Instant Pot chicken fajitas are the perfect choice for both a quick dinner and for meal prepping. These tasty fajitas are ready in 10 minutes and are dairy free, gluten free, and low carb. The recipe requires only six ingredients and you can customize it to make your perfect fajita.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Customizable: You can serve Instant Pot chicken fajitas in many different ways with any combination of extra ingredients or sauces you prefer, and it’s dairy free, gluten free, low carb and keto, paleo and Whole30, so it’s customizable for any type of dietary preferences!
- Easy meal prep: This recipe is absolutely perfect for meal prep. It reheats well, is easy to divide out, and you can use the fajita chicken and veggies in a variety of way so you don’t even have to eat the same meal each time!
- Fast: Instant Pot chicken fajitas clocks in at a 10 minute turnaround and it doesn’t get much faster than that.
- Very few ingredients: There is only 6 ingredients required to make this recipe so you won’t have to dig much out. Plus the Instant Pot is a one pot meal so there aren’t many dishes to clean either!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
For this easy recipe you will need two large chicken breasts that have been thinly sliced into strips. The only other ingredients you will need are three bell peppers with the stem and seeds removed and sliced, one sliced large red onion, one four ounce can of diced green chiles, and three tablespoons of fajita seasoning.
- If you are looking for a little more spice in your instant pot chicken fajitas you can also have a tablespoon of hot sauce on hand for the recipe.
- You can use your own fajita seasoning mix that you have on hand if you prefer. Or we have the recipe for the homemade mix we used for these chicken fajitas linked here.
Optional Ingredients for Serving
Of course there are countless ways to customize and add on to your chicken fajitas depending on your preferences. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Rice: Spanish rice or brown rice are my favorites.
- Cheese: A finely shredded taco blend or cheddar works well.
- Cilantro: Finely chopped.
- Black Olives: Sliced or finely diced to your preference.
- Sour Cream: Self explanatory.
- Salsa: Choose your favorite or our Mango Habanero Salsa recipe.
- Jalapeños: Sliced or finely diced with the seeds removed.
- Pico de Gallo: Give our homemade Mango Pico de Gallo a try for a changeup.
Step One
The first thing you will do to make your instant pot chicken fajitas is to prep your ingredients and add them into the Instant Pot. Remember to not slice the bell peppers too thin so they hold up in the Instant Pot.
Step Two
The next step is to gently toss the ingredients in the Instant Pot and make sure the chicken and vegetables are well coated in the fajita seasoning mix. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, make sure the valve is set to “seal,” and cook on manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
Step Three
When the cook time is up, do a quick release on the valve. Use a tongs to remove the chicken and fajita veggies from the Instant Pot. Discard the remaining liquid.
Assembly and Serving
Of course you can serve the Instant Pot chicken fajitas however you like but I’ve just laid out a few of the classics, and my favorites, here.
Classic Fajitas
If you are going for a classic instant pot chicken fajita experience you will start with the tortilla. Typically they hold up a little better when warm so give them a few seconds on each side in the microwave. Now, of course, the order of assembly is a preference thing but I generally start with the more dry toppings first so that when you add the ingredients that are less solid they absorb into the other ingredients as opposed to setting you up with a soggy tortilla.
Lettuce Wraps
Using lettuce wraps instead of the tortilla shell give you such a nice crunch to your fajita and, in my mind, makes for a refreshing and lighter feeling meal. For the lettuce wrap fajitas, like the classic, I like to add the solid and dry ingredients first. In this case, not to keep the tortilla holding together, obviously, but to keep the toppings and ingredients holding together inside the wrap. I like to use a little bed of rice as the base for these and it tends to work great for me.
Fajita Bowls
Making instant pot chicken fajita bowls is a great option and, in many situations, my preferred way to do my fajitas along with the salads in the next section. Assembling these is less about the order you add in the toppings and ingredients and more about the amounts and ratios. Start with your rice and your fajita chicken and veggies and craft the perfect bowl.
Fajita Salads
Doing your chicken fajitas in a salad is one of the most versatile routes to go. Chop up some lettuce and maybe toss in some spinach or arugula. Add in some of the fajita chicken and veggies and craft a salad. Fajita salads have that crunch and the flavors and are quick to get together. As with the fajita bowls, the important part is just watching your ratios.
Storing Instructions
To store your Instant Pot chicken fajitas for later or to meal prep for the upcoming week you will first let them cool down to room temperature. Place the fajita chicken and veggies into an airtight container and refrigerate. They will keep well for about 5 days refrigerated.
For Meal Prep
If using this recipe for meal prep, one of my favorite methods is to portion out rice into meal prep containers and divide the fajita chicken and veggies into them and refrigerate. Then all you need is to pack any extra toppings or sauces you prefer and pop the meal prep container into the microwave and assemble a chicken fajita bowl in a snap. The rice reheats well with the chicken and veggies.
Fajita salads are my other favorite when using this recipe to meal prep. Just pop the fajita chicken and veggies into the microwave and assemble the rest of the salad while it is reheating and you’re good to go. Though I’ll be honest, I do just skip the microwave at times and it works just fine.
Just remember to keep any other toppings or ingredients separate until you’re ready to assemble so everything stays fresh and perfect.
Other Quick and Easy Meals You’ll Love:
- Chicken Gyro Bowl
- Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Skillet
- Paleo Fish Tacos
- Sheet Pan Caprese Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks and Gravy
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Instant Pot chicken fajitas are the perfect choice for both a quick dinner and for meal prepping. These tasty fajitas are ready in 10 minutes and are dairy free, gluten free, and low carb. The recipe requires only six ingredients and you can customize it to make your perfect fajita.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: chicken
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 sliced large red onion
- 3 sliced bell peppers with the seeds and stem removed (any color or a combination of red, green and orange)
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
- 3 tablespoons fajita seasoning
- Optional: 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into the instant pot and mix to coat the chicken and vegetables in the spices
- Place the lid onto the instant pot, set the valve to “seal” and cook on manual high pressure for 4 minutes
- Do a quick release once the time is up and use tongs to remove the chicken fajitas. Discard the remaining liquid. Serve in tacos with pico, cilantro, limes, avocado, or your favorite taco toppings (or burrito bowls, salads or wraps)
Notes
- Be careful to not slice the peppers too thinly
- If you don’t have a fajita seasoning blend on hand you can make your own using this recipe.
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Jenny says
These were so tasty! Thank you!
Vanessa says
Perfect for dinner tonight when I had no idea what to make and needed something fast that my kids would eat LOL great recipe
paleobailey says
So happy you enjoyed! Thank you!