Crockpot chicken fajitas are tender, juicy shredded chicken slow cooked with salsa, three colors of bell pepper, onion, garlic and fajita seasoning, then piled into warm tortillas. You load the pot in 10 minutes in the morning and come home to a colorful, zesty fajita filling for a busy weeknight or a taco-night crowd.
How to make crockpot chicken fajitas: layer salsa, peppers and onions under and over seasoned chicken breasts, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the chicken reaches 165°F, then shred it, drain off some of the juice and serve in tortillas.
Why You’ll Love It
- 10 minutes of prep. No searing, no stovetop.
- Nine ingredients, including a jar of salsa and a packet of seasoning.
- Bright and colorful, with red, yellow and green peppers through the chicken.
- Holds on warm, so everyone can build their own fajitas when they’re ready.
Ingredient Notes
Salsa. One 16-ounce jar, split in half. Use a brand you love.
Chicken. Two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat. Make sure the chicken is fully thawed before it goes in the crock pot.
Peppers and onion. One red, one yellow and one green bell pepper plus one yellow onion, all sliced into strips. You’ll use half under the chicken and half on top.
Fajita seasoning and lime. One packet of fajita seasoning goes right on the chicken, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice get squeezed over everything at the end of the layering.
Ingredients
- 16 ounce jar salsa, divided; use a brand you love
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 yellow onion, sliced; divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs
- 1 packet fajita seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
1. Layer half the vegetables. Pour half of the salsa into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Top with half of the sliced peppers and onions, then sprinkle on the minced garlic.
2. Add the chicken. Top with the chicken breasts and sprinkle the tops with the packet of fajita seasoning.
3. Cover with the rest. Top the chicken with the remaining salsa, peppers and onions, then squeeze the lime juice over the top.
4. Cook. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours), until the chicken is cooked through and a food thermometer reads 165°F.
5. Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
6. Handle the juice. There will be a lot of juice, so drain it out or remove it with a ladle if you like. Put the shredded chicken back in the crock pot, cover and switch to the warm setting until ready to serve.
7. Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve in flour or corn tortillas with your favorite toppings.
How to Keep the Fajitas from Getting Soupy
Chicken, salsa and a pot full of peppers and onions let off a lot of liquid over 6 to 8 hours. When you lift the lid, the chicken will be sitting in a pool of juice. That’s normal, and it’s easy to fix.
Take the chicken out before you shred it. Shred it on a board or in a bowl with two forks, not in the pot.
Ladle out some of the juice. Before the chicken goes back in, ladle off about 1 cup of the liquid and discard it, or drain out as much as you like. Keep going until what’s left looks like a sauce, not a soup.
Let it soak for a few minutes. Stir the shredded chicken back into the peppers and the juice that’s left, cover, and let it sit in the juices on warm for about 10 minutes before serving.
Or add the peppers late. This recipe layers them half under and half over the chicken for the whole cook. You can also keep the salsa, garlic and chicken in the pot as written and stir the peppers and onions in for just the last half hour, on high.
| If the filling is… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Swimming in juice | Ladle out about 1 cup, or more, before the chicken goes back in |
| Just right | Stir the chicken back in and keep it on warm |
Tips for Success
Why is my chicken done early, or not done yet?
The 6 to 8 hours on low and 3 to 4 hours on high are a range, not a promise. Go by the thermometer: the chicken is ready when the thickest piece reads 165°F.
Should I lift the lid to check on it?
Only when you need to. Keep the lid in place and take it off just to stir or to check doneness near the end of the cooking time.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: use 2 pounds of boneless, skinless thighs in place of the breasts.
- Honey lime finish: stir a little honey and an extra squeeze of lime juice into the shredded chicken just before serving.
- Cheesy: top each fajita with shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro.
Storage & Reheating
Divide leftovers into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours. They keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen fajita chicken in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave. Reheat it on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven to 165°F; USDA FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. Add sour cream, guacamole and other toppings fresh.
What to Serve With It
Round out taco night with a pot of quick and easy taco soup or 8-can chicken taco soup, or put out one-pot Mexican rice casserole as a side. For another night, try taco casserole or Mexican tortilla casserole. If you love dump-and-go chicken, 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken is just as easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do chicken fajitas in the slow cooker?
Yes. The chicken cooks right in the salsa with the peppers and onions, then gets shredded and goes back into the pot. It’s hands-off, and the filling holds on warm until you’re ready.
Can I cook the chicken from frozen?
No. USDA FSIS says to always thaw meat or poultry before it goes in a slow cooker. Thaw the chicken in the fridge the night before.
What toppings go on crockpot chicken fajitas?
Sour cream, guacamole or sliced avocado, extra salsa, shredded Mexican cheese and cilantro all work. Serve them in flour or corn tortillas.
Final Notes
Slice the peppers and onion the night before and keep them in the fridge, so the morning layering takes five minutes. Tell me in the comments which toppings you piled on.
Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
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Ingredients
- 16 ounce jar salsa divided; use a brand you love
- 1 each red bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 each yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 each green bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips; divided
- 1 yellow onion sliced; divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 1 packet fajita seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Pour half of the salsa into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Top with half of the sliced peppers and onions, then sprinkle on the minced garlic.
- Top with the chicken breasts and sprinkle the tops with the packet of fajita seasoning.
- Top the chicken with the remaining salsa, peppers and onions, then squeeze the lime juice over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours), until the chicken is cooked through and a food thermometer reads 165°F.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
- There will be a lot of juice, so drain it out or remove it with a ladle if you like. Put the shredded chicken back in the crock pot, cover and switch to the warm setting until ready to serve.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve in flour or corn tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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