Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (2024)

Here at Our Best bites we specialize in practical, delicious ideas to help you get dinner on the table for your families. We share a LOT of different types of recipes and content around here, but we know you especially love family friendly dinners so I have a REALLY good one for you today. These Sheet Pan Fajitas are ridiculously easy to make. With just a few minutes prep time, you can pop them in the oven and have just enough time to set the table and gather all the fixings, and then they’re ready! Dinner in under 30 minutes. Thousands of you have made these and loved these and ranked them as our top recipe of the year!

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Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (1)

Types of Fajita Recipes

We’ve got a couple other fajita recipes here on Our Best Bites, and they all have their place. For the grill, you cannot beat our Classic Fajita recipe. It requires a long marinade and its tangy, smoky flavor profile is beloved by readers around the world as one of our all-time most popular recipes! For those times where you need to just dump everything in a slow cooker, we have my easySlow Cooker Steak Fajitas. Super tender steak and so easy and delicious. Set it and forget it.

These days the recipe I tend to make the most are these Sheet Pan Fajitas. You cannot beat the convenience of a one-pan meal and a simple yet flavorful dry rub gives these fajitas out0-of-this-world flavor without drowning everything on a pan like a marinade would.

Making the Dry Rub

I’m using seasonings that most of you probably have in your pantries already: Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and if you have any- True Lime. I buy this crystallized fresh lime in a large shaker bottle on Amazon and use it on evvvverything. If you don’t have it, no worries. We’ll give these a squeeze of fresh lime.

As I mentioned before, we’re using all dry seasonings because there’s plenty of moisture in the chicken and vegetables and we want these to caramelize and roast (not simmer!)

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (2)

Chicken Choice

You can certainly try this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast, but I prefer thighs for some very specific reasons. Aside from the fact that chicken thighs are so much more flavorful in a recipe like this, they are also much easier to cook. Chicken breasts need to be cooked to a certain temperature and as soon as they pass that, they’re suddenly dry and chewy. It’s hard to mess up chicken thighs. You can overcook them and they’re still juicy and tender. On a sheet pan meal, you’re cooking several different things on the same pan and it’s really nice to have some flexibility in case everything isn’t done at the exact same time. Did I mention they taste so much better in this recipe? Buy boneless skinless ones and then use a sharp pair of clean scissors or kitchen shears to trim excess fat if you like.

Add the Seasoning Mix

I slice up my chicken and vegetables and then use plastic gloves so I can just toss everything together with my hands! Drizzle with a few tablespoons oil (our Lime Olive Oil is my personal favorite, here) and that seasoning mix. I use an extra large sheet pan (I get them here, they’re fantastic and so useful. I pretty much use this size for everything!) and this just gets tossed in the oven.

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (3)

Cook the Sheet Pan Fajitas

If your oven has a convection setting, use it. Convection will circulate hot air and help get everything kind of toasty brown like a grill would. If not, you can always broil quickly at the end if you like.

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (4)

I toss on a handful of chopped cilantro at the end and a big squeeze of fresh lime juice. These are DIVINE.

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (5)

Now you can obviously serve these traditionally in tortillas with all the fixings.

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (6)

But some other ways we love eating these, depending on nutrition preferences, are:

-Over shredded iceberg or mixed greens
-Over a bed of cauliflower rice
-In a bowl of rice and beans (use the quick steam rice bags and canned beans for a fast meal!)
-Simply in a bowl with avocado and sour cream

Any way you do it, I think you’ll love this one! Let me know what you think!

Print

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (7)

Sheet Pan Fajitas

★★★★★5 from 27 reviews

  • Author: Sara Wells
Print Recipe

Description

Quick and easy sheet pan dinner featuring juicy flavorful chicken with roasted bell peppers and onions. Perfect week night meal! Served my family of 6 just perfectly.

Ingredients

1.52 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced (see note)
1 large onion, sliced
2 large bell peppers (or 3 small/med ones), sliced
34 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil of your choice) I prefer ourLime Olive Oil
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
23 teaspoons True Lime, optional
handful of cilantro

1 lime
optional for serving: sour cream, guacamole/avocado, tortillas, rice and beans, etc.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have a large sheet pan ready (cover with foil or parchment for easy clean-up).

Place sliced chicken, onions, and peppers in an extra large mixing bowl. Drizzle on oil and all seasonings. Toss to coat. (Tip: I keep Nitrile gloves in my kitchen and use them for things like this- tossing with your hands is much easier!)

Spread chicken and pepper mixture out evenly on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes (closer to 20 with convection) until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. If desired, place under broiler for a quick minute to brown.

Remove from oven and if desired, sprinkle cilantro over everything and give it a big squeeze of fresh lime juice (you might not need fresh lime if you used True Lime, but I say never enough lime.)

Serve with tortillas and traditional fixings, or over a bed of salad or veggies or rice and beans, etc.

Notes

I like using extra large sheet pans for most of my cooking, and they’re the perfect size for this recipe. If you are using a standard sheet pan, you will have to let me know if it all fits- if you’re worried there’s too much, just split between 2 pans and pop both in the oven!

*I use a full 2lbs and it’s generously seasoned.

Easy Sheet Pan Fajita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook fajita meat so it's not tough? ›

Steak for fajitas should be cooked to rare or medium-rare for the best texture and flavor. 3. Slice thinly, against the grain. Cutting meat against the grain into thin strips shortens the muscle fibers, reducing the amount of work you have to do to chew them, and making even tough cuts taste tender.

How do you make fajitas not soggy? ›

This is a pretty common fajita issue if you ask me. To prevent that, I sear the chicken breasts whole in a cast iron skillet. This locks in the moisture (and avoids fussing with raw chicken too much; something I really don't enjoy!). It's a winning weeknight dinner.

How much does 1lb of fajita feed? ›

I like to always say it's about one pound per three people...but let's be honest, I can almost eat a whole pound by myself lol. I would say you could be safe with three pounds.

What is fajita marinade made of? ›

Most fajita marinades are made with lime juice, but I prefer lemon juice. However, if you are a lime juice aficionado, go for it; your fajitas will still be delicious! Other fajita seasonings include smokey ground cumin, garlic, and onion powder, hot sauce, olive oil and, of course, salt and pepper.

How do I make sure fajita meat is tender? ›

Cut the Beef Against the Grain.

Slicing meat against the grain helps tenderize it. By looking closely at the steak, you'll be able to see the direction the grain is running. Make your cuts perpendicular to it (this rule applies if you are making chicken fajitas too).

Do you cover fajitas when cooking? ›

After 10 to 15 minutes, I transfer them to a plate and cover with foil while I cook the steak. For fajitas with just chicken, see these garlic citrus chicken fajitas. I use the same skillet for the steak, cooking until browned on both sides and slightly pink inside (I like to cook to medium, around 140°F).

Do you cut chicken fajita meat before cooking? ›

Fajitas meats are usually marinated, grilled, cut into strips, and sauteed with onions, peppers, and seasoning.

Should peppers be crunchy in fajitas? ›

You want to see the onions start to turn translucent and the peppers start to soften at the edges. Once everything is starting to brown, your veggies are ready. Take them out and place to one side – we recommend transferring them to a bowl and covering with foil to keep warm while you cook your protein.

What kind of onion is good for fajitas? ›

Step 1: Choose the Right Onion

Red onions are known for their milder flavor and vibrant color, while yellow onions offer a natural sweetness that can pair well with spicier peppers. White onions have a more pungent flavor that can add intensity to your fajitas.

What toppings do you put on fajitas? ›

Top 5 Fajita toppings
  • Cheese. Cheese is the number one fajita topping. ...
  • Salsa. Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce. ...
  • Soured Cream. When it gets hot, hot, hot, soured cream is there to cool things down. ...
  • Chicken. No wonder the brits like chicken fajitas! ...
  • Guacamole.

Is there a difference between taco seasoning and fajita seasoning? ›

Fajita seasoning and taco seasoning are very similar, but they are not the same. Taco seasoning typically has more oregano and chili powder than fajita seasoning. With that being said, however, you can use fajita seasoning and taco seasoning interchangeably in recipes, it may just warrant a slightly different flavor.

Can you use McCormick fajita seasoning as a marinade? ›

McCormick Culinary Fajita Marinade & Seasoning Mix's uniform texture is perfect for marinating protein and infusing signature flavor before grilling, broiling or roasting.

Can I use lemon instead of lime for fajitas? ›

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon or lime juice and all the seasonings; add the chicken. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.

How do I soften tough meat? ›

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.

How do you cook skirt steak so it isn't tough? ›

Cook it hot!

Cook it fast with high heat, instead of low heat for slow cooking. Slicing the meat thinly across grain will provide enough tenderization, especially if you don't overcook your skirt steak to make it tough and dry.

How to cook tough meat in oven? ›

  1. High-and-fast or low-and-slow are the two classic methods for roasting meat. ...
  2. Tougher cuts, however, need a gentler approach to coax them to tenderness.
  3. Step 1: Cut Slits into Meat. ...
  4. Step 2: Brine. ...
  5. Step 3: Pat Dry and Season. ...
  6. Step 4: Transfer to Wire Rack and Slow-Roast. ...
  7. Step 5: Flip Halfway.
Sep 29, 2023

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