Chicken Fajitas
Make the best Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas with chicken breasts, bell peppers, and onions for a fast and family-friendly weeknight dinner in one pot.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This is a super fast and easy fajita recipe that requires just one pot. It’s a kid-friendly meal made with easy-to-find ingredients.
We’re always using the Instant Pot for quick, fast dinner recipes. And if they’re made with chicken breasts (which we always have in the freezer), even better! All you need to build flavor in this simple recipe is your favorite fajita sauce, some fresh veggies, and your favorite toppings.
This is one of our favorite Instant Pot Chicken Recipes. We love making Mexican and Tex-Mex food in the Instant Pot, including Easy Instant Pot Chili Colorado Smothered Burritos and Beef and Bean Chili.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need to make the best easy chicken fajitas:
- Vegetable oil. To saute the chicken before pressure cooking. You can also use avocado oil.
- Chicken breasts. Use boneless, skinless breasts.
- Chicken broth. You can use store-bought or homemade. Veggie broth also works.
- Peppers and onions. To amp up the color, flavor and nutrients in your fajitas.
- Fajita sauce. We like Frontera brand sauce.
- Cornstarch. To quickly thicken the fajita sauce.
- Tortillas. Use large flour tortillas to serve your fajitas with toppings.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas in an Instant Pot
This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
To start, season your chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pressure cooking pot using the Saute button. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken on one side, then transfer to a plate.
Add the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Return the chicken to the pot, then place the veggies and sauce on top. DO NOT STIR.
Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes. Use a quick pressure release when the cook time ends. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough, slice the chicken into thin strips.
Combine the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce in the pot. Select Sauté and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened.
NOTE: If you like a thicker sauce, continue cooking until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. However, remember the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Return the chicken to the pot and stir well.
Serve the chicken, peppers, and onions on warm tortillas with toppings.
Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
This is a straightforward recipe that requires a quick saute, followed by pressure cooking. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind:
- It’s important not to stir the chicken after adding the sauce and vegetables. The layering is key to even cooking.
- Browning the chicken adds a ton of flavor to the fajitas, and it adds just a few minutes to the process.
- It’s important to bring the sauce to a simmer again after you add the cornstarch slurry. Otherwise, the starch won’t be fully cooked, and may taste off.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken Fajitas
You can add your favorite Mexican toppings to these easy fajitas. We like sour cream, guacamole, crema fresca, fresh salsa, and diced cilantro.
On the side, add our Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle Style).
Fajita skillet sauce is generally sold in a liquid pouch instead of a dried packet. (We’ve tested this recipe with Frontera and Ortega skillet sauces, and both turned out well with different flavors. Be sure to use one you love!)
We love skillet sauces and always have some on-hand, but we don’t always have the time to watch the skillet.
If you don’t have a skillet sauce on-hand, you can use a 1-ounce package of fajita spice mix layered on top of the peppers. Then after pressure cooking, use just 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water to thicken.
Yes. Store leftover chicken fajitas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave, on the stove or in the Instant Pot.
Yes, if you prefer chicken thighs, you can substitute the chicken breasts with thighs in this recipe. Since thighs need a little longer at pressure, I recommend increasing the cook time to –minutes.
This is my favorite way to stretch leftovers! You could easily add some cheese and grill the tortillas to make chicken quesadillas. Or add rice and beans for hearty burritos!
MORE Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Try these other simple and fast pressure cooker chicken recipes next:
- Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice is a one-pot meal with fluffy rice and tender chicken.
- Creamy Chicken and Broccoli over Rice is a rich, silky-smooth sauce and crisp-tender broccoli.
- Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken has a sticky and sweet sauce with just a bit of heat.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Chicken Fajitas
This Instant Pot Chicken Fajita recipe is a quick dinner made with chicken breasts, bell peppers, and onion loaded onto flour tortillas.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into 6 thin cutlets
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced into long ¼ inch strips (we prefer a mix of colors)
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch strips
- 1 package (8 oz) fajita skillet sauce (we love Frontera brand)*
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch*
- 3 tablespoons water*
- Warm tortillas, for serving (we used 6-inch flour tortillas)
- Favorite fajita toppings, for serving (sour cream, guacamole, crema fresca, fresh salsa, diced cilantro, prepared Cilantro Lime Rice, etc.)
Instructions
- Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Select Sauté and preheat the pressure cooking pot. Add oil and add 3 cutlets to the cooking pot. Cook until nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes). Transfer to a plate. If needed, add more oil and brown the remaining chicken breasts.
- Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure no browned bits remain. Return the chicken to the pot. Add the onions and bell peppers on top of the chicken.** Carefully pour the skillet sauce on top. DO NOT STIR.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and a 2 minute cook time.
- When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and slice into thin strips. (Ours were about ½ inch wide by 2 inches long.)
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the slurry to the pot. Select Sauté and bring the sauce to a boil. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens to a desired consistency. (This should happen really quickly with how hot the ingredients are.) Return the chicken to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce.
- Serve immediately with warmed tortillas and garnish with sour cream, guacamole, crema fresca, salsa, diced cilantro or any of your other favorite fajita toppings.
Notes
*If you don’t have a skillet sauce on-hand, you can use a 1 oz package of fajita spice mix layered on top of the peppers. Then after pressure cooking, use just 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water to thicken.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 536Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 600mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 50g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY
🥘 Browse our collection of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot recipes.
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.
🥧 If you’re interested in more than just Instant Pot recipes, follow us at Barbara Bakes. There we post amazing breakfasts, breads, and the best dessert recipes!
