Make-Ahead Quick and Easy Chicken Fajita Freezer Meal

Why you will love this recipe

• This chicken fajita freezer meal is filled with tender juicy spicy but not too spicy chicken, charred bell peppers, and onions.
• Freezer meals are a life saver on busy evenings. All of the prep work is already done for you.
• You only need a couple of ingredients plus a little prep time. There is no pre-cooking.
• There are multiple cooking methods wo you can choose the one that works best for you.

What are fajitas?

Fajitas are traditionally a combination of protein, pepper, and onion served in a tortilla.

What is the best meat for fajitas?

This recipe uses chicken breasts but there are other options. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw deveined shrimp, thinly sliced skirt steak, or thinly sliced pork tenderloin.

There are three different methods that you can use to make these fajitas. You can make them fresh, prep them ahead, or make them into a freezer meal to use later!

• Fresh: Follow the recipe as written in the recipe card below.
• Prep: You can prep these chicken fajitas 2-3 days in advance. Mix up the marinade and slice the chicken and vegetables. Store each ingredient separately in the refrigerator. The night before you are going to make the fajitas, combine the marinade and chicken. Follow the directions as written in the recipe card below.
• Freezer Meal: Check out the "How to freeze" directions below.

How do you cut onions and peppers for fajitas?

Use whatever combination of bell peppers you like (red, green, orange, yellow, or even purple). Slice the onions and peppers into ¼-inch strips to ensure they cook at the same rate as the chicken. It is important to cut all of the ingredients into similar-sized pieces so that they all finish cooking at the same time.

How to freeze chicken fajitas

Add the marinade and chicken to a quart-sized zip-top bag. Make this process easier by using this bag holder to hold the bag open. Remove as much air from the bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.

Arrange the peppers and onions on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet pan in the freezer until the peppers and onions are frozen. Transfer the peppers and onions to a quart-sized zip-top bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal.

Place the chicken-filled zip-top bag and the pepper and onion-filled zip-top bag into a gallon-sized zip-top bag. At this point, you could also add a few tortillas and a small bag of shredded cheese. Label with the contents, date, and reheating instructions.

Freeze chicken fajitas for up to three months.

How to thaw

IMPORTANT! Only thaw the chicken. If you thaw the veggies they will become a mushy mess.

• In the refrigerator: Place the chicken filled zip-top bag in a bowl or sheet pan to prevent leaks. Place the bowl or sheet pan on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator and thaw for 24 hours.
• In water: Fill a large bowl or your kitchen sink with cold water. Submerge the chicken filled zip-top bag. Change out the water every 30 minutes.

How to cook

There are a couple of ways to cook these chicken fajitas. Choose your favorite.

Skillet: This method will give you the best sear. If you have one I recommend a cast-iron skillet but a non-stick pan will work as well. Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you overcrowd the pan your chicken won’t brown properly. If necessary cook the fajitas in batches.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan.
2. Add all of the ingredients and saute until the chicken is fully cooked about 8 minutes.

Sheet Pan: Cooking chicken fajitas on a sheet pan is the best of both worlds. It is mostly hands-off while still giving some of the delicious caramelization of cooking in a skillet.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheight.
2. Lightly oil a sheet pan or coat with nonstick spray.
3. Place chicken and vegetables in a single layer onto the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss everything to evenly coat.
4. Spread into a single layer.  Roast for 18-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Broil on high for a few minutes until the peppers and onions begin to color.

Other ways to serve

Traditionally chicken fajitas are served in tortillas (if you have a sourdough starter you can make these sourdough discard tortillas) but that is not your only option.

• Tacos:  Fill hard taco shells with the fajita filling and top with your favorite toppings like cheese, chopped lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
• Lettuce Wraps: Fill pieces of lettuce with the fajita filling and top with shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes.
• Salad: Toss the fajita filling with chopped lettuce, fresh corn, black beans, shredded cheese, and tomatoes. Drizzle with your favorite dressing. I suggest mixing ranch dressing with a little salsa.
• Quesadillas: Layer the fajita filling plus cheese between two tortillas and bake at 350 degrees Farenheight for five minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
• Burritos: Wrap the fajita filling in a large tortilla along with refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole.
• Burrito Bowls: Top a bed of rice and black beans with the fajita filling. Add any additional toppings of your choice.
• Nachos:  Top tortilla chips with cheese and beans and broil until the cheese has melted. Top with the fajita filling and any additional toppings of your choice.