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Sheet pan meals are a perfect weeknight dinner option. My Sheet Pan Fajita Chicken recipe uses a delicious marinade which turns plain chicken breasts into restaurant style chicken. This easy (and gluten free) recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook. Use your favorite fajita vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, onions, or mini corn on the cobb. You can enjoy fajita chicken & vegetables in a burrito bowl, or on tortillas with the traditional fajita toppings.
When I go out to eat at Mexican restaurants fajitas are always my go-to! Fajitas are usually one of the healthier options because they are high in protein, full of veggies, and you can control the toppings. I decided to create this recipe as a way to add fajitas to my regular weeknight meal-prep rotation. I love creating healthy sheet pan meals for dinner during the week. It is so easy to chop the ingredients and throw in the oven after work. Once you try this easy recipe I guarantee you will want to add this to your weeknight meal rotation!
Looking for more easy, gluten free chicken recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken!
INGREDIENTS:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: I used 1.8 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this sheet pan fajita chicken recipe. You can also use steak if you prefer. If you do chose to use steak, I recommend skirt steak as this cut of meat works well with fajitas.
- Bell Peppers: I used one yellow and one red bell pepper to jazz up the colors. I just discovered my love for bell peppers within the last year and I am so disappointed that I have been missing out on them for so long! It is important to use the right kind of pepper:
- Green Bell Peppers are the most bitter of all bell peppers as they are picked before ripening.
- Yellow Bell Peppers are a little less bitter than green, though they are not sweet either. Yellow bell peppers are my favorite to eat raw as a snack because I think they are rather flavorless. When you cook yellow bell peppers they release a pinch of sweetness and a hint of citrus vitamin C.
- Orange Bell Peppers are slightly sweeter than yellow bell peppers. I think orange bell peppers have a slight orange taste (just me?!).
- Red Bell Peppers are very sweet when cooked. They taste delicious with fajitas.
- Purple Onion: I used purple onion in this recipe as it is my favorite kind of onion. Purple onions are a little more mild than yellow or white onions and they do not make my eyes water when I cut them. You can use yellow or white onion if you prefer, or omit all together if you are an onion hater like my husband.
- Other veggies: You can use all sorts of vegetables in fajitas such as mini corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. Use whatever vegetables you and your family prefer!
FOR THE MARINADE:
- Gluten Free Soy Sauce: I know it sounds crazy, but soy sauce is delicious as a sheet pan fajita chicken marinade! Once you try it you will always use soy sauce in your marinade. Just trust me on this. I use La Choy brand as it is gluten free.
- Juice of 1 lime: I use the juice of 1 lime to add some mexican flare. Also, the acidity in the lime juice will help to tenderize the chicken breasts.
- Honey: The sweetness from the honey balances the other ingredients.
- Onion Powder: Adds a delicious flavor to the marinade.
- Garlic Powder: My philosophy is always “the more the merrier” when it comes to garlic!
- Cumin: A traditional flavor in mexican cooking.
- Chili Powder: This spice tends to be more mild than hot. I like to use it to add a hint of spice.
- Cayenne Pepper (OPTIONAL): Cayenne Pepper is HOT. If you like spicy foods you can add a pinch to this recipe. Just know that a little goes a long way when it comes to cayenne pepper!
COOKING NOTES:
- Preparing the chicken: Start by trimming the chicken of an fat or gristle. Next, slice the chicken in 1/4 – 1/3 inch wide strips, lengthwise. It may seem weird to slice the chicken the long way as we are used to cutting short ways to go against the grain. However, think about when you order chicken fajitas from a restaurant. The chicken always comes cooked as long strips cut length-wise.
- The thinner the slices of chicken, the faster they will marinade and cook. You may prefer to cut your chicken a little thicker if you prefer your vegetables to cook down more on the sheet pan.
- Marinating: The chicken is sliced thin, therefore it does not need as long to marinade. I recommend marinating for 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours.
- Cooking: I cooked all of my chicken (1.8 lbs), 2 bell peppers, and 1/2 a red onion on one sheet pan. Looking back, I wish I would have split them up into 2 sheet pans. I felt that the pan was a little overcrowded. Also, cooking the chicken and vegetables on different pans allows you to control the cook time of each independently. However, if you are using less chicken and vegetables then one pan is perfectly fine.
SERVING
You can serve the fajita chicken and vegetables on warm corn tortillas. Option toppings for tortillas include: Guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese.
My family also likes to eat fajita chicken and vegetables in a burrito bowl. Simply serve over rice with the following optional toppings: Guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, sweet corn, romaine lettuce, black or pinto beans, and a squeeze of lime. Yum!
Store fajita chicken in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a skillet.
Sheet Pan Fajita Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 bell peppers (I used orange & red)
- 1/2 purple onion
Chicken Marinade
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (OPTIONAL – SPICY)
Optional Toppings for Burrito Bowl Pictured in thumbnail:
- rice
- guacamole
- sweet corn
- black beans
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Slice chicken lengthwise to 1/4 – 1/3 inch thick slices.
- In a bowl combine chicken breasts, soy sauce, honey, juice of 1 lime and remaining spices. Mix to combine.
- Cover chicken and place in refrigerator to marinade for 30 minutes – 2 hours.
- Towards the end of the chicken marinade process, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, slice bell peppers and onions into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices.
- Line a sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper. NOTE: If you are using more than 1.5 lbs chicken and a variety of vegetables I recommend using 2 pans: 1 for chicken and 1 for vegetables.
- Add chicken & vegetables to pan(s). Bake at 400 for 10 – 12 minutes, or until chicken is done. Vegetables may take longer depending on preferred doneness.
- Serve immediately as fajitas on corn tortillas, or in a burrito bowl.
