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These spicy, smoky Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are not only delicious they’re ready in about 20 minutes! Brightly colored bell peppers, aromatic onion, lean chicken breast, and flavorful Mexican spices come together to create a fun and easy meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are great when you need to get dinner on the table fast. Serve with some Homemade Flour Tortillas and Authentic Mexican Rice on the side for a complete meal your family will love.
All of the ingredients are cooked together in a pressure cooker so your meal will be done lightning fast and you’ll only have one pot to wash. Seriously, these Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are so quick and easy to make that you can totally justify making them for lunch or as your weekly meal prep!
Why It Works
- Healthy, flavorful 20-minute dinner.
- Highly customizable—eat this fajita filling in a warm tortilla, over rice, or on a bed of lettuce.
- Packed full of colorful veggies, lean protein, and clean ingredients.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Breast—Thawed or refrigerated chicken breast is thinly sliced to ensure a quick and thorough cook. Boneless and sliced chicken thighs would also work well in this recipe.
- Bell Peppers—Green, yellow, and red bell peppers add a pop of color and a hint of earthy sweetness to this spicy dish.
- White Onion—Thinly sliced white onion tenderizes perfectly in the pressure cooker and adds a depth of flavor to your fajitas. If you prefer, you can use red onion instead.
- Spices—Cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt bring a smoky, spicy, and salty flavor to your chicken and veggies. For super spicy fajitas, double the amount of red pepper flakes you use.
- Water—Since pressure cookers require liquid to function, you’ll use ½ cup of water to cook your chicken and veggies. For even more flavor, try using chicken or vegetable broth in place of the water.
- Warm Tortillas—I prefer pairing my fajita filling with flour tortillas, but you could also use corn tortillas or omit the tortillas and serve your fajitas on a bed of rice.
- Toppings—Salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, and hot sauce are a few of my favorite fajita toppings, but feel free to get creative. Try topping your fajitas with lime juice, cotija cheese, diced tomato, Spanish rice, or guacamole!
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Prepare your ingredients by thinly slicing your chicken, bell peppers, and onion.
Add your chicken, water, and spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt) to your instant pot. Stir well.
Sprinkle in your bell peppers and onion, giving everything one last stir before placing the lid onto your pot—be sure the vent is in the sealed position!
Pressure cook your fajita mixture on high for 7 minutes. Once the cook time is up, perform a quick release before removing the lid of your pot.
Assemble your fajitas by placing a couple of spoonfuls of your chicken and veggie mixture into each of your warm tortillas. Top your fajita tacos with cheese, salsa, and sour cream, and enjoy!
Expert Tips and FAQ’s
- The cooking time listed does not include the time it takes for your instant pot to come up to pressure, which can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
- Not a huge fan of chicken? Try using strip steak instead.
- Like your food extra spicy? Double the amount of red pepper flakes you use.
- For shredded chicken fajitas, use whole skinless chicken breasts and cook with the veggies and seasonings for 12 minutes Transfer to a cutting board and shred with two forks. I prefer removing the chicken so I don’t accidentally shred the veggies too.
- Trying to avoid eating too many carbs? Ditch the tortilla and eat your fajita filling over cauliflower rice or a bed of lettuce instead.
Absolutely! I have a great recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas that’s super simple with just a few minutes of prep. You can use the same ingredients you use for this recipe, and just cook them in the crock pot for 3-4 hours on high.
Yes, you can! Add the veggies and frozen chicken and add 5 minutes to the cook time.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can still make this delicious dinner on your stovetop. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet and add the chicken and spices. Cook for 5-6 minutes then add the peppers and onions. Continue cooking until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through.
How to Serve
I usually go the traditional route and serve my chicken fajitas with a side of rice and refried beans. However, this recipe also pairs really well with fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and cornbread!
Toppings for fajitas: try pairing your fajita filling with fresh-squeezed lime, pepper jack cheese, guacamole, salsa, or hot sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage for Meal Prep and Leftovers
Storage: Place your fajita mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Or, freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheating: If frozen, thaw completely overnight. Warm the chicken and veggie mixture in the microwave, throw it into a warm tortilla and top with salsa and sour cream.
Meal Prep: Cook the fajita mixture according to the directions and store 4-6 individual portions in meal prep containers. When it’s time to eat, just pull one out of the fridge and enjoy cold or heat up in the microwave.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders (Instant Pot)
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 3 pounds thinly sliced chicken breast
- 2 green bell peppers seeded and sliced
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and sliced
- 2 yellow bell peppers seeded and sliced
- 1 white onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons garlic salt
- ½ cup water
- Warm tortillas
- Toppings of your choice like shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes or guacamole
Instructions
- Add sliced chicken, cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and water into the pot of the pressure cooker. Give the mixture a good stir.
- Add sliced bell peppers and onion to chicken mixture and stir again.
- Place the lid onto the pressure cooker, making sure the valve is set to sealed.
- Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes before performing a quick release.
- Once your quick release is complete, remove the lid from your pot, spoon your fajita filling into your tortillas and garnish with the toppings of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
