Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Charred Peppers

Name: Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Charred Peppers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into strips; 3 tbsp lime juice; 3 tbsp olive oil, divided; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; To taste salt; 2 bell peppers, sliced; 1 onion, sliced; 8 small flour tortillas, warmed; To finish lime wedges and cilantro

Lime-and-chili marinated chicken thighs seared hard in a cast-iron skillet with peppers and onions until they hit an audible sizzle.

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Written: August 4, 2026

Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Charred Peppers

Method

Toss the chicken with the lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke.
Lay the chicken in a single layer and sear undisturbed until deeply browned on one side, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes more; transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil, peppers, and onion to the same skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until charred at the edges and just tender, about 6 minutes.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and toss until sizzling, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately in the warm tortillas with lime wedges and cilantro.

Notes

Let the chicken sit untouched for that first three minutes — a crowded pan that gets stirred early steams instead of charring, and the char is the whole point of cooking this in a skillet instead of the oven. The fond it leaves behind is what seasons the peppers.

Swap in sliced flank steak for the chicken if that’s what’s on hand; sear it the same way, just pull it a shade earlier since it’s better rare than well-done.

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