One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice is a quick dinner recipe made within 30 minutes. Each bite of this chicken and rice is loaded with delectable Mexican flavors.
This easy chicken Fajita rice is made with chicken, rice, onion, bell peppers, and homemade Fajita seasoning. You can serve this Fajita Chicken Rice with sliced avocados, sour cream, lemon wedge, and salsa.
I love one-skillet dinner recipes as they are easy to make. See my other popular chicken rice recipes including my Cajun Chicken and Rice, Mexican chicken and rice, Chicken Fried Rice, Prawn Fried Rice, and Butter Chicken Biryani.
Table of Contents
About this recipe
This one-pan chicken fajita rice is a perfect dinner recipe for busy weekends. It requires a little preparation. You can marinate the chicken in advance to make it a quick meal.
Chicken is marinated with homemade Fajita seasoning and pan-seared until it gets slightly charred. It adds a smoky flavor. Remove it to a plate.
Cook the onion and bell peppers in the same pan. Add rice and finally layer the chicken over rice and veggies, cooked on low heat for a complete meal.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Quick & easy to make – The ingredients used to make this Mexican chicken rice are simple. All you need is chicken, bell peppers, onion, and rice.
- Easy to customize – see the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients. You can add or skip the ingredients as per your taste.
- One-pan meal – The entire recipe can be made in a single pan.
- Fajita Seasoning – you can use store-bought. In this recipe, I have shown how to make Fajita seasoning at home. It takes only 5 minutes to make. All the ingredients are easily available in the kitchen pantry.
- Make ahead Recipe – You can make it in advance. Let it cool down completely. Transfer it to an airtight container. Stays good for 2 days.
- Meal Prep – Marinate and cook the chicken. Let it come to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. Freeze it for a longer shelf life. It stays good for a month.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For Fajita Seasoning – You can also use store-bought Fajita seasoning. Or make it easily at home.
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper – Substitute it with spicy red chili powder. Add as per your taste.
- Onion powder – Skip if you do not have it.
- Garlic powder – You can also use fresh garlic minced. Do not skip it. It gives an amazing aroma & flavor to the chicken.
- Cumin powder
- Oregano
- Salt
- Black pepper powder
For Chicken Fajita Marinade:
- Chicken – I have used boneless skinless chicken breast. You can also use chicken thighs.
- Fajita seasoning – You can use store-bought. Or make it easily at home. The recipe is given in the recipe card.
- Lemon Juice – Substitute it with vinegar.
- Oil
For Chicken Fajita Rice Skillet
- Rice – I have used basmati rice here. You can use any other rice. But the ratio of water to rice will be different. So, add water according to the variety of rice you are using.
- Butter – addition of butter is optional. You can substitute it with oil. Butter gives a nice flavor to the rice.
- Onion
- Bell pepper – I have used red, yellow, and green bell peppers. They add beautiful colors to the dish. However, you can use whatever you have. If you have only green bell pepper, you can use them.
- Chicken Broth – You can make it easily at home. It enhances the flavor of the rice. To substitute, use water instead of broth.
- Flavoring – lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice (step-by-step photos)
Preparations
- Slice the chicken breast in half. You will get 4 slices from 2 chicken breasts. Set it aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients mentioned under fajita seasoning. Remove 1 tsp seasoning from it and set it aside. We will use that later.
- In a big bowl, combine the rest of the fajita seasoning, oil, and lemon juice.
- Marinate the chicken breast with it for at least 4 hours. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. If short of time, marinate for at least an hour.
- Chop the onion and bell pepper. Set it aside.
- Rinse the basmati rice with water 3-4 times until the cloudiness of the water is gone. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain off the water. Set it aside.
Making Chicken Fajita Rice
- Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, place the chicken breast in it.
- Cook until char marks appear on both sides. Remove on a plate.
- Similarly, fry the other chicken breast too. Remove them on a plate.
- Scrape off the burnt bits or you can wipe them with a kitchen tissue.
- To the same pan, add 1 tsp oil.
- Add onions and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of rice and 1 tsp of butter. Gently toast the rice for a minute.
- Add the reserved fajita seasoning. Combine it well and cook for a minute.
- Next, add 1 and ¾ cups of chicken broth. Stir it to combine.
- Taste the water and add salt (as per taste).
- Also, add black pepper powder and lemon juice. Combine it well. Let the water come to a boil.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken.
- Reduce the heat and layer the sliced chicken over the rice. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set the skillet aside for 10 minutes.
- Chicken Fajita and rice are ready to serve.
Cooking tips
- Slice the chicken breast in half. This helps the chicken breast to cook evenly.
- Marinate the chicken for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This will increase the flavor of the chicken. It keeps the chicken soft and juicy inside when you pan fry it. However, if short of time, you can marinate for at least an hour.
- When you marinate the chicken for longer hours, it soaks all the flavor of the marinade. When you pan-fry them you will not get dry chicken. The chicken will become crisp outside and remains soft and juicy inside.
- Pan-fry the chicken – Place the chicken on a heated pan. It will seal the outer surface of the chicken. Also, make sure to cook the chicken until it is cooked through and slightly charred. You can make a small cut in the middle to check that it is no longer pink in the middle. It should be white or opaque in the middle.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken pieces in small batches. I have fried it in two batches. We need char marks on them. It will give a nice smoky flavor to the chicken.
- Give 10 minutes of resting time to the chicken before you slice it.
- Cooking onion and bell peppers – Cook them until they are slightly charred.
- Cooking rice – Cooking the rice correctly is the key. Here, rice to water ratio is important. Add water as per the quality of the rice you are using. While cooking in a pan, for 1 cup of basmati rice you need 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water.
- Toasting the rice– It enhances the flavor of rice and gives it a nutty aroma. Do not skip this step.
- Keep the pan aside for 10 minutes after cooking. The rice will absorb additional moisture from the base of the pan and becomes fluffy.
- You can increase or decrease the quantity of Fajita seasoning as per taste.
FAQs
Can I use brown rice?
Yes, you can use it. The difference will be in cooking time and water-to-rice ratio. You need to add more water and the cooking time will also be more for brown rice.
Can I skip chicken broth?
Yes, you can. Chicken broth gives great flavor to the dish. The broth has more flavors compared to water. But you can substitute broth with water.
Can I use taco seasoning instead of fajita seasoning for fajitas?
Yes, you can use it. Both the seasonings have great Mexican flavors.
Other Mexican recipes you might like
Storage suggestions
- Let the leftovers come to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2-3 days.
- Do not keep it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Reheat it in a microwave and serve.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve it with
- Sour Cream
- Salsa
- Guacamole or Sliced Avocados
- Nachos
- Lemon Wedges
Variations that you can try
- You can add tomatoes and black beans to it.
- You can add shrimp instead of chicken.
- Sprinkle some grated cheese on top.
- You can use leftover grilled chicken. Slice it and follow the remaining steps.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice
One-pan Chicken Fajita Rice is a quick dinner recipe made within 30 minutes. Each bite of this easy chicken and rice is loaded with delectable Mexican flavors. This one-pan Chicken Fajita and rice recipe is made with chicken, rice, onion, bell peppers and homemade Fajita seasoning.
Servings 4 people
Calories 410kcal
Equipment
- Heavy bottom skillet
Ingredients
Fajita seasoning
- 2 tsp paprika or red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
To marinate the chicken
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breast or you can use chicken thighs
- 2 tsp oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Fajita seasoning
For Chicken Fajita Rice
- 4 tsp oil divided
- ½ cup onion sliced
- 1 cup bell pepper sliced (I have used red, yellow and green bell peppers. You can use whatever you have)
- 1 cup rice uncooked
- 1 tsp butter optional
- 1 and ½ cups of chicken broth. to substitute use water
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Preparations
- Slice the chicken breast in half. You will get 4 slices from 2 chicken breasts. Set it aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients mentioned under fajita seasoning. Remove 1 tsp seasoning from it and set it aside. We will use that later.
- In a big bowl, combine rest of the fajita seasoning, oil and lemon juice.
- Marinate the chicken breast with it for atleast 4 hours. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. If short of time, marinate for at least an hour.
- Chop the onion, and bell pepper. Set it aside.
- Rinse the basmati rice with water 3-4 times until the cloudiness of water is gone. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain off the water. Set it aside.
Making Chicken Fajita and Rice Skillet
- Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, place the chicken breast on it.
- Cook until char marks appear on both sides. Remove on a plate.
- Similarly, fry the other chicken breast too. Remove them on a plate.
- Scrape off the burnt bits or you can wipe it with a kitchen tissue.
- To the same pan, add 1 tsp oil.
- Add onions and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of rice and butter. Gently toast the rice for a minute.
- Add the reserved fajita seasoning. Combine it well and cook for a minute.
- Next, add 1 and ¾ cups of chicken broth. Stir it to combine.
- Taste the water and add salt (as per taste).
- Also add black pepper powder and lemon juice. Combine it well. Let the water come to a boil.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken.
- Reduce the heat and layer the sliced chicken over rice. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set the skillet aside for 10 minutes.
- Chicken Fajita and rice is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Slice the chicken breast in half. This helps the chicken breast to cook evenly.
- Marinate the chicken for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This will increase the flavor of the chicken. It keeps the chicken soft and juicy inside when you pan fry it. However, if short of time, you can marinate for at least an hour.
- Pan-fry the chicken – Place the chicken on a heated pan. It will seal the outer surface of the chicken. Also, make sure to cook the chicken until it is cooked through and slightly charred. You can make a small cut in the middle to check that it is no longer pink in the middle. It should be white or opaque in the middle.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken pieces in small batches. I fried it in two batches. We need char marks on them. It will give a nice smoky flavor to the chicken.
- Give 10 minutes of resting time to the chicken before you slice it.
- Cooking onion and bell peppers – Cook them until they are slightly charred.
- Cooking rice – Cooking the rice correctly is the key. Here, the rice to water ratio is important. Add water as per the quality of rice you are using. While cooking in a pan, for 1 cup of basmati rice you need 1.5 cups of water.
- Toasting the rice- It enhances the flavor of rice and gives it a nutty aroma. Do not skip this step.
- Keep the pan aside for 10 minutes after cooking. The rice will absorb additional moisture from the base of the pan and becomes fluffy.
- You can increase or decrease the quantity of Fajita seasoning as per taste.
Excellent one-pot dinner recipe
Cooked this to the exact recipe, and the top rice did not get cooked through. After watching the video it sure looked like the rice was par cooked before adding to the pot. That would have been nice to know in the recipe! The rest of the dish is very good. I used thighs and legs because we’re not fans of breast meat. Doubled the cook time.
Hi, Glad to know you liked the dish. Thanks a lot.
Well, I have mentioned in the post that I have used basmati rice.
If you are using basmati rice then it will cook easily within 20 minutes at low heat.
And if you are using any other brand of rice then you should follow the package instructions for cooking the rice.
Make sure you have covered the pan with a tight-fitting lid then there is even cooking of rice. Also, do not peek lifting the lid to check whether the rice is cooked. The steam will escape which results in uneven cooking. You can lift the lid after 15 minutes of cooking the rice at low heat.
Sorry but rice is not par-cooked for this recipe. It is rinsed, drained, and added to the pan.
Yes, you are right thighs and legs are the best choice for this type of recipe.
Hope this helps.