Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Jump to Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas make for one easy yet tasty meal. Juicy, tender, and flavorful chicken cooked with fresh and crisp bell peppers and onions. Perfect weeknight meal as it comes together in no time. Also great for meal prep.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Chicken fajitas are always a great idea as they are so easy to make and so flavorful. This version is even easier to make as everything is thrown in the Instant Pot and quickly cooked through. This is my go-to meal and make it pretty often in my home. Such a quick and easy dinner to put together.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas make for one easy yet tasty meal. Juicy, tender, and flavorful chicken cooked with fresh and crisp bell peppers and onions. This dish is so versatile as well as it can be served in different ways. Warm up some tortillas and serve as tacos. You can also serve it over some rice as burrito bowls or in a large tortilla as a regular burrito. Top with fresh cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, cheese, etc. The possibilities are truly endless with these delicious Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas.
Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
- Chicken Breasts– Boneless and skinless. You can use chicken thighs too.
- Bell Peppers and Yellow Onion– These are your fajita veggies. I like to use a variation of yellow, orange and red. You can use green bell peppers too.
- Spices and Herbs– This combination of spices and herbs will make a quick and easy fajita seasoning; Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and pink sea salt.
- Lime Juice– Freshly squeezed lime juice will elevate all the flavors.
- Olive Oil– For cooking and adds moisture to the chicken.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth– You need some liquid to get the IP pressuring cooking. I like using low-sodium chicken broth so I can control the amount of sodium that goes into my food.
Equipment needed to make Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
- Instant Pot– At a 6 qt sized IP.
- Mixing Bowls– To prep chicken and fajita veggies in.
- Tongs– For tossing and removing chicken and veggies from IP.
- Small Mixing Bowl– This is to mix spices and herbs to make your fajita seasoning.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
- Step 1– Start by prepping all your ingredients. Pat dry chicken breasts and cut them into small bite size strips. Place them in a mixing bowl. Julienne bell peppers and onions and place in a separate mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients for fajita seasoning; Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and pink sea salt. Mix spices and herbs until well blended.
- Step 2– Drizzle half of the olive oil over chicken and the other half over fajita veggies. Sprinkle chicken with half of fajita seasoning blend and fajita veggies with the other half. Give both chicken and veggies a good toss making sure each is well coated with oil and seasoning. Drizzle chicken with 1 tbsp lime juice and fajita veggies with the other tbsp lime juice. Give each a good toss once again.
- Step 3– Pour chicken broth into Instant Pot. Add chicken in making sure it is well spread throughout the bottom of the pot. Leave as much room between chicken as possible making sure it’s not too crowded. You want the chicken strips to be more spread out and not stacked up on top of each other too much. Add in fajita veggies placing them right over chicken. Chicken strips should be completely covered with veggies.
- Step 4– Place lid on Instant Pot and close tightly placing steam valve on sealed. Set Instant Pot on Pressure Cook or Manual setting. Set on high and set timer for 6 minutes. It will take a few minutes for pressure to build up. About 10 minutes or so. Then timer will start counting down from there. Once timer goes off, turn steam valve to quick release pressure. Do this part very carefully.
- Step 5– Open Instant Pot, use tongs to remove chicken fajitas and place them in a serving bowl. Leave broth behind and try to transfer as little broth as possible.
- Step 6– Serve while fajitas are still warm over tortillas or rice for fajita bowls. Top with your favorite toppings such as fresh cilantro, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, and or cheese, etc. Enjoy!
Tips and Substitutions:
- Place bell peppers and onions on top of the chicken- This will prevent the veggies from getting overcooked.
- Substitute for chicken broth- You can use vegetable stock. Just make sure it’s also low-sodium to keep your salt under control.
- Switch up your chicken– You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs too.
- Use multi-colored bell peppers– I like to use a variation of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers as it gives the fajitas a vibrant color. You can also use green bell peppers.
- Substitute for yellow onion– Red onions can be used too. I use yellow onions as a personal preference as I like their taste better when cooked.
- Don’t throw away the leftover liquid in the bottom of the IP– The remaining broth is great to make some delicious rice you can serve along with your fajitas!
What to serve Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas with:
- Tortillas (of preference such as gluten-free, whole wheat, etc.)
- Avocado
- White Rice
- Cauliflower Rice
- Corn
- Black Beans
- Spanish Rice
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime Juice
- Cheese
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Loaded Guacamole
- Pickled Red Onions
Toppings for your Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
Serve your chicken fajitas with some warmed-up tortillas or over some rice to make burrito bowls. Top with your favorite fixings like sour cream, avocado or guac, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, some salsa, etc. You can also serve with corn, black beans, and some rice for a more complete Mexican inspired meal.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas FAQ’s
Can you make chicken fajitas in the slow cooker?
Yes you can also make these chicken fajitas in the slow cooker. Follow the same prepping instructions for all of the ingredients. Then just add in your chicken and veggies to your slow cooker and place lid. Slow cook your chicken fajitas on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4.
Can you make these chicken fajitas on the stovetop?
Yes you can. Again, simply follow the same prepping instructions. Then place a large skillet on your stovetop and drizzle with some oil. Bring to a heat on medium-high and sauté your veggies first. Cook them until bell peppers have soften which should take about 6-7 minutes. Remove veggies from skillet and drizzle with some more oil. Toss in your chicken and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until browned. Toss fajitas and chicken together and serve.
Can you use frozen chicken in Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas?
You can certainly use frozen chicken to make your life easier. You just have to add more cooking time to your chicken. About 4-5 more minutes. So you would set your IP timer for 12 minutes. I would suggest in this case to hold off on adding the veggies to IP and cook chicken alone first. 12 minutes cooking time can overcook the veggies and make them too mushy. Once IP has released pressure for 5 minutes, add in your veggies. Close IP again and set pressure valve. Set cooking time for 2 minutes and timer should start right away as pressure doesn’t have to be built-up again.
What can I do with the extra liquid?
The extra liquid left on the bottom of the Instant Pot is a deliciously seasoned broth. Perfect to make some rice that will have a Mexican flare to it. Great to serve with your fajitas.
Do you need to cut the chicken?
You don’t have to cut your chicken into strips. However, this helps as the chicken will cook more evenly without having to add more cooking time. This will also prevent the fajita veggies from overcooking and getting too soft.
Meal Prepping it:
I love using these Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas as part of my meal prepping rotation. They are so easy to make which allows me to prep other meals as these are cooking in the Instant Pot. I like keeping these in my fridge for the week and serving them with warm tortillas for a quick and easy dinner. I also like serving them in portions with some rice and other fixings to make some ready-to-go burrito bowl lunches.
How to store Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
Allow chicken fajitas to completely cool-off. Place your IP chicken fajitas in an airtight container or a zip bag. If using a bag, remove any excess air before sealing it. Keep chicken fajitas refrigerated for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas:
I prefer to freeze these chicken fajitas before cooking. You can certainly freeze after cooking if you prefer this way. However, I find this changes the texture too much and I personally don’t like the taste of them once reheated. To freeze your chicken fajitas season both chicken and veggies separately. Then place fajita veggies in a freezer bag first. Then add chicken on top. This way, when you dump the ingredients int he IP, the chicken will be on the bottom and your veggies will remain on the top. This will prevent veggies from getting overcooked.
Did you like this Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas recipe? You may also like these other recipes:
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas make for one easy yet tasty meal. Juicy, tender, and flavorful chicken cooked with fresh and crisp bell peppers and onions. Perfect weeknight meal as it comes together in no time. Also great for meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1.5 tsp pink sea salt
- 2 tbsp lime juice (divided)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 multi-colored bell peppers
Instructions
Start by prepping all your ingredients. Pat dry chicken breasts and cut them into small bite size strips. Place them in a mixing bowl. Julienne bell peppers and onions and place in a separate mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients for fajita seasoning; Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and pink sea salt. Mix spices and herbs until well blended.
Drizzle half of the olive oil over chicken and the other half over fajita veggies. Sprinkle chicken with half of fajita seasoning blend and fajita veggies with the other half. Give both chicken and veggies a good toss making sure each is well coated with oil and seasoning. Drizzle chicken with 1 tbsp lime juice and fajita veggies with the other tbsp lime juice. Give each a good toss once again.
Pour chicken broth into Instant Pot. Add chicken in making sure it is well spread throughout the bottom of the pot. Leave as much room between chicken as possible making sure it's not too crowded. You want the chicken strips to be more spread out and not stacked up on top of each other too much. Add in fajita veggies placing them right over chicken. Chicken strips should be completely covered with veggies.
Place lid on Instant Pot and close tightly placing steam valve on sealed. Set Instant Pot on Pressure Cook or Manual setting. Set on high and set timer for 6 minutes. It will take a few minutes for pressure to build up. About 10 minutes or so. Then timer will start counting down from there. Once timer goes off, turn steam valve to quick release pressure. Do this part very carefully.
Open Instant Pot, use tongs to remove chicken fajitas and place them in a serving bowl. Leave broth behind and try to transfer as little broth as possible.
Serve while fajitas are still warm over tortillas or rice for fajita bowls. Top with your favorite toppings such as fresh cilantro, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, and or cheese, etc. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
- Place bell peppers and onions on top of the chicken- This will prevent the veggies from getting overcooked.
- Substitute for chicken broth- You can use vegetable stock. Just make sure it’s also low-sodium to keep your salt under control.
- Switch up your chicken– You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs too.
- Use multi-colored bell peppers– I like to use a variation of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers as it gives the fajitas a vibrant color. You can also use green bell peppers.
- Substitute for yellow onion– Red onions can be used too. I use yellow onions as a personal preference as I like their taste better when cooked.
- Don’t throw away the leftover liquid in the bottom of the IP– The remaining broth is great to make some delicious rice you can serve along with your fajitas!
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
