Who knew you could use the air fryer to make chicken fajitas for dinner? All you have to do is combine sliced chicken, peppers, and onions with fajita seasoning in the tray.
It’s no secret that I love my air fryer. Even though I’m not a fan of many fried foods, I love the way it cooks and crisps things quickly. This air fryer chicken fajita dinner comes together in a pinch and the chicken strips are so juicy in the middle.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
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Video: How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
What Are Fajitas?
Chicken Fajitas In The Air Fryer
Serving Fajitas
More Fajita Recipes
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
Podcast Episode: Cooking Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
Fajita is a Tex-Mex dish that includes grilled meat that is served on a tortilla. Skirt steak was the first meat used for this dish, but now a variety of meats are used – including chicken. We even have a vegetarian version! Onions and peppers are usually cooked with the meat and other toppings can be added at the table if you’d like – think cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
Chicken Fajitas In The Air Fryer
It’s really easy to make these chicken fajitas. All you have to do is slice chicken, peppers, and onion and coat them with olive oil and my favorite fajita seasonings – chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. You can instead use a 1 ounce package of fajita seasoning, or 2 tablespoons of homemade fajita seasoning.
Once everything is coated with a little bit of oil and seasonings, you pour the mixture into the tray of the air fryer and let it cook for about 18 minutes. I always check my food in the air fryer frequently because it can cook quicker than you think from time to time.
Serving Fajitas
Fajitas are traditionally wrapped in tortillas, but feel free to get creative. You could always make a rice bowl or a salad instead. This really is a perfect quick dinner or meal prep solution!
Complete your dinner with sides of rice (use the Instant Pot!), guacamole, or Mexican Corn Salad.
More Fajita Recipes
If you love these air fryer fajitas, you’re going to want to try these ones as well:
Air Fryer Steak Fajitas
Classic Shrimp Fajitas
Air Fryer Shrimp Fajitas
Grilled Fajita Dinner
How To Make Fajita Veggies
Vegetarian Fajitas
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
I turn to chicken for quick weeknight dinners all.the.time. I’m linking to some of my favorite easy chicken dinners below, but be sure to also have a browse through all of my chicken recipes here (there are over 100 of them!).
Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Dinner With Rice and Carrots
One-Dish Italian Chicken and Cauliflower
Chicken Pasta Bake With Creamy Alfredo Sauce
Salsa Chicken
Podcast Episode: Cooking Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make chicken fajitas in the Air Fryer, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 6 reviews
Author:Christine Pittman
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:18 minutes
Total Time:28 minutes
Yield:4 servings 1x
Category:Entrée
Method:Air Fryer
Cuisine:Southwestern
Print Recipe
DESCRIPTION
Who knew you could use the air fryer to make chicken fajitas for dinner? Serve with tortillas (or over rice or lettuce) and with any desired toppings – such as salsa or sour cream.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pinch cayenne
Instructions
Combine the sliced chicken and vegetables in a bowl.
Add the olive oil, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, and cayenne.
Toss to combine and pour the contents out into the tray of an air fryer.
Slide the tray into the air fryer and cook at 360°F for 16-20 minutes, checking and stirring halfway through.
Once the fajitas have finished cooking, serve them in tortillas, over rice, or over a salad with desired toppings.
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This post originally appeared in June 2019 and was revised and republished in May 2023.
The #1 tip for the best chicken breasts in an air fryer is: Don't overcook them! Chicken breasts should be cooked to 160°F, but if you cook them all the way to that temperature in the air fryer, carryover cooking will take them beyond that temp and cause them to dry out.
Air fryer roast chicken takes less time, leaves less of a mess and turns out nearly identical results -- or better, even. We're talking a 4-pound chicken cooked perfectly with impossibly crispy skin in under 45 minutes. That's 15% to 20% faster than the wall oven and with almost no cleanup afeter.
You can cook as many chicken breasts at a time as will fit in the basket of your Air Fryer. They can be touching but not overlapping. Cooking time guidelines at 360 degrees: 4-5oz (small chicken breasts): 10-12 minutes.
Given the size of a whole bird, there's no way air will be able to circulate properly and thoroughly cook the chicken, likely leaving you with an unevenly cooked final product that won't have a crispy skin and juicy interior.
After testing a variety of temperatures, I found that 375 degrees F is the best temperature for air frying chicken. Because the air fryer uses convection heat, you do not need to set it as high as you would an oven (in a regular oven, 425 degrees F is best for baking chicken, like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast).
You can use the air fryer's basket or one of its trays to cook it. However, if you do not have or use the rotisserie function, then it is better to flip the chicken halfway through to be able to evenly cook it.
Using an air fryer to cook a whole chicken is the way to go. You'll end up with super crispy skin on all sides and even the white meat stays tender and juicy. Don't skip the resting step as this allows the juice to absorb back into the meat.
Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.
Get similar-sized chicken breasts so they cook evenly in the air fryer. Do not stack the chicken breasts as they will not cook through. The hot air from the air fryer needs to reach every part of the chicken breasts. To store: Store leftover chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Place the chicken in the basket of the air fryer and cook at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the inside is cooked through to 160-165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
The machine needs air around it, and the food does, too. If you overcrowd the basket in your air fryer, your food won't have a lot of exposed surface area. Where the hot air meets the surface of the food and any oil is where the cooking (and flavor) happens.
Cut the Beef Against the Grain. Slicing meat against the grain helps tenderize it. By looking closely at the steak, you'll be able to see the direction the grain is running. ...
Marinade with an Acid. Acids like citrus juice or vinegar tenderize meat by breaking down its fibers.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to choosing the right onion for your fajitas. You can go for the traditional white or yellow onions, offering a more savory option, or experiment with sweet onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla to add a subtle sweetness to your dish.
Moisture: Introduce moisture to the chicken to help soften it. You can do this by marinating the cooked chicken in a sauce or broth for a while. This can help rehydrate the meat and add some flavor. Just be careful not to over-marinate, as the chicken could become mushy.
In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic. Included with each meal is a set of instructions to help you cook the meals.
You must pre-heat your air fryer! This will make sure that the bites will get a quick sear. Starting with a cold air fryer will just cook the bites too long and make them rubbery. Try to flip/turn the steak bites around 3 times to ensure even cooking.
One poultry science researcher in the United States has found fast growth adds stress, and that stress degrades protein and causes collagen and fat to move into the muscle making it tougher.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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