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Skillet Night
Weeknight Mains 3 min read

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet pan chicken fajitas in 35 minutes. Chicken strips, peppers, and onions roast together for a hands-off weeknight fajita dinner. Easy oven meal tonight.

Chicken fajita on a tortilla with peppers and salsa

Fajitas are usually a stovetop crowd: crowding, steaming, stirring. The sheet pan version spreads the chicken and peppers out so they roast instead of stew, and you get 20 minutes of hands-off time while the oven works.

Chicken fajitas platter
Photo: Sarah Stierch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into ½-inch strips
  • 3 bell peppers, mixed colors, sliced (about 1¼ lb / 570 g)
  • 1 large yellow or red onion, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp / 30 ml)
  • 8–12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
  • Sour cream, salsa, avocado, and cilantro

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed half sheet pan (about 18×13 inches) with foil for easier cleanup, or leave it bare for more browning.
  2. Add the chicken, peppers, and onion to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Toss with tongs until everything is coated and spread in a single layer. The chicken should not sit in a pile.
  4. Roast 12 minutes. Pull the pan, toss, and spread back into a single layer.
  5. Roast 8–10 minutes more, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and the pepper edges are browned in spots.
  6. Squeeze the lime over the hot pan and toss once more.
  7. Rest 3 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas and toppings.

Cook’s note

Boneless thighs stay juicier if you tend to overshoot the timer. Slice them the same ½-inch thickness so they finish with the peppers.

What to serve with it

Warm tortillas, salsa, sour cream, avocado, lime. A sheet of foil in the oven for extra tortillas is the move.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Slice the chicken and peppers in the morning, toss with oil and spices, refrigerate. Roast at dinner. Leftovers keep 3 days and make excellent bowls or quesadillas. Freeze the cooked filling up to a month.

Troubleshooting

Soggy peppers, pale chicken? The pan was crowded and they steamed. Use a full half sheet and a single layer. Chicken dry? Sliced too thin or roasted past 165°F. Use thighs, or pull at 165 and rest. Spices taste raw? They needed the oil toss so they toast on the pan, not sit in a dusty pile.