Can you cook chicken fajitas in a slow cooker?
Yes. Slow cooker fajitas skip the marinating and the batch-sauteing: you layer the vegetables and chicken, add seasoning, and let the cooker do the work. The result is softer than skillet fajitas, with more sauce and no char, but the flavors blend well and the chicken is tender enough to slice or shred.
The 4-ingredient version
If you want the simplest possible crockpot chicken fajitas, you need only:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar (about 16 oz) salsa
- 3 bell peppers and 1 onion, sliced
- 1 packet fajita seasoning
Fresh lime juice is a nice extra but not required.
A fuller version
For more control over flavor, skip the packet and mix your own seasoning:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 3 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus 1 tablespoon honey to balance the acidity (optional)
- Tortillas and toppings for serving
How to make them
- Spread half the salsa or tomatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add half the peppers, onions and garlic.
- Lay the chicken on top and sprinkle it with the seasoning, turning it to coat both sides.
- Add the remaining salsa or tomatoes, then the remaining vegetables.
- Cover and cook until the chicken reads 165°F in the thickest part and the vegetables are tender. Recipes typically give about 2 to 4 hours on high or 4 to 8 hours on low depending on the cooker and the thickness of the chicken. Check early rather than assuming.
- Remove the chicken and slice or shred it. Stir in lime juice, return the chicken to the pot, and toss gently with the vegetables.
- Serve in warm tortillas.
Keeping the peppers from going mushy
Peppers cook down a lot over several hours. If you prefer them tender-crisp, add them for roughly the last 30 to 60 minutes instead of at the start, or cook the chicken and onions first and stir the peppers in later. Using frozen sliced peppers is fine too, though they will be softer.
What to do about the extra liquid
Slow cookers trap moisture, so fajita filling can end up watery. Use a slotted spoon or ladle to remove some of the liquid before serving, or lift the filling out with tongs. Some cooks discard a cup or so of the liquid and keep the rest to moisten the shredded chicken.
Breasts, thighs and frozen chicken
Breasts hold their shape better if you want strips rather than shreds. Boneless thighs also work and are more forgiving if the pot runs long, though they tend to pull apart more. Thaw chicken in the refrigerator before cooking rather than starting from frozen, as food safety guidance generally recommends.
Serving
Warm flour or corn tortillas, and set out cheese, sour cream, guacamole or avocado, salsa and cilantro. The filling is also good over rice for burrito bowls. Spanish rice or a simple salad rounds it out.
Storing leftovers
Refrigerate the filling in an airtight container within two hours of cooking and use it within about three days. For longer storage, cool it completely, flatten it in a freezer bag and freeze, ideally using it within a couple of months. Reheat until steaming hot.
If you like this style of cooking, see our slow cooker Mexican chicken for a shreddable base, or crockpot chicken tacos for the quickest version.