Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Sheet pan fajitas are great for busy weeknights or to serve to guests. You’ll love this easy recipe for chicken fajitas. Much of it can be prepped ahead of time and clean-up is a snap!
How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large rimmed sheet pan (approx. 18 x 13 inches)
Servings: 4
One of our favorite meals is fajitas. They’re healthy, fresh, and so satisfying. Like chili or tacos, fajitas are best with all the toppings. Don’t you just love getting fajitas in a restaurant? Out comes that sizzling skillet of meat and veggies, and a whole array of delicious toppings to go with them. It feels like a buffet made just for you.
Sheet pan fajitas are truly the easiest way to make fajitas! Everything cooks on one pan in the oven, completely hands-off. You can even prep most of it ahead of time and just bake it when dinner time rolls around. This easy recipe for chicken fajitas is a game-changer! Once you try them, you’ll be making them every week.
If you want to change things up, be sure to try my sheet pan shrimp fajitas or steak fajitas.
Why You’ll Love Sheet Pan Fajitas
Completely hands-off cooking. That’s the advantage when you use a sheet pan. There’s no stirring or cooking in stages (and no mess on the stove). Once you have the chicken, peppers and onions in the oven, you’re on easy street. And that means…
Extra time to prep the toppings. All the toppings! Shred the cheese, chop the tomatoes, make your guacamole, pluck the cilantro leaves from the stems, etc. You have just enough time to do all that while the sheet pan fajitas cook undisturbed in the oven.
Tasty, filling, and healthy. It’s not often you can claim all three of those attributes in one easy meal but it’s true of sheet pan fajitas. Sheet pan fajitas taste the same as traditionally-cooked fajitas. You won’t be able to tell the difference, except for the tabletop sizzling that you may experience in a restaurant. These fajitas are really good! Everyone who tries them loves them.
Fajita Seasoning
I’ve purchased a packet of fajita seasoning and it’s very flavorless (we did a side-by-side taste test). When I checked the ingredients, it was mostly cornstarch. Blech. A much better alternative is my homemade fajita seasoning which consists of the same ingredients in this chicken fajita recipe. I highly recommend it.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Sheet pan fajitas are one of the best ways to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts. There’s lots of seasoning so they don’t taste bland, and they never get dry or tough. Chicken breasts are a good source of lowfat protein.
- Bell Peppers: Fajitas wouldn’t be fajitas without lots of bell peppers. Choose three large peppers in whatever color you like. A variety of colors looks best.
- Red Onion: You’ll need a large onion. I like red onions for fajitas but you can use another type of sweet onion. Leave the small yellow cooking onions in the pantry; they aren’t the best onions to use for fajitas.
- Olive Oil: I always use olive oil for sheet pan dinners. For this recipe, the oil helps the seasoning cling to the meat and vegetables. You just need a couple of tablespoons.
- Fajita Seasoning: Make your own fajita seasoning with the spices listed on the recipe card (chili powder, paprika, onion and garlic powder, oregano, cumin, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper).
- Tortillas: Choose corn or flour tortillas, whatever you like best. Be sure to warm them up. Flour tortillas can be heated in the oven with the fajitas; char corn tortillas for the best flavor.
- Toppings: Shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, salsa, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, jalapeño peppers, lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro… all good choices!
How To Make Sheet Pan Fajitas
Preheat the oven. It’s important that the oven is hot (400°F) when you’re ready to bake the fajita mixture. This is the first rule of sheet pan dinners and will ensure that they turn out perfectly.
Make the fajita seasoning. In a large bowl, mix together all of the spices and herbs that go into the seasoning, or add a couple heaping tablespoons of homemade fajita seasoning, or add a packet. Most blends have salt already added, including mine, so it’s not necessary to add more salt. Add a couple tablespoons of oil to the bowl.
Prep the chicken. Cut the boneless skinless chicken breasts into thin strips, two to four inches long, and roughly a half inch wide. You don’t have to be exact but try to get the pieces about the same so that they cook evenly. Thin strips are preferable to chunks on a fajita because it’s easier to fold them into a tortilla. Add the chicken to the bowl with the seasoning mix.
Prep the veggies. Rinse off the peppers, remove the stems and cores, and cut them into strips, ¼ to ½ inch wide. Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise (top to bottom). Place the onion halves, cut side down, on the cutting board, and slice the onion lengthwise into long thin strips. Repeat for the other half. Add the veggies to the bowl with the chicken.
Combine. Toss the chicken and veggies with the oil and seasoning blend, making sure everything is well-coated. Arrange the mixture on a large rimmed sheet pan in a single layer as much as possible.
Bake. Once your oven is preheated, put the sheet pan into the oven on the middle rack and roast the chicken fajita mixture for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and give everything a good stir. Continue baking for about 10 minutes, or until chicken tests done. Cut into a thicker piece to check or use a quick read thermometer (165°F).
Warm up tortillas. If you’re planning on using flour tortillas, wrap them in foil and place them in the oven for five minutes to warm up, while the chicken fajitas bake. If corn tortillas are on the menu, char them lightly and keep them warm (see the recipe card for instructions).
Prep toppings and sides. While the chicken fajitas are baking, work on the toppings that you plan to serve with the fajitas. Any sides can be prepped, too, if you haven’t done that already.
Serve. To assemble a chicken fajita, place the desired amount of the chicken/pepper mixture onto a warm tortilla. Add any toppings you like. Fold the tortilla in half and enjoy! This is a messy dinner so provide lots of napkins and forks, too!
If you have all the prep work done ahead of time, you can have this easy meal in the oven in 5 minutes. Be sure to preheat your oven before you put the pan in because a good hot oven is essential to the success of this meal.
- Make the fajita seasoning ahead of time. It will keep for months.
- Prep all the vegetables the night before. Refrigerate them in a bowl or a zip-top bag. They’ll be ready to go when you are. Toppings can be prepped ahead of time, too.
- Slice the chicken. You can slice the chicken a day ahead of time and refrigerate it.
What To Serve With Sheet Pan Fajitas
These southwestern oven roasted sweet potatoes are fantastic served alongside these fajitas, PLUS they cook at the same temperature in the oven and require about the same length of cooking time. Try cilantro lime rice, crockpot refried beans or Instant pot refried beans, or easy sautéed fresh corn if it’s in season. For special occasions, my 7 layer dip is always a hit.
Recipe Variations
Tweak the fajita seasoning: One of the advantages of making your own seasoning is that you can customize it. Too spicy? Use less cayenne, or omit it. Love garlic? Increase the garlic powder, or use fresh garlic. Cutting back on salt? That’s easy to adjust.
Make it a veggie fajita: Mushrooms have a meaty texture and work really well in fajitas. Substitute a package of sliced mushrooms to the pan instead of chicken. Sliced portobellos work well too. You can cut up an assortment of other vegetables to go with the peppers and onions, such as zucchini, summer squash, carrot strips, broccoli, cauliflower, and so on.
Refrigerate: If you have leftover fajitas, store the fajita mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the tortillas and toppings separately.
Reheat: Larger amounts of the chicken/vegetable mixture can be reheated in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, and served as desired. Individual portions can easily be reheated in the microwave.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Sheet Pan Fajitas
Ingredients
For Fajitas
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 large bell peppers (red, green, yellow, or orange)
- 1 large red onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For Fajita Seasoning (see note)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano (Mexican oregano if available)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
To Serve
- corn or flour tortillas (see note)
- desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, salsa, avocado, sour cream, jalapeño peppers, lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick, 2 to 4 inches long. Cut the peppers and onions into thin strips, ¼ to ½ inch wide.1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 large bell peppers, 1 large red onion
- In a large bowl, combine oil, chili powder, salt, paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper (if using).2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Add the sliced chicken, bell pepper strips, and sliced onions to the bowl; toss to coat with oil and seasoning.
- Arrange chicken and vegetables in a single layer on a large rimmed sheet pan (approx. 12 x 17 inches).
- Place sheet pan in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Stir, and bake for 10 more minutes or until the internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F (check a thicker piece of chicken with an instant read thermometer).
- Serve immediately on tortillas (see note) with your favorite toppings.corn or flour tortillas, desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, salsa, avocado, sour cream, jalapeño peppers, lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro
Notes
- Shortcut seasoning: Instead of making the seasoning blend in the ingredient list, substitute 2 heaping tablespoons of my homemade fajita seasoning or purchase fajita seasoning. However, we tested the recipe with a popular store-bought fajita seasoning and found it to be very lackluster in flavor.
- Tortillas: To char corn tortillas, put them directly on a gas burner over medium low heat. When lightly charred (about 2 minutes), use tongs to flip the tortilla over and char the other side (about 1 minute). Flour tortillas are great, too. To warm them up, wrap them in foil and add them to the oven in the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Double the recipe: To serve a larger group, double the recipe and use two sheet pans. They can be baked at the same time; I usually switch the pans around halfway through the cooking time so they cook evenly.
- Nutrition information is for chicken/peppers only. It doesn’t include tortillas or toppings.
- Be sure to try my steak fajitas and sheet pan shrimp fajitas, too.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I’m very interest in cooking all your recipes. They are all very healthy meals.
I’m glad you like them!
I have made this twice already because it is so easy and my kids LOVE it. Win-Win! My oldest loves to add your avocado dressing to the tacos
That’s awesome! I always get so excited when one of my recipes is a win with the kids! :)
These fajitas have become a family favorite! I make them all the time- so easy and delicious. I will never go back to store bought fajita seasoning or cooking them in a skillet again!!
Same! It’s so much more work in a skillet! I’m glad you love this recipe! :)
I want to make this recipe. What size sheet pan?
Thanks.
11×17 – a standard half sheet pan. I hope you love the fajitas, Ann!
I made your fajita seasoning and taco seasoning. The fajitas are in the oven now! It smells so good!!
Yay! I hope you love them! I used my fajita seasoning this weekend too, but we grilled :)
What’s up it’s me, I am also visiting this site daily, this website is in fact pleasant and the viewers are in fact sharing good thoughts
quick and easy on one sheet pan–what’s not to love
Exactly! Thanks Denise :)
I made these last night for dinner and my family loved them! No complaints from my 8 year old or 6 year old twins! I also made your home made fajita season and it tastes just like something you would have at a restaurant. I will definitely be making these again. So quick and easy!
Oh, I am so happy! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment. It means so much to me!