These Easy Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are super flavourful and perfect for your weekly meal prep. They come together in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – you could also try making these fajitas with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Minced garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Fajita seasoning – use a premade blend or make your own using chili powder, cumin, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.
- Fresh salsa – jarred salsa or pico de gallo would also work.
- Yellow onion – white onion, red onion or shallots are the best substitutes here.
- Red, green and yellow pepper – use any colour combination of bell peppers of your choice.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Toppings
- Cheddar cheese – swap out for another cheese of your choice like Tex Mex or Monterey Jack.
- Cilantro – leave this off altogether if you’re not a fan of cilantro.
- Corn tortillas – flour tortillas would also be good or you can make these fajitas low-carb by using lettuce wraps.
How to make chicken fajitas in the Instant Pot
- Add the first 5 ingredients to the Instant Pot in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Remove and shred the chicken.
- Sauté the onions and peppers.
- Stir everything together.
- Assemble your fajitas and enjoy!
What toppings go on fajitas?
Chicken fajitas are the perfect dish to express your individual preference. You can top them with my suggestions or find a combination that appeals to you.
Here are a few popular chicken fajita toppings:
- Shredded cheese (cheddar and crumbled Cojita are my faves!)
- Chopped cilantro
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Guacamole or avocado slices
Frequently Asked Questions
From start to finish, these chicken fajitas will be ready in 30 minutes, so they’re a great weeknight dinner idea. They’ll cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, followed by a natural release of the pressure. Then, you’ll need to sauté the veggies and combine everything in the Instant Pot.
For this recipe, you don’t need to pre-cut the chicken before cooking it. You’ll add the chicken breasts whole to the Instant Pot, then after cooking, shred them with a knife and fork.
Chicken fajitas typically contain chicken cooked in a blend of Mexican-inspired spices with sauteed onions and bell peppers. Everything is assembled in corn or flour tortillas with the toppings of your choice including salsa and cheese.
This recipe has 254 calories per serving. Keep in mind that the calorie count may vary depending on the toppings and what kind of tortillas you use.
Storing and reheating
Store the chicken and veggies in glass meal prep containers in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. When you’re ready to enjoy your fajitas, reheat everything in the microwave or on the stovetop. Assemble with the rest of your toppings on fresh tortillas and dig in!
Can you freeze chicken fajitas?
Yes! You can freeze the shredded chicken for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. You could also sauté the chicken in a pan on the stovetop so it tastes nice and fresh.
Another option is to freeze the chicken raw with the fajita seasoning and the salsa. Dump everything in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. All you have to do is defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight then dump it in the Instant Pot when you’re ready to cook – easy-peasy!
I don’t recommend freezing the cooked peppers and onions, since they’ll lose their shape and get all mushy when defrosting.
More Mexican-inspired Instant Pot recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these chicken fajitas into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re marinating the chicken then freezing it.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls for up to 3 months.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fajita seasoning
- 1 (500mL) container fresh salsa (or jarred salsa)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Optional toppings
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- fresh chopped cilantro
- Corn tortillas, to serve
Instructions
- Add olive oil, chicken, salsa, and fajita seasoning to Instant Pot. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 8 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook the 8 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (about 10-15 minutes), then open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Remove chicken and shred. Meanwhile, switch Instant Pot to saute mode and add a bit of extra olive oil, then onions and peppers. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Add chicken back to the peppers and onions, then stir to combine. Top with cheese and cilantro and serve in corn tortillas if desired.
