Description
A vibrant and flavorful skillet chicken fajitas recipe featuring tender chicken breast or thighs seared with smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Served with sautéed onions, bell peppers, and poblano peppers, topped with a creamy and zesty jalapeño verde sauce made from cream cheese, salsa verde, and pickled jalapeños. Perfectly wrapped in warm tortillas and garnished with cotija cheese, fresh lime juice, and cilantro for a delicious Tex-Mex meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder or tajin
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- Chili flakes, to taste
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, sliced
Sauce
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup salsa verde
- 1–3 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, chopped (adjust to spice preference)
To Serve
- 8–10 tortillas, warmed
- Cotija cheese, for garnish
- Fresh lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Prepare and cook chicken: In a large skillet, combine olive oil, thinly sliced chicken, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the chicken with the spices. Set the skillet over high heat and cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is seared on all sides and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the butter, chopped garlic, and chili flakes. Cook for one more minute, then remove the chicken mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Using the same skillet, add the sliced yellow onion and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant and starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced bell peppers and poblano pepper. Season with salt and black pepper. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the peppers are tender but still vibrant, approximately another 5 minutes.
- Combine chicken and vegetables: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the sautéed peppers and onions. Toss everything together to combine well and heat through.
- Make creamy jalapeño verde sauce: In a small skillet over very low heat, melt the cream cheese and salsa verde together, whisking constantly until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped pickled jalapeños to add spice and tang.
- Assemble fajitas: Warm the tortillas. Stuff each tortilla with the chicken and pepper mixture. Top with a generous spoonful of the creamy jalapeño verde sauce, sprinkle with cotija cheese, fresh cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use either boneless chicken breast or thighs based on your preference. Thighs offer more juiciness.
- Adjust the number of pickled jalapeños in the sauce to control the spice level.
- For a gluten-free option, serve with corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a skillet for best texture.
- Adding a splash of fresh lime juice to the cooked chicken and vegetables before serving brightens the flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keywords: chicken fajitas, skillet fajitas, creamy jalapeño verde sauce, Tex-Mex recipe, easy chicken dinner, sautéed peppers, spicy salsa verde sauce
