Skillet Chicken Fajita Pasta
This easy, one-pot skillet chicken fajita pasta is loaded with flavor from every day pantry ingredients and comes together fast – perfect for busy nights!
Easy, quick, one-pot meals. You just can’t beat them! And this creamy skillet chicken fajita pasta is a quick add to my favorite fast meals for busy weeknights.
Of particular note: my entire family ate it without complaining, even the resident bell pepper hater (spoiler alert: I think he gave his peppers to his sister). It helps that we are a family of fajita lovers. So combining those much-appreciated flavors into a one-pot pasta meal was bound to a be a hit.
This 30-minute pasta dinner is creamy, as cheesy as you want it to be, and packed with simple, smoky, delicious flavors.
Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix
The flavor base of the recipe is a simple, pantry-staple, homemade fajita seasoning:
- chili powder
- cumin
- garlic powder
- paprika (smoked or regular)
- dried oregano
The level of spicy heat in this seasoning almost totally depends on the type and/or brand of chili powder you use. I’m using Penzey’s chili powder and it has a mild kick to it (McCormick’s is usually pretty mild). Feel free to dial any of these ingredient amounts up or down to taste.
What kind of pot or skillet is best?
Because this recipe calls for a pound of pasta, it’s going to be a tight fit in your every day 12-inch skillet. I don’t want you to hate me when things go overflowingly awry.
I often use a deep skillet (with about 2- to 3-inch sides) for one-pot meals like this. A large saucepan or pot will work just fine, too. Cooking the chicken in a single layer is important, so if your pot or skillet has a smaller surface area on the bottom, cook the chicken in separate batches. This helps the chicken develop great golden flavor instead of steaming from being crammed in too close of quarters.
After the chicken goes off to the land of “set aside on a plate,” it’s time to cook the onions and peppers. You can use any type of bell peppers you like. And I firmly believe in my heart this recipe is adaptable to other veggies: mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, etc.
The vegetables get a healthy sprinkle of the homemade fajita seasoning (so did the chicken…and so will the pasta). And then after cooking until crisp-tender, they join their chicken compatriots on the plate to hang out for a minute.
Since this is truly a one-pot (+ one plate) wonder, the pasta gets dumped into the pan with broth, milk (trust me, I promise it won’t curdle), diced tomatoes, and the rest of the fajita seasoning. This mixture cooks at a vigorous (but not crazy high) simmer and stir occasionally to make sure the pasta isn’t sticking.
Any tube shape pasta that cooks to al dente in about 10-12 minutes will work great in this recipe. Each brand and type of pasta will vary a bit in how much liquid absorbs and exact cooking time; thank goodness this recipe isn’t really rocket science-y. There’s a lot of room for little variances like that.
There will still be some liquid in the bottom of the pot when the pasta is finished cooking. This is good. You want this. Otherwise the overall pasta dish will be dry. This remaining liquid will lend a delightful creaminess to the pasta (and the entire pasta dish will thicken a bit more as it cools down).
Once the pasta is tender, the chicken and veggies get dumped back in. It should smell absolutely amazing right about now.
The pasta is already quite creamy thanks to the milk used during cooking. But who can say no to cheese? Not me. Throw some cheese on there. Monterey Jack, preferably, since it melts amazingly well. I’ll leave the exact amount up to you. 🙂
Pepper Jack would be an exceptionally fine substitution for a little spicy kick. Yum.
And there you have it. Easy skillet chicken fajita pasta. The likes of which you could definitely go pay an arm and a leg for at a restaurant (it’s that good), but now you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost (and in your PJs if you so choose – definitely can’t put a price on that).
Serve this with a little squeeze of fresh lime juice and maybe some sliced avocado and you have a seriously killer meal.
Other Favorite One-Pot Wonders:
- One Pot Creamy Tuna and Shells
- One Pot Creamy Asparagus Bacon Pasta
- Skillet Baked Spaghetti
- One Pot Beef and Broccoli Ramen Noodles
What To Serve With This:
5-Minute Skillet Broccoli or Roasted Broccoli
Cornbread Muffins
Mexican Chopped Salad
One Year Ago: Fresh Cranberry Apple Relish
Two Years Ago: Simple Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey {Oven Bag Method}
Three Years Ago: Triple Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies
Four Years Ago: Slow Cooker Roasted Garlic Beef Sandwiches
Five Years Ago: Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake {Egg-Free, Easily Gluten Free}
Six Years Ago: Apple Crumb Pie
Seven Years Ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze
Eight Years Ago: Lasagna Soup
Skillet Chicken Fajita Pasta
Ingredients
Fajita Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
Pasta:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips or pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 2 medium bell peppers, whichever colors you prefer, cored and diced
- ½ cup chopped onion, white or yellow
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
- 2 ½ cups milk, preferably not skim
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced or petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 16 ounces tube-shaped pasta (see note)
- 1 to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Fresh limes, chopped chives, avocados, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the fajita seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
- In a pot or deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, season lightly with salt and pepper and add in a single layer to the pot. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the fajita seasoning mixture and cook, stirring often, until no longer pink in the center, 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate/dish and set aside.
- To the pot, add the peppers, onions, and 1 teaspoon of the fajita seasoning mixture. Add another teaspoon or so of oil if the pot is really dry so the veggies don’t burn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the peppers are crisp-tender. Scrape the mixture onto the plate with the chicken.
- Return the pot to the heat and add the broth, milk and diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the pasta, 1 teaspoon salt, and the remaining fajita seasoning. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn’t sticking, until the pasta is tender, 12-15 minutes (depending on the brand/type/shape of pasta). It’s ok if there is a bit of liquid remaining, it will absorb as the pasta cools and sets up a bit.
- Stir in the chicken and veggies and heat through. Add the cheese and stir until creamy and combined. Squeeze half (or two halves) of a fresh lime over the pasta and stir (optional, but so very delicious). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve with chopped fresh chives, lime wedges and sliced avocados, if desired. The pasta will thicken as it cools.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
57 Comments on “Skillet Chicken Fajita Pasta”
Another toddler approved! I used some rotisserie chicken and it all still tasted yummy. Made a ton too!! We’ve got lots of leftovers. This was very yummy, but not one of my fav meals, which is the reason for the 4 stars.
I made this tonight for dinner. I liked it, and so did everyone else, but we all agreed that it was weird. Like Mexican flavors and pasta don’t go together. It didn’t make sense to us So while the flavor is good, I don’t think we’ll make it again.
Made this tonight. Followed the recipe to a T. My teenagers loved it. A great meal for a crowd also.
Mel! Somehow I messed this one up! It looks like the milk curdled. I don’t believe the heat was too high. I did dump all the liquid in at once, so maybe I needed to add the milk slower? I’m not sure what happened, because it doesn’t look like anyone else had this issue in the comments. I put the chicken and peppers, and grated cheese in the fridge and I’m going to give it another try tomorrow night! Not giving up on this one… it has so many good reviews! Any ideas on what might have gone wrong?
Hi Jamie – what type of milk are you using (skim, 1%, etc)?
I used your Instant Pot Honey Smoky Cilantro Chicken (that’s a mouthful! It was left over from Mother’s Day Cafe Rio bowls) and stirred in a couple of cups of drained black beans (also left over from Mother’s Day). I left the veggies in the pot when I added the rest of the ingredients and it worked fine. Super easy and yummy – and the family ate it up! Thank you!
Yum-O-La! Thanks again, Mel! The fam loved it — and no complaints about “pepper germs.” I added mushrooms and tossed in fresh spinach before serving. We also added lots of fresh parm. Yum! This is so great!
This was easy and delicious! I omitted the milk (darn lactose intolerance) and it was still flavorful and delicious. I shared some with my neighbor who is sick with Covid, and she said even with her loss of taste and smell, it was still a filling and satisfying dish. Thanks for the years of wonderful recipes, Mel! You never let us down.
Thank you so much, Karen! I hope your neighbor feels well soon!
This was so good!!! My family loved it! The lime juice topper was so perfect!! This will definitely be added to our favorites list!!!
I converted this to non dairy by leaving out the milk and using more broth instead. I also reduced the pasta to 12 oz to suit our preference. I served with shredded cheese for the dairy people to stir in while still hot. It probably is less creamy but after years of dairy intolerance I thought it was still delicious.
I like the recipe, but after seeing that cooking the parts separately would take considerably longer and I would have to dirty at least one additional bowl, I decided to dirty a pot instead and cooked the pasta concurrently with the veggies. Calling it a one-pan dish is a bit of a cheat unless you pour the chicken and veggies onto your counter.
If I can set aside the cooked chicken and veggies on a dinner plate and put that in the dishwasher it totally counts as a one pot meal
Our family loves this dish! A great, easy meal that everyone will eat!
I made this tonight, and it was delicious. I used bowtie pasta and discovered my box was 14 oz instead of the required 16 oz. I kept everything the same except left out half a cup of broth and milk each to account for less pasta. It turned out perfect.
Has anyone tried converting this to an Instant Pot recipe? As I was cooking it, I realized the steps would work in an Instant Pot and make it even faster to prepare. The only thing that gives me pause would be the milk. I’m concerned it would curdle during the pressure cooking time for the pasta. Anyone tried it or have ideas how to adjust it?
This was a very delightful dish! Loved it so much, even my picky eater likes it! Thanks Mel! I made it with gluten free, brown rice noodles, I added about 1 cup of chicken broth to it and it turned out great!
We had this for dinner last night. It was yummy! My husband called it “adult mac and cheese.”
Was singing your praises while making this for dinner tonight, Mel! Your writing style and website are great for understanding your instructions. Thanks for another amazing meal that even my non-adventurous eaters went back for seconds.
I had to share a slight alteration that worked really well. Didn’t feel like pasta so I experimented with rice. 2 cups of jasmine rice, added after the peppers are removed from the pan, fry it a bit before adding the tomatoes, etc, simmering for 15 minutes.
Thank you!
Thank you so much, Susan!
Really yummy! I’m 36 weeks preggo with my third baby in 2.5 years and cooking dinner needs to be easy and quick or I lose steam. Tried this tonite as I had the ingredients and it did not disappoint. Even the 2 year old and 1 year old were eating it! Thanks for your recipe site. It’s like a ministry to me haha.
Another great weeknight meal. Your pasta dishes are always my go-to recipes when im short on time. Thanks!
This was excellent and left me with lots of leftovers for some delicious at-work lunches. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Thanks, Jason!
I was nervous to put peppers into a pasta, but a one skillet meal was too promising to pass up. This turned out wonderfully! We loved it!
My kids loved this! I used rotini because that’s what I had on hand. Thanks so much.
Thanks, Jocelyn!
I made this for dinner last night amid some unspoken skepticism when it was announced that this was the plan. But the meager first portions were replaced by larger second helpings and I was thanked for making a “really good” dinner. Thank you for yet another great recipe, Mel!
I’m glad to hear that, Becky!
This looks SO yummy! I don’t eat peppers at all…would you recommend just leaving them out or swapping for another veggie? Was thinking zucchini…but not sure if the flavors would be off…THANKS!
Zucchini would work great!
Made this gluten free tonight using Jovial Gluten Free Fusilli. It was to die for! Thanks for sharing 🙂
So happy this worked using gluten-free pasta!
Simple and delicious!
Thank you!
We made this yesterday and it was tasty! I made a few shortcuts (rotisserie chicken tossed in after the pasta was cooked, and frozen bell peppers). My family loved the flavors and seconds were had. Thanks for the wonderful recipe – feeding my family a great meal on a weeknight is a blessing.
Love the shortcuts! 🙂
I’m the carb-lover in my marriage, and I love to try new casserole-ish pasta dishes, so I was excited to make this. My husband liked it, but said he’d rather just eat the sheet pan chicken fajitas (which we also love) if we are having something fajita-y. My kids picked around the peppers and onions, only eating the pasta and chicken. I definitely feel like it’s not too spicy, my kids complain when something is even a little spicy and they ate this right up. I topped mine with some diced avocado and crushed red peppers and it was delish! I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks for the new recipe, I’m pretty sure 3/4 of my regular dinner rotation is “Mel” now!
Thank you so much, Sheena! Love the detailed review!
I am making this as I type waiting for noodles to be done. Smells delicious!! You are seriously my go to blog for all things food. I am never disappointed. Me and my family appreciate all the hard work that goes into this blog! I’ve been making your recipes for years! Keep doing what you’re doing!
You are the sweetest. Thanks so much, Tana! (I hope you loved this!)
A winner at our house! My oldest gave it ten thumbs up and he’s kind of picky. We love your sheet pan fajitas too, btw! I only did half the chili powder because whatever brand I picked up is crazy strong (or we’ve become wimps since leaving the West!), but everything else was the same. We’ll be having this again, and soon!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know!
Made this tonight and it was yummy. The only change I made was I doubled the seasoning mixture. I definitely think the fresh squeezed lime mixed in at the end is a must. This reminds me of a hamburger helper type meal of yesteryear!!! Not sure how I make that comparison since my mom never made that, but it is a pot of winter comfort food for sure!
I totally know what you mean, Tracey! I grew up on hamburger helper and it does have a vibe like that. 🙂
Just made this for dinner tonight. Didn’t have oregano so I used bay leaves and basil. Oh my word! This is good! My picky eater tried to not want it until I told her I used the crunchy peppers she likes to snack on. Hubby says, “ put this in the rotation.” Thank you for this recipe!
That’s great feedback from the family, Maggie! Thanks for letting me know!
Have you tried crushed tomatoes with this? My boys aren’t huge fans of the diced tomatoes in dishes. I usually just have them eat around them but sometimes I like to indulge their weirdness…lol.
I haven’t tried crushed tomatoes, but I think they’d work pretty well (the pasta may be a little more soupier at the end since there is more liquid in crushed tomatoes).
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! This dish was great. My husband doesn’t like anything spicy, and he hates peppers, so I cut the peppers big so he could pick them out. He ate two servings. A nice change from plain chicken. Since there are only two of us, I made half a recipe, and we have leftovers.
Thank you for the review, Ruth!
We love your Sheetpan Chicken Fajita recipe and my kids would choose pasta over any other meal at anytime, so this was a no brainer. I made this last night and it was very easy as I had all of the ingredients on hand, and the steps were really simple to follow.
My very hungry 12 year old kept hovering over my shoulder watching the pasta cook (Is it ready? How much longer? Is it done now?), so when I added the chicken and veg back into the pot he couldn’t wait long enough for them to warm back up. I added about a cup of cheese at first, but added more when we went back for seconds, I agree that Pepper Jack would be great, as I thought the recipe needed a bit of a kick, although that can be adjusted with the seasonings as you suggested. We like spicy in my house.
All in all, this was delicious but the kids said they “prefer the other fajitas”. I think this would be a great dish for a potluck, teacher appreciation, or even a big game day dinner buffet.
Thanks for making it so fast and letting me know what you guys thought, Rebecca!
Forgot to add that I couldn’t find chives, so I used scallions and it worked well.
I made this recipe tonight. Outstanding! We’ll certainly have it again. It’s a10
Thanks so much, Carol!
Do you have nutritional value for this recipe. I need to watch my A1C. Thanks. Can you email this info at jboucher1@hotmail.com
I don’t have that info – sorry, Joyce! There are a lot of online nutritional calculators that can calculate that info for you if you plug in the recipe.