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This Instant Pot chicken fajitas recipe is the perfect quick and easy dinner for those busy weeknights that the whole family will love.
I'm a big fan of fajitas - from sweet potato fajitas to sheet pan chicken fajitas.
Yes the traditional way to make fajitas is in a cast iron skillet but you can always mix things up, like making them in the aforementioned Instant Pot!
When I think of Instant Pot meals, I think of something where you just throw everything together and let it do work. And within 30 minutes you have a delicious meal.
And these Instant Pot chicken fajitas are no different. Just throw everything in and set it and forget it. And while I like to make my own seasoning, you can easily just use a store-bought packet.
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Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - the base for these fajitas.
- Veggies - to me you can't have fajitas without some peppers and onions.
- Spices - I like to make my own seasoning but if you don't want to make your own, just buy fajita seasoning.
- Chicken stock - you need some liquid so it doesn't burn in the Instant Pot.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some the ingredients if you'd like. Some variations include:
- I like chicken breasts for this recipe, but thighs work as well.
- If you don't have white onions, sweet, yellow, red onions or shallots will work too. They all high slightly different flavors.
- While cornstarch is best to thicken the liquid, you can use flour as well?
- Flour tortillas are my go-to for fajitas, but whole wheat are good substitutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and mix everything up. Close the lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set to manual/high pressure for 7 minutes.
Once done, allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes before doing a quick release.
FAQs
The great thing about an Instant Pot is either works. If using frozen, just add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
While onions and bell peppers are the most traditional veggies included in fajitas, you can use any type of vegetable you like, from mushrooms to corn to zucchini.
When cooking in an Instant Pot, you need some liquid, or you'll get the burn notice before it reaches temperature. Once cooked, the peppers release their water as well.
If you have this issue, you can remove the chicken, peppers and onion and throw on a pan. Broil for just a couple of minutes.
I don't like to waste the extra liquid as it is loaded with flavor. You can use it to make some Instant Pot fajita rice.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
If you reheat the chicken in the microwave, they might become slightly rubbery. Just heat the chicken and veggies in a skillet with some oil over medium heat until everything is warmed through.
Side Dish Options
There are plenty of dishes that go well with these chicken fajitas. Some options include:
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the Instant Pot chicken fajitas recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Instant Pot - used to cook the fajitas.
- Chef's knife - you want a good quality knife to cut everything up.
- Cutting board - a wood cutting board is always needed when cutting veggies.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you don’t want to make your own fajita seasoning, you can easily buy one at the grocery store. You'll need 1 ½ packets.
- Slice the chicken and vegetables as close to the same thickness as possible so they cook evenly.
- To make the flour tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot chicken fajitas recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 4 bell peppers (choice of green, red, orange or yellow), seeds removed and sliced into thin strips
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 10 flour tortillas
- cheese, limes, cilantro, avocado for topping
Instructions
- Add the chicken, peppers, onion, olive oil, cornstarch, spices and chicken stock to the Instant Pot, mixing everything to combine.
- Close lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set Instant Pot to manual/high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Serve over warm tortillas, with some cheese, cilantro, avocado and lime if desired on top.
Notes
- If you don’t want to make your own fajita seasoning, you can easily buy one at the grocery store. You'll need 1 ½ packets.
- Slice the chicken and vegetables as close to the same thickness as possible so they cook evenly.
- Broil the chicken, peppers and onion to remove some of the excess liquid.
- To make the flour tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
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