Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas With Peppers and Onions

The ubiquitous fajita — a Tex-Mex platter of sizzling grilled meat with peppers and onions served at so many chain restaurants — hits the mark as dinner on the tin. And this one has a lot of personality.

Here, chicken is sliced into thin strips and then bathed in a citrus marinade flavored with chili powder, oregano, and cumin, the usual suspects in Mexican cuisine. The orange and lime add sweetness, which also helps brown veggies and meat so they have a slightly charred flavor too.

A simple sheet pan dinner

One pot and one pan meals have been around for a long time, and with good reason. Who wouldn’t want to fix it and forget about it with just a pot to clean? The sheet pan offers a practical alternative to stovetop or grilled fajitas.

Individual ingredients can shine and take on that roasty, toasty flavor that can only come from the oven. If you haven’t already invested in a rimmed baking sheet, now is the time to buy one—think of all the meals you can make without breaking a sweat.

The best way to heat tortillas

Here are my favorite ways to reheat tortillas:

Heat over a gas burner: Set a gas burner on medium-low. When the burner grate is hot, place a tortilla directly on the grate for about 20 seconds or until it begins to pop slightly. Turn it over with tongs and let it heat on the other side for a few more seconds. A little charring around the edges adds flavor. Don’t leave the stove while you do this or you’ll have burnt tortillas.
Heat in a pan: Place a dry skillet over medium-high heat and heat until hot. Place one tortilla at a time on the hot pan and turn as above. Use two pans or a pancake plate if you want to heat more than one at a time.
Heating in the microwave: Wrap 1-3 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until hot. I actually never do this because I like the charred taste of reheating the tortillas over the stovetop or in a skillet, which only takes a few minutes longer, but if you’re in a hurry it’s fine to reheat them that way.

You’ll love the convenience and ease of this dinner. It has now also found its way into our rotation, because it is known to be the family motto: Everything is better in a tortilla!

Concerned about cleaning sheet pans?

Line your sheet pan with a reusable Silpat baking mat, parchment paper, or foil and cleanup will be a breeze.

Make Ahead Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Prepare ingredients: This makes for a quick weeknight meal that you can throw together as you prep the ingredients one to three days in advance from time.

Prepare the marinade and store tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
Slice the onion and sweet pepper and store them together in a tightly sealed container or zip-lock bag in the refrigerator.
Slice the chicken and store in a separate, tightly sealed container or zip-lock bag in the refrigerator.

Preparation for a frozen meal: For preparing and freezing up to three monthsfollow these instructions.

Make the marinade.
Slice the chicken and place in an appropriately sized freezer-safe ziplock bag. Pour in half of the marinade, squeeze out the air and seal the bag.
Slice the onion and peppers (no need to blanch them) and place in an appropriately sized freezer-safe ziplock bag. Pour in the remaining marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.
Clamp the two bags together and write on them with a permanent marker.
Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Other ways to serve sheet pan chicken fajitas

How it is! Straight out of the pan.
Use them on a green salad with a green goddess dressing.
Place on sandwiches and sprinkle with melted cheese.
Serve over tortilla chips to make nachos and top with melted cheese.
couple with arroz verde.

Store chicken fajitas

Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftover fajitas and store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Serve cold in a wrap or salad, or heat on the stovetop until cooked through and the chicken has reached 165F.

Freezer: Refrigerate leftover fajitas and store in a freezer-safe, airtight container or freezer-safe zip-lock bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat on stovetop until heated through and chicken reaches 165°F.

Loved sheet pan fajitas? More Sheet Pan Dinners!

Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos
Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Pork Chops
Sheet Pan English Breakfast
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Chicken
Sheet pan salmon with broccoli and miso butter

preparation time
15 minutes

cooking time
30 minutes

total time
45 minutes

portions
4 servings

For the marinade:

3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oilplus more for leaf pan
1/4 Cup Freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
1/4 Cup Freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 small orange)
2 tablespoon pickling juicefrom a jar of pickled jalapenos, optional
1 tablespoon chilli powder (or chili powder mix)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the chicken and veggies:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, (Above 1 1/4 Lb)cut into 1 inch strips
1 big red or yellow onioncut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 big sweet peppers (red, yellow, or green, or a combination), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 to 12 Corn tortillas

Options:

1 limequartered for garnish
handful fresh coriander leavesfor garnish
1 avocadosliced for garnish
Cooked rice and/or beansTo serve

Preheat Oven to 450ºF:

Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
Make the marinade:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, pickle juice (if using), chilli powder, oregano, cumin, and salt. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour half of the marinade into a separate bowl or mug and set aside.
Marinate Chicken:

Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade. Flip to coat and set aside to marinate while the peppers and onions roast (about 15 minutes).
Cooking onion and pepper:

Pile the onion and peppers in the center of a sheet pan. Drizzle over the reserved half of the marinade and toss.

Spread them out in a single layer and toast them for about 15 minutes or until they start to soften.
Cook the chicken with the onion and peppers:

Add the chicken strips to the pan with the softened vegetables and distribute between the onion and peppers. Drizzle excess marinade over the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF minimum as measured by an instant-read thermometer).
Fry the chicken and veggies to char them:

Place a grate 3 to 4 inches from the broiler and turn on the broiler. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are lightly charred.
Warm tortillas:

Place a dry skillet over medium-high heat and heat until hot. Place one tortilla at a time on the hot pan and turn as above. Use 2 pans or a pancake plate if you want to heat more than one at a time.

Alternatively, place one tortilla (one at a time) directly over a gas burner over medium-low heat for about 20 seconds, or until slightly puffy. Turn it over with tongs and let it heat on the other side for a few more seconds.

The microwave works too. Simply wrap 1 to 3 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until hot.

Wrap the warm tortillas in a napkin and place them on a plate.
Serve the fajitas:

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a warm platter. Bring the platter and warm tortillas to the table for people to help themselves. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and avocado slices, if you like. If you like, you can also serve with rice and beans.

nutritional information (per serving)
346	calories
14g	Fat
44g	carbohydrates
15g	protein