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–+ servings
A dish of grilled chicken slices mixed with bell peppers and onions in a black square pan, surrounded by bowls of guacamole, salsa, shredded cheese, and tortilla on a light-colored table.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinade Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 chicken thighs

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 onion
  • fajita marinade

Fajita marinade

  • ½ cup avocado or olive oil
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup lime juice freshly squeezed from 4 limes
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Prepare chicken thighs by trimming excess fat with kitchen scissors.
  • Remove bell pepper seeds and slice them into strips. Peel, halve and slice the onion into strips. (See note.)
  • Place chicken thighs, peppers and onions in a plastic bag or large bowl for marinade.
  • Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl or measuring glass.
  • Pour over chicken and veggies and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The longer it marinates the more the flavors will soak in! Do not marinate for longer than 24 hours.
  • Once you're ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (375°F-400ºF). Once the grill is preheated, clean the grates with grill brush.
  • Prepare grill grates by spraying with grill spray or using half an onion to naturally season the grates to prevent sticking.
  • Use grill tongs to remove chicken thighs from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook for 7-8 minutes before flipping. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 165°F with meat thermometer (about 20-25 minutes total). Let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Once cooked, slice or dice chicken on a cutting board and serve with tortillas and other desired toppings!

Notes

Veggie tips: If you prefer, you may cook the peppers and onions ON the grill alongside the chicken. You can use a grill basket or foil packet to hold the strips or you can leave the veggies cut in halves to cook directly on the grill. Alternatively, you can broil the veggies on low in the oven while you are grilling if you don't have enough room on your grill for both.
Marinade tips: Do not marinade chicken longer than 24 hours because the acid in the citrus juices will start to break down the chicken.
Chicken tips: Chicken thighs have a good amount of fat already and combined with the citrus from the marinade, this can cause grill flare-ups. Be sure to clean your grill grates once the grill is preheated and monitor the grill while cooking (keeping the lid close but looking for spikes on the grill thermometer).
If you have a three-burner grill, it's helpful to place smaller thighs on the outside of the grill, leaving the larger ones in the middle to help them cook evenly. Be sure to check smaller pieces a few minutes early as they may cook faster.
Serving suggestions: Serve with or without flour or corn tortilla (or taco shells), or on a salad or burrito bowl. For sides, consider rice and beans or refried beans. For toppings, cheese, salsa, tomatoes sour cream, guacamole and/or lettuce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 201mg | Sugar: 1g
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