Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas Recipe – quick and easy dinner for the busiest weeknights! Simply add all ingredients to your digital pressure cooker, close lid and press the button.
Life has been crazy busy lately and I caught myself too many times recently totally overwhelmed at dinner time. I try to stick to our meal plan but things can change so quickly in our schedules that sometimes I simply fail. To no surprise, my Instant Pot always saves the day. I love the fact that I can simply use just a few ingredients and have dinner ready in no time.
These Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are one of the fastest dishes I’ve made in my IP. All you need is chicken, sliced into thin strips, 3 bell peppers, one onion and seasoning mixed with oil and lime juice.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FAJITAS IN INSTANT POT?
Cooking Chicken Fajitas in your Instant Pot digital pressure cooker is as easy as adding the ingredients to the insert, closing the lid and pressing a button. It’s so easy!! You can save even more time and prep the chicken and veggies the day before. I like the chicken to keep the shape of stripes so I cook it for 10 minutes. If you want a shredded chicken texture, add 3 to 5 minutes. Also, keep in mind that the peppers will be quite broken down if you cook it longer.
If you have more time, you can saute the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes in olive oil in the IP insert, just before pressure cooking. It will add more texture to the meat.
FRESH OF FROZEN CHICKEN?
You can use both to make fajitas in the Instant Pot. That’s one of my favorite features of this small appliance: you can use frozen meat! I recommend slicing fresh chicken into strips, as soon as you buy it. Store in ziploc bag, best if you can add the seasoning and oil mixture. Throw it into the IP insert, add veggies and cook for 5 more minutes than if you used the fresh chicken.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH FAJITAS?
The most common side dishes that I make to serve with fajitas is my Perfect Fluffy Rice. Lately, I’ve been making my 1-Minute Instant Pot Quinoa and storing it in the fridge so I can serve it instead of rice. You can also make my Black Bean Taco Salad. Don’t forget the guacamole and pico de gallo!
If you are looking for more ways to enjoy the fajita flavors, you need to check out the recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup from Gluten Free Palate. It’s made with frozen chicken thighs! Also, this Pressure Cooker Steak Fajita Pasta from This Old Gal is on my list to try. It looks delicious!
MORE INSTANT POT CHICKEN RECIPES:
Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
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INSTANT POT CHICKEN FAJITAS
More Instant Pot recipes: www.crunchycreamysweet.com
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
- 1.4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and chili pepper.
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. Add chicken strips to insert. Pour oil and seasoning mixture over chicken. Gently toss with metal tongs.
- Wash, core and thinly slice bell pepper and onion. Layer on top of the chicken.
Add 1/2 cup of water to insert. Important: please see note.
- Close lid, set the valve to "sealing" position. Press "manual" button, make sure the IP is set to high pressure. Adjust timer to 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will beep after few seconds.
- When it comes to pressure, it will start the timer.
- Once done, the IP will beep. Press "cancel/off" button. Carefully switch the valve to "venting" position and quickly release pressure. When the metal part of valve drops, carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Serve chicken and peppers in flour tortillas. Garnish with chopped cilantro (or parsley) and a dash of crushed red peppers.
This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of water, as that is manufacturers recommended and required amount of liquid so your IP can come to pressure. I received comments from readers who made this recipe and didn't like the "soupy" texture. To prevent that, you can add the water to the bottom of the pot and set the chicken and veggies on a trivet. You can also remove the chicken and peppers after cooking, set on a baking sheet and broil, like you would for carnitas.
You can use chicken thighs if that's what you have on hand. I recommend buying the thinly sliced chicken breast (it has way less sodium than the thick breasts) and cutting it into thin strips.
You can add the oil and seasoning mixture along with the sliced chicken to a ziploc bag and freezing or storing in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking the fajitas.
You can skip the seasoning selection from this recipe and use a packet of fajita or even taco seasoning.
Serve fajitas with rice and black beans.
Jennifer says
October 19, 2019 at 7:41 pmI read the note about using a trivet and ending up with soupy fajitas, but I wasn’t sure how the sauce was supposed to stay on the meat using the trivet, so we didn’t use it. I followed everything exactly and ended up with soup. It wasn’t soupy. It was soup. The veggies were completely limp and soft. We used a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and veggies, but all of the seasoning was in the water left in the pot, so the fajitas ended up tasting very bland. Also, we followed the tip about putting it under the broiler. It dried it out some, but there was still lots of liquid dripping out of the fajita onto my plate, at least a tablespoon. Fortunately, we also heated up some refried beans, so dinner wasn’t a total waste.
Anna says
October 19, 2019 at 10:36 pmHi Jennifer! I am sorry you don’t like the recipe. You are using a pressure cooker that cooks with steam. The vegetables will be soft as they should be expected. For crisp veggies and roasted chicken, use a skillet or an oven.
Carly says
June 26, 2019 at 7:40 amSo I definitely didn’t read the disclaimer about adding the water and even after adding cornstarch it was still very liquid so I turned it into a soup! I shredded the chicken and added a smidge of chicken stock and some chopped cilantro. It turned into a good fajita chicken soup 😋
Tricia Morris says
May 31, 2019 at 7:39 amMy husband has been buying ready-made fajita bowl kits at Costco, so I thought I’d see if I could “beat them” with my IP. I made the recipe last night, and we both loved it! (Similar in general, but oh-so-much better when fresh. I typically follow a recipe to the letter the first time I make it, but I worked with what I had on hand and made the following modifications that may be worth sharing:
1. Used 2 lbs. of thinly sliced, boneless skinless chicken thighs and subbed all seasonings for 2.5 TBS of Penzey’s Chicken Taco Seasoning
2. Reduced cooking time to 6 minutes based on my past experience with similar meat/sauce/veggie recipes. I will try 5 minutes next time.
3. Added a bit of corn starch after cooking to make it perfectly “saucy”. I served it with rice made in the pot at the same time as a “rice bowl” and topped it with my homemade greek yogurt, salsa, and fresh cilantro.
Thank you for the great recipe! It will be in my rotation!
Anna says
June 6, 2019 at 9:50 pmHi Tricia! Wow! That is wonderful! I love that you made it saucy. Delicious! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for your review!
Taylor says
May 24, 2019 at 7:54 pmI really enjoyed this recipe. As others suggested, I used fajita seasoning in place of the suggested spices and chicken broth instead of water. I also added a few cloves of garlic. After I quick released, I removed the chicken, turned the sauté feature on and added flour (it’s what I had on hand) to thicken the sauce. Then I added the chicken back in. So delicious! It’s definitely a keeper.
Jessica says
May 8, 2019 at 10:56 amI found these to be very bland. I even added four cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, not to mention additional salt & pepper as well as crushed red pepper, but still found them to be rather tasteless. Like others, I found them to be way too watered down.
Anna says
May 11, 2019 at 1:56 pmHi Jessica! I would not recommend using 1/2 cup of vinegar in this recipe. Especially the red wine kind. Also, you can always use packaged fajita seasoning or simply increase the amounts in the recipe.
Bruce says
February 24, 2019 at 9:48 pmThis was awesome!!! To combat the extra liquid, I added 1 tsp of corn starch to the 1/2 c. of water. Got a nice creamy sauce to use. Also, from other recipes, I only set the time for 7 min. then did the quick release. Everything was done perfectly.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 26, 2019 at 2:11 pmHi Bruce! Yay! That’s fantastic! I am so glad the fajitas were a hit! Thank you for sharing about thickening the sauce. That is brilliant!
Ashlyn says
June 21, 2019 at 1:23 pmDid you add the cornstarch before or after cooking?
Rose Swedenburg says
February 24, 2019 at 4:38 pmwhat do I do if I don’t have a trivet for my cooker, can I buy one?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 24, 2019 at 4:59 pmHi Rose! Do you have the Instant Pot? The trivet is one of the accessories included with the IP. You can check the Instant Pot brand website to see if they sell it.
Chita says
September 12, 2019 at 8:08 pmAbsolutely. I bought an accessory pack on Amazon that I use in both my instant pot and air fryer!
Mindy says
February 23, 2019 at 4:19 pmCould I make this without adding the water?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 23, 2019 at 10:18 pmHi Mindy! You need the water for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. No water, no steam, no pressure.
i8urchicken says
August 14, 2019 at 4:18 pmI never add water when making chicken fajitas in the IP. Enough moisture is expressed from the chicken, onions, and bell pepper that adding water is not necessary. Even without adding any water at all, I still have to drain liquid off after I remove the pot when everything is finished cooking.
Danielle says
February 13, 2019 at 3:47 pmDo you need to cut the chicken breasts into strips?
Danielle says
February 13, 2019 at 3:48 pmI mean before cooking!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 14, 2019 at 1:57 pmHi Danielle! That’s typical for a fajita recipe.
Mark says
January 31, 2019 at 5:09 pmCan I use chicken stock instead of water? Figured that might give it more flavor also.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 1, 2019 at 11:50 amHi Mark! Yep, you can use chicken stock. Let me know how it goes!
Sarah says
January 20, 2019 at 10:21 amI am making these today for our weekly meal prep. I received an IP for Christmas and I am in love with it!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 20, 2019 at 1:08 pmYay! I am so excited for you, Sarah! Let me know how it goes!
Amy says
January 13, 2019 at 8:38 pmPerfect. Delicious. Used the trivet for the chicken breast tenderloins and peppers. Used a packet of fajita seasoning. Took out the chicken and peppers while mostly still on the trivet. Used tongs to get the rest out of the pot. Dumped into a bowl, stirred and mashed them a bit. Caramelized onions, sliced avacado, diced tomatoes and cilantro on the side. Heated up flour tortillas and oh my goodness. So good! My pickiest kiddo is on her fourth fajita. Wish I could post the picture I took.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 15, 2019 at 12:37 amHi Amy! Woohoo! Thank you so much! I am so happy to know the fajitas were a hit! Awesome!
Hanna says
January 7, 2019 at 9:19 pmI used a trivet and the water stayed at the bottom. The chicken was good but the veggies were too soggy. Any tips?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 8, 2019 at 12:42 amHi Hanna! Did the veggies ended up in the water or were soggy on top of the chicken? Maybe use the steaming basket next time?
Adam says
January 6, 2019 at 11:58 pmI’ve made this recipe twice now and my family loves it! I want to leave this comment because I feel like some folks don’t understand that this is not going to be like fajitas roasted in the oven or on the stove. It’s Instant Pot, of course there will be liquid at the bottom. If you are expecting charred peppers and chicken, this recipe is not for you. I give it 5 stars because it’s so easy and it feeds my family. Thank you for sharing it!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 8, 2019 at 12:49 amHi Adam! THANK YOU!! Well said. I am so glad the fajitas were a hit. Thank you for trying my recipe!
Barbara Brizendine says
February 16, 2019 at 4:02 pmI will be making these tonight. After seeing the remarks about the peppers and onions; I think I will finish them off in a skillet to brown them up.
Jennifer Houston says
January 6, 2019 at 7:23 pmThe taste was okay, could have used a bit more seasoning but the soup was too much. Even using the trivet I felt that my fajitas boiled and steamed. This might be a meal that stays in the cast iron grill pan
Jessie says
January 1, 2019 at 10:58 pmRead reviews about how “soupy” this turned out. I decided to try a liquid fajita seasoning from McCormick and not add any water (which was 1/2 a cup total) This still turned out extremely soupy, I’m sure it is from the vegetables breaking down and creating liquid but I had to strain it. It’s tasted ok but the amount of work from fajitas it the cutting, so I would’ve rather spent my time cooking the meat/veggies on the stove to have a good fajita and not a soupy mess.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 2, 2019 at 1:58 amHi Jessie! That’s why I recommend using the trivet to keep the chicken and veggies out of the liquid. I am sorry you didn’t like the fajitas.
Brieanna says
December 26, 2018 at 2:49 pmWhen you say set the chicken in veggies on the trivet…do you mean the water outside the inner pot and set the inner pot with ingredients on the trivet? Just got mine and new at this…
Thanks!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 28, 2018 at 12:55 pmHi Brieanna! You should never add water outside the inner pot. The stainless steel pot should be in at all times when cooking. The trivet is placed inside the inner pot to keep the meat and veggies out of the water. You can skip that step and just drain everything before assembling fajitas, but I found it easier to keep them on the trivet.
Angie says
November 16, 2018 at 12:09 pmAmazing! So easy and flavorful! I used 2 packets of fajita seasoning, 3lbs of chicken strips, and the pre cut peppers and onions they have at jewel for 5 bucks! Yes there was a ton of liquid in the pot but I put everything on the trivet and pulled it right out! Perfect! Thanks so much for our new go to dinner!!!
Knazz says
November 7, 2018 at 11:18 amThis looks good . I will be trying this tonight
I’m going to try it with a packet of taco or fajita seasoning see how it turns out
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
November 7, 2018 at 5:10 pmGreat! Let me know how it goes!
samir says
November 1, 2018 at 7:54 pmThis recipe was amazing! I just need to cut the peppers bigger next time or add more. They kind of shrunk down a lot. As for the soup like liquid, I drained it out but retained a little. I then added it back to the instant pot on sauté mode and tossed it in some extra seasoning. I’ll definitely make this again!!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
November 3, 2018 at 11:31 pmI am so glad you love it! Thank you so much!
Michelle says
February 11, 2019 at 5:33 pmThis exactly what I am planning on doing. I am trying this tonight. I will leave a review when I am done. I expect it to turn out great!
Cassie Lee says
August 17, 2018 at 1:19 pmThis is the recipe my sister used to demo the IP. We decided to double the “sauce” and otherwise prepare as directed. We enjoyed it! As a matter of fact I am making it now! 🙂 I would have to say it is great when you remember what and how you are preparing the meal. It is an IP, not a skillet or a slow cooker. Juice drains, veggies pile up nicely. I wasn’t cooking in my instant pot for a presentation piece!
Great recipe! Thank you!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
August 18, 2018 at 10:49 pmI am so glad you love it, Cassie! Thank you so much!!
Megan says
August 6, 2018 at 7:04 pmMy husband and I were pretty disappointed in this recipe, however, my kids liked the chicken. I used less than 1/2 cup of water and it was still overly soupy. I tried broiling after I pulled it out of the IP and drained it but it really didn’t help.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
August 9, 2018 at 11:08 pmHi Megan! It’s the peppers and onions that release liquid and can make the final result soupy. If you don’t like that, you can saute the vegetables in the IP on “saute” setting, then add chicken and cook as directed in the recipe. I am glad the kiddos loved it!
Brandie says
June 27, 2018 at 5:03 pmMine ended up looking like soup – very watery. I would definitely eliminate the water next time.
Yvonne says
February 27, 2019 at 11:02 pmI used the liquid to make rice and it was delicious! Mine were more like burritos but they were a “make again” per my husband.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 28, 2019 at 12:09 pmI absolutely love the idea of using the liquid to make rice. Brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing, Yvonne! I am so happy the fajitas were a hit!
Lauren @ Hall Nesting says
May 12, 2018 at 7:55 amIsn’t the fresh or frozen part the best?!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
May 15, 2018 at 12:36 pmRight? So easy!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
May 11, 2018 at 12:44 pmThis looks really delicious! Would be perfect for weeknights!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
May 15, 2018 at 12:37 pmSaved me lots of times! Thanks, Toni!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
May 11, 2018 at 10:07 amThese sound delicious! Dangerously good…
Jen says
May 11, 2018 at 10:04 amI am such a last minute dinner maker so the fact that I can use frozen chicken for this is a life saver!
Kimberly says
May 10, 2018 at 6:41 pmGreat idea and these look so cheerful and flavorful!
Demeter says
May 10, 2018 at 10:46 amGetting dinner on the table really couldn’t get any easier than this!
Des says
May 10, 2018 at 9:10 amLoving that these can be made in the Instant Pot! Genius!