heat through and serve hot with your favorite wraps or over lettuce.
10. Suggesting toppings: cheese, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, pickled onions.

Notes

The nutrition in this recipe is only for the fajita filling, not any wrap. Choose your favorite wrap to fit your personal needs.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1/6 th of the recipe
Amount Per ServingCalories 234Total Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 121mgSodium 416mgCarbohydrates 4gNet Carbohydrates 2.5gFiber 1.5gSugar 2gProtein 39g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!