CrockPot Chicken Fajitas

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Spicy strips of chicken, bell peppers, and onion are cooked together in this oh-so-easy crock-pot recipe for Chicken Fajitas. Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a meal that you can start in the afternoon and they’ll be ready by the time everyone is hungry in the evening.

Slow Cooked Chicken Fajitas - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Most of you have gathered by now that my family is a big fan of Mexican-inspired meals. We use Mexican spices constantly and eat some version of southwest Tex-Mex or Mexican food a few times a week.

Very much like the Slow Cooked Chili Steak Fajitas I posted last year, these fajitas are full of heat and packed with that southwestern flavor I crave. The liquids in the base of the crock-pot form a fantastic sauce by the end of the cooking time.

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I also love how pleasing the orange, green and red bell-peppers look when cooked and served in the chicken. This is one of those easy recipes that takes very little effort but looks as good as it tastes.

I’ve made these Chicken Fajitas many times and served them wrapped in tortillas. They’re also delicious as Chicken Fajita Bowls served over rice. 

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

The best part about Crockpot Chicken Fajitas is that they cook in just a couple of hours. I love a recipe that you can prep in the morning and enjoy the smell of all day long but sometimes my schedule just doesn’t allow me to prep that far in advance.

With this recipe, I just slice everything up, toss the meat with spices, onions, and jalapenos in the slow cooker, let it cook for a couple of hours, and add the peppers toward the end of the cooking process. It’s THAT easy to have perfect homemade fajitas for dinner.

Fajitas are traditionally made by grilling meat but I find I enjoy slow cooker chicken fajitas just as much. They also have the (huge) added benefit of not needing any of my attention at all when they cook!

I almost hesitate to call this a true “slow cooked” recipe because the chicken doesn’t take long at all to cook. The whole meal is ready to serve in just about two hours!

This is fabulous when hunger levels are high and patience levels are low or on those days when you had every intention of getting a slow cooker meal together in the morning but it just didn’t happen.

With Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, I can look like I planned everything in advance when in reality all I did was throw a bunch of ingredients in a crock-pot at 3 o’clock.

I like to serve these chicken fajitas on their own, wrapped in tortillas, or over rice. These fajitas have a lovely spicy kick to them.

Slow Cooked Chicken Fajitas - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

The chicken is seasoned with your favorite Mexican spice blend. I use my beloved Homemade Taco Seasoning which contains, among other things, plenty of cumin, paprika, and chili powder.

(Side note: making homemade spice blends is a fabulous time saver and flavor enhancer!)

The rest of the heat comes from the jalapenos and salsa added to the pot before it all cooks together. I’ve made this recipe with both homemade salsa and the jarred stuff from the grocery store and both ways work well.

Choose a salsa that suits your family’s level of spice tolerance. I opt for a salsa with a medium heat level since the japalenos, peppers and taco seasoning also give the chicken a little kick.

If you aren’t a fan of spice you have two options:

First, I recommend reducing the chili powder and jalapeno peppers in this recipe to suit your spice tolerance level. Cutting the amounts in half is a good starting point.

If you prefer your fajitas without any heat at all, I recommend trying these Chicken Fajitas. They are every bit as delicious, but without the spicy kick.

In my house, no one complains one iota about the spice level in this Fajita Recipe. It’s just enough to delight our taste buds without being so spicy that we’re gulping down gallons of water with our meals.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas are easy enough for a busy weeknight dinner and festive enough to serve at a big family meal on the weekend. Serve with a side of Spanish Rice and Refried Beans for a fun Tex-Mex feast.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Recipe for Chicken Fajitas in the Crockpot

  1. Place the onion and the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot and set the crockpot to LOW.
  2. Mix together the salsa, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, and spices. Pour over the chicken and onions and toss to coat. Cover with the lid and cook for 1-1½ hours.
  3. When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the bell peppers and toss to combine. Cook for an additional hour.
  4. If desired, remove the lid after an hour and let the sauce thicken without the lid for another 30 minutes. You can also drain most of the liquid into a small saucepan and reduce it over medium heat if you prefer.

To turn this into a freezer meal, prep all ingredients and combine everything (except the bell peppers) in a freezer-safe gallon size Ziploc. Place the peppers in a separate freezer bag. Freeze until ready to use.

Thaw the chicken mixture in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as directed above. Add the bell peppers to the Crock-pot while still frozen.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a FAST dinner that everyone loves! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

For more great Crock-pot dinners, check out Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff, Slow Cooker Potato Soup, and this Sweet and Tangy Pulled Pork.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice and this Crockpot Pizza Casserole are a couple more terrific dinner options as well.

Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:

First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.

My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?

For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.

Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.

If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.

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Slow Cooked Chicken Fajitas

Crock-Pot Chicken Fajitas

5 from 2 votes
Spicy strips of chicken, bell peppers, and onion are cooked together in this oh-so-easy recipe for Crockpot Chicken Fajitas.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • pounds chicken breast or thighs sliced into very thin strips
  • 1 large onion sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons jalapeno minced, I used 1 fairly large jalapeno
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning I used this homemade Mexican spice mix
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 small bell peppers I used red, orange and green, sliced into thin strips

Instructions

  • Place the onion and the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot and set the crockpot to LOW.
  • Mix together the salsa, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, and spices. Pour over the chicken and onions and toss to coat. Cover with the lid and cook for 1-1½ hours.
  • When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the bell peppers and toss to combine. Cook for an additional hour.
  • If desired, remove the lid after an hour and let the sauce thicken without the lid for another 30 minutes. You can also drain most of the liquid into a small saucepan and reduce it over medium heat if you prefer.

Notes

FREEZER MEAL: Prep all ingredients and combine everything (except the bell peppers) in a freezer safe gallon size Ziploc. Place the peppers in a separate freezer bag. Freeze until ready to use. Thaw the chicken mixture in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as directed above. Add the bell peppers to the Crock-pot while still frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal · Carbohydrates: 14g · Protein: 38g · Fat: 4g · Saturated Fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 108mg · Sodium: 1393mg · Potassium: 1073mg · Fiber: 4g · Sugar: 8g · Vitamin A: 3415IU · Vitamin C: 129.9mg · Calcium: 46mg · Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 11/6/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/25/22}

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a hit! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Tricia @ saving room for dessert says

    I adore chicken fajitas so this is going in my pile of must-make recipes that belong to Mary. I think I should retire from blogging so I can just make all your delicious recipes. Can't wait to try the taco seasoning mix too. I think I'll use extra onions – yum!

  2. gen says

    Hi, I enjoy your site and found it through Pinterest. One hiccup I've noticed is that when I print recipes the "freezer" section doesn't show up on the print page…thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!

  3. Anonymous says

    just a question… do you add the frozen bell peppers at the beginning or at the normal lapsed time?
    Thanks 🙂

  4. natasha khan says

    I don't see anything about "frozen" bell peppers. Do they have to be frozen? And if not, do they go in right before the chicken is cooked or in the beginning? Thanks

    • Mary says

      The peppers will only be frozen if you are following the Freezer Meal directions. 🙂 They go in when the chicken is almost cooked with both methods. enjoy!