Crockpot chicken fajitas are easy to make in your slow cooker with juicy chicken, bell peppers, onion and taco seasoning. A simple slow cooker dinner that everyone will love.
Crockpot Chicken Fajita Recipe
Crockpot chicken fajitas are an easier version of the traditional fajitas that you’d find sizzling in a skillet! Much like sheet pan chicken fajitas, it has the same delicious flavors, with tender strips of chicken, peppers, and onions, but in a simplified version that doesn’t require much effort!
The slow cooker does most of the work in this slow cooker chicken fajita recipe. Cook it on low and you’ve got a meal to come home to that’s ready to serve a hungry crowd! Serve with warm flour tortillas or with Mexican rice, and your easy weeknight dinner is served!
Why You’ll Love Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Easy. Crockpot recipes are meant to be easy and my family loves this dump and set meal as well as crockpot chicken potatoes and green beans!
- Classic flavors. Robust Mexican-inspired flavors are front and center with this crockpot chicken fajitas recipe.
- Crowd pleaser. If your family loves Mexican food recipes, this is just as versatile as tacos or burritos and can be served to suit everyone’s tastes.
Recipe Ingredients
Made with homemade seasoning, the smoky spices and herbs have a chance to penetrate the crockpot chicken fajitas as it cooks over a longer period.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Keep them whole until they’re cooked.
- Taco seasoning: Use either fajita seasoning or taco seasoning as both will deliver loads of flavor. I have homemade recipes for both that I keep on hand at all times! I like to add some chili powder in as well.
- Salt & pepper: Just a little extra seasoning to taste.
- Diced tomatoes: I use the petite diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel). Use mild or hot, it’s up to you. If you want to stay away from chiles altogether, just go with diced tomatoes.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced red onions are a popular component of traditional fajita veggies. Cut them to a similar size as the bell peppers or a bit thinner. No larger, otherwise they’ll overpower the peppers.
- Bell peppers: Use whatever color bell peppers you prefer. A combination of colors always looks nice! Plus the savory sweet of both red and green peppers is a nice pairing.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed from 1 lime gets added to the juices at the end. It adds a zesty bright element that can’t be missed.
- Warm tortillas: Warm either flour or corn tortillas before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the breasts for chicken thighs. They will cook faster and fall apart easier, so this is a great choice for shredded chicken.
- If you remove the tomatoes, be sure to replace it with another liquid like chicken broth.
- Add a bit of cayenne pepper for extra heat.
- A drizzle of honey can help cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Instead of regular tomatoes and red bell peppers, try roasted red peppers or fire roasted tomatoes for a little extra smoky flavor.
- Use beef instead of chicken for crockpot steak fajitas next time!
How to Make Chicken Fajitas in Crockpot
First the chicken will cook until juicy and tender, then bell peppers get added with half an hour left in the cooking time so they’re juicy and tender and still slightly crisp.
- Add chicken to the basin. Place the meat in the basin of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning, salt and pepper overtop. Then add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Stir everything to combine, making sure the chicken is well coated.
- Cover and cook. Add the lid to the crockpot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Add the bell peppers 30 minutes before the cooking time is over. You can add them to the mixture earlier if you don’t mind very soft veggies.
- Slice or shred the meat. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the breasts to a cutting board. Allow it to rest for a few minutes and then slice them or use two forks to shred them apart. Remove 1 cup of liquid from the pot and discard it. This is so too much liquid doesn’t start to dilute the flavors. Return the chicken to the pot.
- Serve and enjoy. Stir in fresh lime juice and season the fajita mixture with salt and pepper. Serve crockpot chicken fajitas warm in flour or corn tortillas and pile on your favorite fajita toppings!
Expert Tips
- Slicing vs shredding. To make shredded chicken you’ll need it to be fall-apart tender. This happens when you cook the crockpot Mexican chicken closer to the max cooking times. On high for 3 hours (as opposed to 2) or on low for 6 hours (as opposed to 4).
- Tortillas. If you prefer corn tortillas, go ahead and use them!
- Slow cooking needs liquid. The juices from the canned tomatoes add liquid to the recipe which adds moisture to the chicken and prevents it from burning.
- Love cheese? After the chicken is shredded, add back into the crockpot and add a layer of cheese to cover it all like I do in this fajita chicken casserole!
- Grill tortillas. Heat or toast the tortillas over an open flame or grill to give them some extra char and smokiness!
Recipe FAQs
No, keep the chicken breasts whole while you cook them. If you add the strips to the crockpot, they’ll cook too quickly and could end up overcooked and rubbery.
Keeping them whole also allows you to decide if you’d rather slice them or shred them.
Traditionally, it is cut into thin strips on a diagonal for quick cooking. Since we’re cooking it whole first, you can decide how thick you want to cut yours. Ideally, you still keep them thinly sliced, it just makes it easier to eat.
You can as long as you thaw it first. Slow-cooking frozen meat allows it to spend too much time at unsafe temperatures giving way to bacteria spreading for longer than we’d like. When it’s frozen it also doesn’t absorb flavors as well.
Some fajita toppings ideas, classics like shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro are delicious when wrapped in a corn tortilla with the meat. You could also add sour cream, pickled jalapenos, black beans, sliced avocado, homemade guacamole and even shredded lettuce.
Crockpot Fajitas Serving Suggestions
This crockpot chicken fajitas recipe can be used in more ways than wrapped in a tortilla with chicken fajita toppings like sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa or pico de gallo, etc.
I mean, it’s a family favorite that way, but I’ve also served it with black beans and rice, refried beans or bean dip, rice, and a Mexican corn salad.
It’s also great as an addition to any tossed green salad or rice bowl with cilantro lime rice. In the same way, we turn burritos into burrito bowls, we can do the same with chicken fajitas bowls!
Storing
Leftovers of crockpot chicken fajitas can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Portion them out into smaller containers for easy meals throughout the week. Take some for lunch one day and have leftovers for dinner another day.
To reheat the fajitas, use the microwave. If you want to use the oven or a skillet to crisp them a bit you can. The air fryer would also do the trick.
On a Tex Mex kick? Try these taco lettuce wraps, slow cooker chicken taco bowls, and slow cooker chicken tinga tacos!
More Delicious Tex Mex Recipes
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Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 (10-ounce) can ROTEL Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
- ½ red onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers , halved and thinly sliced
- 1 lime , juiced (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 12 corn tortillas , for serving
Optional toppings: Chopped cilantro, Guacamole or avocado, Shredded cheese, Sour cream, Pico de Gallo
Instructions
- In the bottom of a crockpot, coat the chicken in the taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
- Cover and cook on High 2 to 3 hours or Low 4 to 6 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Add the bell peppers 30 minutes before cooking time ends to keep the peppers from getting too soft.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into slices of shred. Remove 1 cup liquid from the crockpot and discard. Return chicken to the pot. Stir in lime juice until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm in tortillas with your favorite fajita toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Chicken, Cinco De Mayo, Crockpot, Crockpot, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Mexican
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I loved how easy this was to make, it turned out perfectly! Everyone in my family really enjoyed it, thank you!
I am glad that you all loved it! The crockpot helps make these chicken fajitas perfectly!
Seriously doesn’t get much easier! These were so yummy, thank you for making them in the crock pot!
We had this chicken recipe last night, it was a hit! Thanks to the crockpot, the chicken was cooked perfectly, and it was bursting with flavors. Must-try!