This chicken fajita pasta is a delightful twist on traditional steak fajitas, perfect for the whole family.
This chicken pasta is cooked in a creamy fajita sauce with a blend of spices and seasonings.
We love serving it alongside a simple green or cucumber salad.
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Ingredients
- Chicken - use boneless chicken thighs or even rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken dinner.
- Fajita Veggies - Using tricolor bell peppers provides a lovely display of color in this creamy chicken fajita pasta. I’ve also included Ro-Tel tomatoes for a kick of heat. Jalapeno peppers would also provide extra heat to this dish.
- Aromatics & Seasoning - yellow onion, garlic (minced and powder), broth, onion powder, salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a packet of fajita seasoning. You could easily make your homemade fajita seasoning.
- Heavy cream - helps to thicken the sauce, and balance the acidity from tomatoes.
- Pasta - use any tubular short pasta or even spaghetti. Barilla is our go to.
- Garnish - sliced green onions and fresh cilantro!
Cut the chicken pieces into uniform sizes so that they all cook evenly simultaneously.
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
Instructions
Heat the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or pot over medium high heat.
The skillet or pot should be deep enough to cook the pasta with 2 cups of broth.
Cook chicken. Once the oil is hot and sizzling, add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Drain chicken juices.
Place back on the stovetop and sprinkle ½ of the fajita seasoning over the chicken. Stir to combine.
Continue cooking chicken until cooked through (a couple of minutes).
Set aside. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate while you move to the next step.
Saute the veggies. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and saute onions, and bell peppers with the remaining fajita seasoning.
Cook for about 5 minutes (or until peppers start to become wilted but still keep shape).
Add aromatics. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a separate plate.
Reduce heat to medium-low (important as we will be adding cream now and it can curdle with high heat).
Add the rest and throw in pasta. Add broth, chicken base, heavy cream, Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, and uncooked pasta.
Stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
Simmer. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes stirring a couple of times during this time.
Don't be alarmed if you see too much liquid initially, the pasta will absorb more moisture as it stands.
Ensure not to overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook later in the sauce. The starch released from the cooked pasta also aids in thickening the sauce.
Stir in veggies and chicken. Let cook on low for 2-3 minutes.
Add cheese. If you are a cheese fan add your favorite shredded cheese or parmesan now (you'll need about ½-3/4 cups). Stir to combine.
Serve! Remove from the heat and serve with fresh herbs (cilantro and scallions) and black cracked pepper.
This recipe is approximately for 4-6 servings.
Tips
- A heavy-bottom Dutch oven or a large, wide skillet works well for this one-pot pasta recipe - anything that accommodates the pasta and broth quantity.
- Chicken breast meat dries out fast, so avoid overcooking. A couple of minutes to release moisture (pat it dry first), then add fajita seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes.
- No fajita seasoning? Mix up some smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Or cheat a little and use Taco, burrito, or whatever packet seasoning mix instead.
- This dish isn’t very hot but rather mildly spicy. If you enjoy more heat in your food, consider adding canned green chilies or fresh ones in addition to those already in the Ro-Tel tomatoes.
If you're new to cooking pasta in sauce method then don't worry, it's easier than you think! Just keep an eye on your pasta until it's al dente and lower the heat. The starch from pasta cooking liquid (in our case the broth) helps to thicken the sauce. This Creamy Chicken Pasta is cooked using same method.
What To Serve With Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Keep it Light - green salad, avocado corn salad, or marinated vegetable salad.
- Add sides:
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. In an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days. The longer pasta sits in the fridge, the more liquid (sauce) it absorbs.
- To Reheat. When reheating, add a splash of milk, broth or cream. But don’t boil the whole thing, just simmer it on low over the stovetop.
- To Freeze. Not the best candidate for freezing, the pasta absorbs too much liquid as it sits and the creamy sauce will lose its texture after thawing.
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Recipe
Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 ½ tablespoon fajita seasoning, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon (heaping) of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Bouillon chicken base
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 10 ounce crushed tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel tomatoes
- 8 ounces gluten-free pasta, uncooked
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- green onions, sliced for garnish
- fresh cilantro, minced for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. The skillet or pot should be deep enough to cook the pasta with 2 cups of broth.
- Once the oil is hot and sizzling, add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Drain chicken juices.
- Place back on the stovetop and sprinkle ½ of the fajita seasoning over the chicken. Stir to combine. Continue cooking chicken until cooked through (a couple of minutes). Transfer the cooked chicken on to a plate while you move to the next step.
- Add remaining olive oil to the skillet and saute onions, bell peppers with remaining fajita seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes (or until peppers start to become wilted but still keep shape).
- Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a separate plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low (important as we will be adding cream now and it can curdle with high heat). Add broth, chicken base, heavy cream, Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, and pasta. Stir to combine. Bring liquid to a a gentle boil.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes stirring a couple of times during this time. Cook the pasta al dente. Pasta will continue to cook later on as well so it is important to not overcook it at this point.
- You’ll still have sauce/liquid in the pan, and it is fine, the pasta will absorb more moisture as it stands.
- Stir in veggies and chicken. Let cook on low for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with fresh herbs (cilantro and scallions) and black cracked pepper.
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NUTRITION
FAQs
You can use milk or plant-based milk as a substitute for heavy cream in pasta, but keep in mind it won't yield the same creamy result. To enhance thickness, add a tablespoon or two of flour when incorporating the oil and butter to create a roux.
Classic fajitas traditionally use skirt steak cut into thin strips, with "fajita" meaning "little belt" from "faja" for strip or belt and the diminutive "ita." Modern fajita recipes often feature chicken and shrimp as alternative protein sources.
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- Shrimp Fajita - a single skillet, mouth-watering dish that’s loaded with irresistible flavors, tender shrimp, and seasoned veggies.
- Taco Salad - the salad is great but the Catalina dressing even greater!
- Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme - the all-time favorite Taco bell copycat Crunchwrap Supreme recipe with ground beef and more.
- Crock Pot Chicken Chili - Perfect for 4 servings and any leftovers can be refrigerated, it tastes better on the next day!
- From Shrimp Fajita, Steak Fajitas and Black Bean And Corn Quesadillas to Taco Dinner Boards - we love them all! This is just to name a few, but you've gotta try them all.
- If you want more Taco Bar ideas I have a great one-stop-shop kinda deal for you, check out my Easy Taco Dinner Party Board recipe over here.
Don't forget the drinks! Learn how to make a margarita in this Skinny Watermelon Margarita recipe or this delicious spicy frozen margarita recipe (by the way, you can use your favorite fruit or berries here!).
This recipe has been inspired and adapted from this recipe.
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Easy Chicken Fajita Pasta cooked in one pot!