In just 30 minutes, you can have this quick Chicken Fajita Pasta dish on the table, complete with tender chicken, colorful bell peppers, onions, and perfectly cooked pasta, all smothered in a creamy sauce that's both comforting and zesty. This dish is made in one pot and is sure to become a regular on your weeknight menu!
Busy weeknights call for dinners that can be on the table quickly and have flavors that the whole family likes. Packed with vibrant Tex-Mex flavors and creamy goodness, this dish takes the bold and beloved tastes of fajitas and transforms them into a simple, one-pot pasta delight.
We've streamlined the process to make it accessible for everyone, using fajita seasoning and one pot to save time. This mildly spicy pasta has plenty of Mexican spices and creamy tomato sauce flavors, combined for a delicious taste.
Recipe Ingredients
- Fusilli pasta: My kids love the shape of these, but other pasta would work well. Use whatever you have on hand.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces or strips.
- Cream cheese: Melts together with the shredded cheese to give the sauce its creamy texture.
- Bell peppers: Red, yellow, or green. I like to use one of each for the color pop, plus each has a slightly different vitamin and mineral content.
- Fajita seasoning: You can buy a bottle or packet at the store, or make your own.
- Yellow onion: Slice the onion when you prep the bell peppers.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic or from a jar would work for this recipe.
- Chicken broth: The broth helps cook the pasta, and gives a richer flavor than water.
- Monterey jack cheese: Substitute colby jack, pepper jack, or cheddar if you like.
- Fire roasted tomatoes: Fire roasting adds a sweet and smoky flavor to tomatoes, perfect for building a rich fajita taste.
- Salt: To taste
- Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper
- Cotija cheese: A salty and tangy flavor. It's similar in appearance to feta, but it's more salty and less sour. It's a delicious topping to this recipe!
How to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta
Be sure to see the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- Chop: Wash and cut your bell peppers. Cut chicken into strips or bite size cubes. Slice onion, grate the Monterey Jack cheese and set out other ingredients.
- Sear: In a dutch oven or deep skillet, add cooking oil over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken and let sear for two minutes on each side. This helps the chicken develop a golden brown crust and lock in its tenderness on the inside.
- Finish chicken: Remove the excess water and return chicken to the pot. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the fajita seasoning and stir to combine. Cook for one more minute and then place chicken on a plate and set aside.
- Sauté: In the same skillet, sauté peppers and onions until they become soft. Add one tablespoon of fajita seasoning and cook for one minute. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Use a spatula to scrape the peppers and onions to a separate plate and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Add tomatoes, broth and fusilli to the pot and bring to a gentile simmer. Reduce heat and cover for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is al dente. At this point, you will have a little water in the pot (it won't evaporate completely), which is fine. Once you add the other ingredients, it will balance the texture.
- Finish sauce: Add dollops of cream cheese and stir to combine.
- Combine: Return the chicken and veggies to the pot and stir. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Stir in shredded cheese and top with cilantro and cojita. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use another protein like ground turkey, ground beef or pork tenderloin. Simply swap the protein for the chicken in step 2 of "How to Make". Cook the protein in cooking oil and add the fajita seasoning once it has finished cooking. Set aside and continue following the other steps.
It's easy to dilute the heat if you've found it's too spicy for your preference. Add a little sour cream or more cheese, or add a little more chicken broth to the sauce.
Yes! It's easy to swap the pasta for a gluten-free version. If you're using a packaged fajita seasoning, be sure to read the label carefully, as the seasoning could have been made in a facility that produces products that contain gluten. Make your own seasoning or buy one that is labeled "gluten free".
Top Tips
- Traditionally fajita meat is cut into strips, but you can cut the veggies and chicken into bite size pieces, especially if using smaller pasta. This makes the dish easier to eat.
- Don't overcook the pasta; it will continue to cook in the pot once you stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- This pasta is mildly spicy, but the spice level will depend on the fajita seasoning. Add less seasoning if you're concerned with it being too spicy, and adjust to taste.
Recipe Variations
- Top with diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.
- Mince some jalapeño and saute it with the bell peppers & onion. Serve sliced jalapeños with the dish to customize the heat.
- This dish can be customized to add more veggies or to pump up the protein and fiber. Black beans and corn kernels will give the dish a more southwestern flair.
- Top with crushed tortilla chips for a crunchy texture.
- I like to add smoked paprika, cumin, and cajun spice.
- For more smoky flavor, add a half chipotle pepper and adobo sauce to taste. Mince the chipotle pepper and add both with the cream cheese. Stir well.
Storage & Reheating
- To store: Leftover chicken & pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You may want to add a splash of water or chicken broth and stir to help loosen up the pasta if it has absorbed a lot of the sauce.
- To reheat: Add the chicken and pasta to a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until warmed through. You can also microwave leftovers for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
What to serve with Chicken Fajita Pasta
If you want to keep things simple, pair your Chicken Fajita Pasta with an quick green salad. If you're up for putting in a little more effort, here are some easy side dishes that will make this a full meal.
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Mexican rice
- Guacamole and chips
- Black beans and rice
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Chicken Fajita Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta or other shape
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces or strips
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 3 bell peppers, red, yellow, or green
- 2 ½ Tablespoons fajita seasoning
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 ½ Tablespoons)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or colby jack, pepperjack, or cheddar)
- ¾ cup fire roasted tomatoes
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients and some extra empty plates/bowls.
- In a dutch oven or a deep skillet, add cooking oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken strips and cook for 2 minutes on each side to sear. Remove the excess water, return to the pot and add 1 ½ tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for another 1 minute. Set aside on separate plate/bowl.
- In the same skillet sauté bell peppers and onions with 1 tablespoon of fajita seasoning until they start to become soft, just for a couple of minutes. Set aside on separate plate/bowl.
- Add broth, tomatoes and fusilli to the pot, take it to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat and close the lid. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick. At this point you’ll have a little water in the pot (it will not evaporate completely), this is fine--once we add other ingredients it will balance the texture.
- Add dollops of cream cheese; stir to combine.
- Return the veggies and chicken, taste for seasoning. Stir in shredded cheese. Serve with fresh cilantro and side dishes.
Notes
- Add more flavor: I like to add smoked paprika, cumin, and cajun spice.
- Traditionally fajita meat is cut into strips, but you can cut the veggies and chicken into bite size pieces, especially if using smaller pasta.
- Don’t overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook in the pot once we stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- To store: Leftover chicken & pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You may want to add a splash of water or chicken broth and stir to help loosen up the pasta if it has absorbed a lot of the sauce.
- To reheat: Add the chicken and pasta to a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until warmed through. You can also microwave leftovers for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
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