Last Updated on July 3, 2024
Today, we’re going to be looking at a Chilis chicken fajita recipe. Chilis is incredibly popular, and their fajitas are one of their signature dishes. If you’re looking to recreate their fajitas from the comfort of your home – then look no further. The most important thing you’ll need is a skillet! While dining out is great as a treat every so often, nothing beats a homecooked meal; especially when it comes to fajitas. So let’s see how to make copycat Chilis chicken fajitas.
What Is Chilis?
If you’re from the US, you’re likely already familiar with Chilis. Chilis is a casual restaurant that has been around for almost 50 years now! They have over 1600 locations, which isn’t surprising considering how popular they are. They’re best known for their fajitas, but they also serve tacos, quesadillas, burgers, steaks, salad – and plenty of other tex-mex cuisine.
What are chicken fajitas?
Chicken fajitas are simply a tortilla wrap, that’s then filled with marinated chicken, as well as cheese and vegetables, such as bell peppers and onions. The chicken should be juicy and tender; for that reason, breast meat is typically used. The ingredients are usually cut into strips before being placed into the tortilla and served with condiments such as Pico de Gallo, salsa or sour cream.
Ingredients in chicken fajitas
The ingredients for chicken fajitas can vary massively depending on the recipe you’re following. However, the basic ingredients you’ll need are:
- chicken breast
- tortillas
- bell pepper
- onions
- lime juice
- spices
- cheese
- chicken marinade
Nutritional information of chicken fajitas
Depending on the ingredients you use, it may affect the nutritional value of your chicken fajitas. However, the standard-sized fajita contains the following:
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 10.5g
- Carbs: 21.3g
- Protein: 14.7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 4g
Chilis Chicken Fajita Recipe
Let’s move on to the reason you’re here – how to recreate Chilis chicken fajitas at home. A recipe from Food Fanatic inspires this recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
For the marinade:
- 1/4 tsp. of onion powder and black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper and red chili powder
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1/3 cup of lime juice and boiling water
- 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. of soy sauce and white vinegar
I love this small but very cool Fajita Pan. It makes my Chilis Chicken Fajita amazing.
For the vegetable sauce:
- 1/4 tsp. of salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. of boiling water
- 1/2 tsp. of lime juice
For the fajitas:
- 5 chicken breasts (skinless)
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil
- 3 bell peppers (cut into strips)
- 2 large onions (cut into strips)
- 12 flour/corn tortillas
Recipe
Now all you need to do is:
Step 1: Marinade the chicken
Grab a bowl and add the onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, red chili powder, salt, lime juice, boiling water, oil, garlic, soy sauce and vinegar. Mix well until the ingredients are combined.
Place your chicken breasts into a dish, and pierce several small holes with a fork into each breast. Pour the marinade over the chicken and place in the fridge overnight (be sure it’s covered).
Step 2: Cook the vegetables
Heat a skillet over a medium to high heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil and add the peppers. After around 6 minutes, add the onions. Sauté for around 15 minutes. It may take slightly longer, but the onions and peppers should be soft. Be sure to stir every so often.
When the vegetables are almost done, add your vegetable sauce. Whisk the salt, pepper, soy sauce, boiling water, and lime juice in a bowl and pour into the vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes.
Step 3: Cook the chicken
If you have another skillet, now’s the time to use it! However, a frying pan will work just fine. Remove chicken from the fridge and place the marinated breasts into the skillet over a medium heat.
Cook until the meat is white, and the juices run clear. This should take around 15 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Once cooked, remove from heat and slice into thin strips.
Step 4: Serve
Warm your tortillas in a microwave and then place both the chicken and the vegetable mix into your warm tortillas. Serve with toppings of your choice: lettuce, guacamole, salsa, cheese, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, etc. Enjoy!
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you to become more familiar with a copycat Chilis chicken fajita recipe. While it seems like you need a lot of ingredients, many of them you can use again once you have them stocked in your pantry. It’s definitely a cheaper way to feed the family, with the same great taste of Chili’s.
Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to making chicken fajitas? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
Chilis Chicken Fajita Recipe: How To
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1/4 tsp. of onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. of red chili powder
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1/3 cup of lime juice
- 1/3 cup of boiling water
- 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. of white vinegar
For the vegetable sauce
- 1/4 tsp. of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of black pepper
- 2 tsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. of boiling water
- 1/2 tsp. of lime juice
Instructions
- Marinade the chickenGrab a bowl and add the onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, red chili powder, salt, lime juice, boiling water, oil, garlic, soy sauce and vinegar. Mix well until the ingredients are combined. Place your chicken breasts into a dish, and pierce several small holes with a fork into each breast. Pour the marinade over the chicken and place in the fridge overnight (be sure it's covered).1/4 tsp. of onion powder, 1/4 tsp. of black pepper, 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. of red chili powder, 1 tsp. of salt, 1/3 cup of lime juice, 1/3 cup of boiling water, 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 tbsp. of white vinegar, 5 chicken breasts, skinless
- Cook the vegetablesHeat a skillet over a medium to high heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil and add the peppers. After around 6 minutes, add the onions. Sauté for around 15 minutes. It may take slightly longer, but the onions and peppers should be soft. Be sure to stir every so often. When the vegetables are almost done, add your vegetable sauce. Whisk the salt, pepper, soy sauce, boiling water, and lime juice in a bowl and pour into the vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes.1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/4 tsp. of black pepper, 2 tsp. of soy sauce, 2 tbsp. of boiling water, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 3 bell peppers, cut into strips, 2 large onions, cut into strips, 1/2 tsp. of lime juice
- Cook the chickenIf you have another skillet, now's the time to use it! However, a frying pan will work just fine. Remove chicken from the fridge and place the marinated breasts into the skillet over a medium heat. Cook until the meat is white, and the juices run clear. This should take around 15 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Once cooked, remove from heat and slice into thin strips.
- ServeWarm your tortillas in a microwave and then place both the chicken and the vegetable mix into your warm tortillas. Serve with toppings of your choice: lettuce, guacamole, salsa, cheese, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, etc. Enjoy!12 flour/corn tortillas
Nutrition
FAQs
What is Fajita Marinade Made of?
Fajita marinade is usually made from a selection of herbs, spices and seasonings. You can usually find garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, onion powder, red chili powder, oil, oregano, paprika, cumin etc. It all depends how spicy you like your fajitas to be!
Are Chili’s Chicken Fajitas Healthy?
If you're eating out at Chili's, the chicken fajitas are one of the healthier options. If you opt to have no condiments and skip the tortillas - chicken fajitas are pretty good for you! They're full of protein and incredibly filling; as well as being delicious, of course.
Can You Use McCormick Fajita Seasoning as Marinade?
Absolutely. For a fajita marinade, use 3 tablespoons of seasoning, per one cup of water. This is the perfect way to make a marinade if you're struggling for time, or you don't have the ingredients available.
How Do You Tenderize Fajita Meat?
The best way to tenderize any meat is to marinade it before cooking. The chicken should be marinated in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but leaving overnight in the fridge will give best results. You'll end up with tender, moist meat.
My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.
You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.
