These make ahead fajitas are delicious, so easy to make, and taste better than any restaurant meal for a fraction of the cost. 

These fajitas are filled with tender juicy spicy but not too spicy chicken, charred bell peppers and onions, wrapped in a warm tortilla and topped with your favorite toppings.

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Freezer meals are a total lifesaver for this busy family and this chicken fajita freezer meal is one of our favorites! With just a couple of ingredients, a short prep time, and several cooking options I am sure it will be one of your favorites too.

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.

How do you make chicken fajitas from scratch?

You don’t have to freeze these chicken fajitas! If you want to mix them up and cook them right away, go right ahead. BUT! This recipe is so delicious and makes such a great freezer meal I suggest making a double or triple batch. Eat one batch today and freeze the rest.

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 the chicken for fajitas?

Slice the chicken breast into strips across the meat’s grain to create more tender pieces of chicken. To make the chicken breast easier to slice freeze the chicken breast slightly and make sure your knife is really sharp.

How do you cut onions and peppers for fajitas?

Use whatever combination of bell peppers you like (red, green, orange, yellow, or even purple). You can even add extra peppers. To avoid drying out the chicken slice the onions and peppers into 1/4-inch strips. It is important to cut all of the ingredients into similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.

How to freeze

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Freeze 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 fajitas. Choose your favorite.

• Slow Cooker: This is the most hands-off method for cooking the chicken fajitas. The night before cooking, move the frozen bag of chicken to your refrigerator to thaw. In the morning, pour the contents of the chicken and veggie-filled zip-top bags into your slow cooker and cook on low for six hours or until chicken is tender.
• 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.
• 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.

What kind of toppings do you put on fajitas?

Some of my favorite toppings include:

• salsa
• salsa verde
• pico de gallo
• diced tomatoes
• shredded lettuce
• guacamole or diced avocados
• thinly sliced radishes
• jalapenos
• sour cream or greek yogurt
• cilantro
• black beans
• refried beans
• cheese
• lime juice
• hot sauce

What sides to serve with chicken fajitas?

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• Mexican Chopped Salad with Avacado Dressing – Happy Kitchen Easy and delicious gluten-free recipe of a vegan Mexican chopped salad with avocado dressing. Perfect lunch salad, packed with dietary fiber and protein.
• Mini Mexican Street Corn (Elote) – Veggie Desserts A mini version of Mexican Street Corn! This elote corn recipe is made with baby corn so it’s a great appetizer or vegetarian party food. They’re super easy and you can make them on the grill or stove. 10 mins prep time and 10 mins cooking.
• Cilantro Lime Brown Rice – Piping Pot Curry This Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Brown Rice is easy, healthy and tasty! This Cilantro Lime Rice tastes just like Chipotle’s. The fresh cilantro and lime flavors make it a wonderful side dish or ingredient for burritos or bowls!
• Restaurant Style Mexican Cheese Dip – Jen Around the World This delicious cheese dip recipe is a copycat version of the cheese dip you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
• Mexican Street Corn Salad – Served From Scratch This Mexican Street Corn Salad turns the classic Mexican street food into a delicious and easy to make side dish!
• Guacamole – Healthy Kitchen 101 Guacamole is so popular for its soft but not too creamy mouthfeel as that of some pureed bean spreads. Assembling both the tangy aroma of garlic and lime, Guacamole’s taste is even more swirling thanks to the crunchy diced onions and tomatoes.
• Fresh Mango Salsa – Eating Richly This fresh mango salsa is the perfect mix of fruits and vegetables in a spicy fresh salsa. No cooking needed to make a colorful side dish you can eat on its own, or with tortilla chips.
• Instant Pot Charro Beans – BREA Getting Fit These Instant Pot Charro Beans are so crazy good, you’ll be making them all throughout the summer months! The good news? They can be a side dish or stand as their own!
• Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice – Skinny Comfort This is the EASIEST Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe! Unlike many rice recipes that require chopping up a bunch of veggies and sauteing, this is a quick dump and start recipe!

What drinks go with fajitas?

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• Horchata – House of Nash Eats This Horchata Mexican drink recipe is a slightly creamy, non-alcoholic agua fresca flavor made with cinnamon and rice and is perfectly refreshing.
• Frozen Watermelon Margarita – Plating Pixels Frozen Watermelon Margarita is a simple summer cocktail with frozen watermelon, tequila, Triple Sec, and lime juice. It’s refreshing and loaded with watermelon flavor.
• Sweet and Spicy Palomas – Slumber and Scones Add a little kick with these sweet and spicy Palomas, featuring tequila, grapefruit, and lime with a zesty salt rim. Pair perfectly with any Mexican dish!
• Easy Blackberry Margarita – Ann’s Entitled Life This marvelous and easy to make blackberry margarita recipe is perfect for parties and get-togethers! Made with fresh blackberries, this frozen margarita recipe is one delicious adult beverage.
• Skinny Margaritas with Agave and Fresh Orange Juice – Nourish and Fete Lighten up a classic with this recipe for skinny margaritas – an easy, at-home cocktail with fresh orange and lime juice, a little agave syrup, and no liquor other than the tequila.

Other ways to serve

Traditionally chicken fajitas are served in 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.

Here are some more great freezer meals

• Four Cheese Stuffed Shells
• Easy Crock Pot Chili
• Best Family-Friendly Freezer Meals

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make ahead chicken fajitas