These Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas have been a Budget Bytes staple recipe since I first posted them eight years ago! I love fajitas, but they require a super hot griddle to get that nice smoky flavor, which also means a lot of smoky smell in my house and standing over a super hot stove. Not my favorite way to spend my evening. So I make baked fajitas instead. Is it exactly the same? No, BUT it’s almost completely hands-off (yay) and you get some nice caramelization on the edges of the peppers and onions, which gives you a similar char effect. I’ll save the real deal fajitas for when I’m at a restaurant and not doing the cooking. 😄
What Kind of Sheet Pan to Use
You definitely want the largest sheet pan (or baking dish) you can find for this recipe. It’s imperative that the chicken and vegetables are not too crowded on the baking sheet otherwise the steam will get trapped as they bake and you won’t get that nice caramelization that only happens in a dry heat environment. I’m using a 13×16 inch baking sheet here and in the original version of this recipe I used a 13×15 inch glass baking dish.
Make it Fit in your Budget
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are usually significantly more expensive than green bell peppers, but you can use any mix that fits your budget. Despite using a couple of more expensive colored peppers, I used more vegetables than meat to keep costs low. The meat to veggie ratio ended up being perfect once everything had been cooked down. If you want to make these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas vegetarian, try this Chipotle Portobello Oven Fajita recipe.
Make Your Own Fajita Seasoning or Buy Pre-Made
The ingredient list below might look long, but most of that is the fajita seasoning mix. So if you’re looking for a short cut or your kitchen spice cabinet is not well-stocked, you can simply use a packet of store-bought fajita seasoning.
Toppings for Chicken Fajitas
I like to keep my chicken fajitas really simple with just a squeeze of lime, maybe some fresh cilantro, and a small dollop of sour cream, but there are so many other things you could use to top your chicken fajitas. Try these toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Cotija cheese
- Green onions
- Salsa
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Pickled red onion
- Pico de Gallo
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Servings 4 (2 fajitas each)Ingredients
FAJITA SEASONING
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1/2 Tbsp paprika ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp cumin ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
FAJITAS
- 2 small yellow onions (or one large) ($0.57)
- 3 bell peppers, any color ($3.69)
- 1 lb. chicken breast ($6.24)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 lime ($0.30)
- 8 6-inch tortillas ($1.28)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (optional) ($0.90)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (optional) ($0.22)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix all of the spices for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt).
- Cut the onion and bell peppers into 1/4-inch wide strips. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips. Add the chicken and vegetables to a large baking sheet or casserole dish.
- Drizzle the cooking oil over the chicken and vegetables, then sprinkle the fajita seasoning mix over top. Use your hands to toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and seasoning. Spread the chicken and vegetables out over the baking sheet evenly.
- Bake the chicken and vegetables in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over top of the meat and vegetables after they come out of the oven.
- To serve, scoop a small amount of meat and vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and an extra squeeze of lime if desired.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
Video
What to serve with oven baked fajitas
Need a side dish to go with your Oven Fajitas? Try one of these awesome sides
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – Step By Step Photos:
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, stir together 1 Tbsp chili powder (this is a mild blend, not hot red chiles), 1/2 Tbsp paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar. The sugar helps the vegetables caramelize and gives the dish a very subtle sweetness.
Slice three bell peppers and two small onions (or one large onion) into thin, 1/4-inch wide strips. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are usually more expensive than green, so use a mix of peppers that fits your budget.
Slice 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast into thin strips as well. Place the sliced bell peppers, onion, and chicken on a large sheet pan (13×16-inch). You want to avoid piling the ingredients in so deep that they begin to stew in their juices in the oven, instead of browning, so you’ll need the largest dish available. You can also use an extra large casserole dish, if you don’t have a large sheet pan.
Drizzle 2 Tbsp cooking oil over the meat and vegetables, followed by the fajita spice mix, then toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and spices.
Now that everything is coated in oil and spices, it’s ready to go into the oven.
Roast the chicken and vegetables for 35-40 minutes at 400ºF, stirring once halfway through, or until the fajita veggies have softened slightly and are a bit brown on the edges.
Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the chicken and fajita veggies.
Serve hot with tortillas, extra lime wedges, sour cream, cilantro, or whatever other fajita toppings you like!
this was very delicious and so easy!!!! I added 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup frozen corn and “cheated” by using a bag of frozen pepper/onion blend ($1 from Kroger). I also sprinkled with Mrs Dash salt-free Southwest Chipotle seasoning. Towards end of cooking I put in a can of diced tomatoes. Then sprinkled with some shredded cheddar This did make it very runny, but I put mine over rice instead of using tortillas. Thanks for this recipe- you have a GREAT website!!! :)
If i was making this as freezer meal, how long do you think it would need to cook? Or would i have to thaw it first?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I’d have to experiment with cooking from frozen to see how long it takes. That being said, I’m not sure this one would be great for freezing first because that tends to make vegetables very soft and release a lot of water, which would not be so good for this recipe.
So tasty. I love everything I’ve made from this site but I think this was my favorite recipe so far.
Great recipe! I love an easy recipe for those nights when I am tried but still would like a filling, yet healthy dinner. My daughter, who is eight, loves this meal too, as well as my husband. I have made this recipe twice already. Thanks!
My name is Anna by the was not Anns!
By the way. Oh, Lord!
I made these for dinner tonight! I loved the flavors – thanks for posting these. Hope to blog them myself soon. I love that you focus on budget meals! That is so necessary! Best wishes to you. Becky
I have made your recipe pretty much as you have described several times.It is such a great weeknight dinner for our family.Better than in a skillet in my opinion.Thanks for sharing. I rate it delicious!
Do you need to cover with foil or leave uncovered?
This is one of my favorite recipes from you! I make a vegetarian version all the time- no chicken, with mushrooms, summer squash, and fresh corn if it’s in season. Served on a tortilla with black beans or refried beans. Delicious!
Great recipe! Prepped beautifully the night before and the whole family like it! (Even the picky ones!)
Highly recommend this recipe. We’ve been making it for almost two years and it’s often requested. Thanks for the recipe!
Yummy! Hoping for leftovers for lunch but no such luck!
Third recipe I’m trying from this site. Another killer ! So easy to prepare, it’s really fire and forget.
Used a ready-mix for tacos as I had it around, taste was fantastic. And … the texture is just fantastic !
Another budget bytes recipe adopted by the family.
Can you use beef instead of chicken?
You probably could, yes, but I’m not sure what type of cut. I think flank steak would get a little tough if cooked in the oven so long. It’s better with a quick sear, served medium-rare.
I actually made this tonight with steak that my parents gave us and it turned out beautifully. Probably one of the best meals I have ever made! Excellent recipe!
These fajitas are fantastic!! Just saw the recipe a few days ago and realized I had all the ingredients on hand, that never happens! Fixed them for dinner tonight and have some stashed away for lunch tomorrow!
I made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Thanks for a budget friendly and yummy dinner!
How would I do the Fajitas with shrimp?
You’d probably need to add the shrimp closer to the end of the cooking time because they cook much faster and the last thin you want is overcooked shrimp. :)