Air fryer fajitas are a versatile and delicious meal, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Tender chicken combines with pepper, onions and spices for a simple, affordable meal that can be made with minimal effort!
Fajitas are one of my go to meals when I need to make something fast! These air fryer chicken fajitas have only 5 simple ingredients and are ready in about 15 minutes!
And these are fresh and super tasty, so much better than take out options like pizza! You can roll them up in tortillas, make a rice bowl or serve them in a salad and change up the toppings. So you can serve them every week without getting bored!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
They are a healthy and easy to make dinner idea.
Fajitas have a bold and flavorful taste which makes them a family favorite.
Chicken cooked in the air fryer is tender and juicy and doesn’t dry out.
Key Ingredients
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
Chicken – Either boneless chicken breasts or thighs will work fine in this recipe. You can also buy chicken tenders or precut chicken breast strips to simplify preparation.
Bell peppers – I like to use red or yellow bell pepper because they are sweeter, but use whatever color you have.
Onions – Red, yellow or white onions are all great choices.
Fajita seasoning – You can buy your favorite fajita seasoning or make homemade seasoning mix.
Oil – A little bit of oil helps the seasoning stick to the meat and veggies. It also makes the meat a little more brown around the edges. I like to use avocado oil if I have it, because it adds some great flavor to the dish.
Love Tex-Mex recipes? Try fajita burgers and chile relleno casserole!
Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix
Making homemade fajita seasoning only takes a few minutes and uses a blend of spices that your probably have in your spice cabinet anyway! Here are the ingredients I use:
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
These quantities make about 3 tablespoons of the seasoning, just enough to use for this air fryer chicken fajita recipe.
Overcrowding the Air Fryer Basket
The biggest mistake you can make with this recipe is to overcrowd the basket. An air fryer works by blowing hot air around and if there is too much food in the basket the air can not circulate.
But what does overcrowding the basket mean? I find the easiest way to think about it is determine whether or not you can see the holes in the basket.
If the holes are visible then the air will be able to move through them. If you have the holes completely covered up then air will not be able to move around very well.
If you do put too much food in the basket then the food will still cook, but it will take longer than the stated time. This is one of the reasons you should always test the temperature of meat before assuming it is done!
How to Cook Chicken Fajitas in an Air Fryer
1. Prep
Slice the chicken breast and veggies into thin strips, about 1/2 inch in size. I like to use about twice as much bell pepper as onion in my fajitas, but you can add more onion slices if you like.
Put all the bell pepper slices, onion slices and meat in a bowl and drizzle the oil over the top. Then add the fajita seasoning and toss to mix it all together.
This recipe uses quite a bit of fajita seasoning, so the chicken and vegetables should be well coated in it.
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2. Air Fry
Put the chicken and vegetables in the basket, being sure not to make it so full that the air cannot circulate. My 5.8 quart Cosori air fryer can fit about 1 pound of chicken strips with the peppers and onions. If you have a smaller machine you might need to cook this in batches.
Set the air fryer at 400 degrees F and air fry everything for 8-10 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time pull the basket out and use tongs to toss the ingredients around so the brown easily.
After 8 minutes use an instant read thermometer to check 2 or 3 of the largest chicken strips and make sure they have reached 165 degrees F. If not air fry them for a few extra minutes and check again.
Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, don’t try to cook based just on time. A thermometer is not expensive and the peace of mind they give you is priceless. Food poisoning is not fun! This is my favorite inexpensive meat thermometer, which you can buy on Amazon.
How to Serve
Traditionally fajitas are served with warm tortillas, guacamole and lime slices. Some other great additions are cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream or refried beans.
I also like to use fajitas to make a burrito bowl. Make some Mexican rice or Arroz Verde and serve the air fryer fajitas on top! This is a great way to stretch the meat to feed more people.
Another excellent idea for a family meal is to make a fajita salad by serving the chicken and vegetables on a green salad. This makes a healthy and easy dinner option!
How to Store
Store leftover chicken fajitas in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can reheat it by putting it back in the air fryer at 380 degrees F for 3-4 minutes. It is also good cold though!
FAQ
Yes, you can use frozen peppers and onions and make this simple dinner even simpler! The vegetables won’t get as crispy and probably won’t look charred like the fresh ones do.
8-10 minutes is long enough to cook chicken or steak fajitas in the air fryer. For air fryer shrimp start cooking the vegetables first, then add the shrimp for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
For my air fryer preheating is only necessary when I am coating something in breading, so no. But yours might differ, and if you normally preheat yours then do so for this recipe.
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Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breast or 3-4 skinless chicken thighs cut into strips
- 1 red yellow or green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 onion cut into strips any color
- 3 tablespoons fajita seasoning
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
Chicken Fajita Toppings
- guacamole
- lime wedges
- tortillas
- cheese
- salsa
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into strips. Slice the bell pepper and onions into bite size pieces.2 skinless chicken breast or 3-4 skinless chicken thighs, 1 red, 1/2 onion cut into strips
- Put the meat and vegetables in a bowl and add the oil and fajita seasoning. Toss so that everything is coated with the seasoning.3 tablespoons fajita seasoning, ½ tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- Put the meat and vegetables in the air fryer basket. Spread them out so that the basket is not overcrowded.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Open the air fryer and toss the vegetables with tongs halfway through the cooking time.
- The check a few of the chicken strips with an instant read thermometer and make sure the meat has reached 165 degrees F internal temperature. It should look fried and be brown around the edges.
- Squeeze some lime juice over the chicken and serve with tortillas and guacamole.guacamole, lime wedges, tortillas, cheese, salsa
Notes
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
I love your recipes and tried several I guess I owe 3 stars (where do you give stars?) but I did give a heart here and maybe the others too (can’t remember).
It was a timely thing to see your ad as my husband had bought a Ninja air fryer (it was one of those “best thing you did” as it cooks so quickly without drying) and frozen French fries turned out so well.
I have just gotten my Instapot this seems like an easy way to start
Great that i can make fajita mix myself as i have all the needed ingredients! and i like the whole recipe using white chicken pieces.