Prep chicken fajitas in only minutes with this No Marinade Chicken Fajitas! No planning ahead thanks to an easy trick. Same fajita flavor and moist chicken paired with bell peppers and onions.
Yep, a recipe title like Easy No Marinade Chicken Fajitas totally sounds like an oxymoron. But think about it, how many times have you wanted to make fajitas and forgot to marinate them or don’t have time to?
There’s a flipside to that as well. Sometimes you want a recipe fast and easy. Chicken fajitas has always been one of those plan ahead recipes. With a few simple tricks you get comparable flavor infused throughout, with only minutes of prep and no marinating.
Chicken fajita marinade typically includes lime juice, olive oil, garlic, spices like cumin and cayenne, and salt. The key is getting the flavor to soak into the meat. Ready for it….seal the chicken in a pot and do a slower bake.
Simply mix all the ingredients together and pour over the chicken in an oven safe skillet, pan or dutch oven. Add the usual bell peppers and onions, cover and bake at least an hour. The steam and flavor is sealed in, keeping the chicken moist, almost like a slow cooker. Afterwards the chicken fajita meat is fork tender, pulls apart and full of flavor.
To punch up the dish even more top with extra salsa when serving. They have two other new flavors Mango Habanero and Pineapple as well. I made this Lime Marinated Mango Habanero Chicken with it as well; such an easy way to add flavor. Thanks to a simple trick and authentic salsa, this No Marinade Chicken Fajitas is an easy, breezy recipe perfect for summer.
Easy No Marinade Chicken Fajitas recipe at-a-glance:
Flavor profiles: Bold and tangy flavors paired with savory chicken.
Texture: Soft, moist and tender with a slight crunch of vegetables.
Dietary Options/Substitutions: This recipe is gluten free. Sub chicken with other proteins if desired.
If you want more fajitas, try my Shrimp Fajita Skewers.
Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.
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Easy No Marinade Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 3 medium limes, juiced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2-3 breasts
- 1 each of green, red and yellow bell peppers (3 total), sliced
- 16 ounces salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F°. In a medium bowl stir together first 9 ingredients through cayenne pepper.
- Place whole chicken breasts in an oven safe skillet or dutch oven. Pour marinade mixture over chicken and evenly spread bell peppers in pan.
- Seal with lid (very important) and bake at least 1 hr 15 min, or until chicken is tender. Use two forks to shred apart. Stir with remaining liquid in pan for added flavor and drain before serving. Serve as desired topped with salsa.
I have a similar recipe but see several different ingredients. Looks and sounds delicious.
i bought this expensive non-stick tefal grill pan BUT i can’t seem to get the perfect grill marks as i used to with my cheaper cast iron pan! the non-stick is so much easier to clean although i might as well be grilling the chicken in a skillet! 🙁 is there anything i can do to make this one work as good?
This sounds so great. We are all about great chicken recipes. Salsa is like icing on the cake to us. Yum! Pinned to try.
You got me at easy!! This sound like a great make-ahead recipe. It looks perfect and simple to make! Pinning.
Love this idea. Ive been in that position numerous times lol.. forgot to marinate. Will def try this. Your pics are gorgeous
Love it. Will definitely try.
Sometimes you just don’t have time to marinate ahead of time. What a great dish full of bold flavors. Perfect any night of the week.
I’m a HUGE tex-mex fan and these look fab. Pretty light on the waistline too!