This one-dish oven baked fajita recipe is packed with Southwest flavor and makes an effortless weeknight dinner. It’s perfect for chicken fajita salads, burrito bowls, or classic fajitas.
We usually include a Mexican-style meal on the weekly rotation, and these oven baked fajitas never disappoint. They’re versatile, easy to scale for meal prep, and my favorite way to enjoy them is over mixed greens as a chicken fajita salad. Top with guacamole or a cilantro-lime dressing for extra brightness.
Recipe Features
- Easy: Everything cooks together in one dish for minimal hands-on time.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Prep up to 48 hours ahead or make and reheat through the week.
- Versatile: Serve as fajitas, burrito bowls, or salads — the same bake works for many meals.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: The recipe works best with chicken breasts (1.5–2 lbs). Smaller breasts will cook faster; remove and shred early if needed, then return to the pan once the peppers are done.
Bell peppers: Use a mix of red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers for color and sweetness.
Onion: Yellow, sweet, or red onion are all fine—slice thinly.
Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning is recommended, but two packets of store-bought taco or fajita seasoning will also work.
Starch: Tapioca starch helps thicken the natural juices into a light sauce; arrowroot or cornstarch may be substituted. If you use store-bought seasoning, you can omit the starch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the sliced bell peppers and onion in a 9×13-inch baking dish, pushing them to the sides to make room for the chicken. Place the chicken breasts flat in the center. Drizzle everything with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Step 2: Combine the seasoning and tapioca (if using) and sprinkle evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, stirring the peppers and onions halfway through to ensure even cooking. Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F internally; extend cooking time if necessary.
Tip: While the bake cooks, prepare any toppings—rice, beans, guacamole, or dressings—to assemble bowls or salads quickly.
Step 3: Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the baking dish and toss with the cooked peppers and onions so the flavors meld.
Serve warm as fajitas, with tortillas, over rice for burrito bowls, or on top of mixed greens for salads.
My Favorite Ways to Enjoy This Fajita Bake
This fajita bake is delicious in many formats. My favorites and suggested toppings:
- Serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice for a bowl.
- Top with fresh guacamole or pico de gallo.
- Drizzle with cilantro-lime dressing and add mixed greens for a salad.
- Add black or pinto beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, and extra cilantro as desired.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Use two packets of store-bought taco or fajita seasoning in place of the homemade mix. If using store-bought seasoning, you can omit the starch.
You can prep the assembled dish up to 48 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You can also bake it ahead and reheat portions throughout the week.
Notes
- If peppers are small, use five instead of four.
- Tapioca or other starch absorbs moisture released by the peppers and creates a light sauce; omit if using packaged seasoning.
- Cooking time depends on chicken breast size. If chicken finishes before the peppers, remove, shred, and return later.
- Nutrition values reflect the baked chicken, peppers, and onions only and will change with added toppings.
More Easy Recipes For You To Try
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Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
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Easy Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
-
Healthy Cashew Chicken Salad with Apples (Dairy-Free)
-
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken (gluten free)
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating or comment and share a photo—I’d love to see how you served it!
Eat Clean. Be Well!
-Sara
One-Dish Oven Baked Fajitas
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Baked Chicken Fajitas
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts (up to 2 lbs will work)
- 4 large sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced (red, yellow, orange)
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp homemade taco seasoning (or 2 packets store-bought)
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch (see notes)
Suggested Ingredients to Go Along with Fajita Bake
- Brown rice or cauliflower rice
- Guacamole
- Cilantro lime dressing
- Pico de gallo
- Mixed greens
- Black or pinto beans
- Cilantro and lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place sliced peppers and onion in a 9×13 baking dish, pushing them to the edges. Lay the chicken breasts in the center.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Mix the seasoning and tapioca starch (if using) and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. If using store-bought seasoning, you can omit the starch.
- Bake 25–30 minutes, stirring the peppers halfway through, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove chicken, shred with two forks, return shredded chicken to the dish, and toss with the peppers and onions.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- If peppers are small, use five instead of four.
- Tapioca starch thickens the juices into a light sauce; arrowroot or cornstarch can be used instead.
- Use about 1.5 lbs of chicken (2–3 breasts). Adjust cooking time by breast size.
- Nutrition shown applies to the baked chicken, peppers, and onions only and does not include toppings.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 11 g |
Protein: 17 g |
Fat: 2 g