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My new go-to weeknight dinner – Chicken Fajita Tortilla Bowls. Seasoned chicken pan-seared with bell peppers and onions, and served up bowl style with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette. All put together with rice, lettuce, corn, salty cheese, and warm tortillas. Plus creamy whipped avocado on the side. These colorful and fresh chicken fajita bowls are simple to make and full of wonderful Mexican flavors. A fun any-night-of-the-week dinner!
Another week, another dinner bowl. Apparently, 2022 is all about a damn good dinner bowl for me. I’m loving creating “bowl style” recipes more than anything right now. Something about a mishmash of food and flavors piled high into a bowl and eaten together really excites me.
I think it’s all the layers of flavor and all the color. I get to have so much fun when I create this style recipe. So even though I’ve shared a number of “bowl” recipes over the last few months. I’ve decided to continue to run with my ideas and not hold back.
Enter this chicken fajita bowl. One of my favorite “bowl style” dinners yet, and so perfect for summertime.
This recipe was inspired by my skillet chicken fajitas. I’ve been making those on repeat and just love the flavors so much. I wanted to see if I could turn the fajitas into a new recipe with summer corn and a quick vinaigrette.
Naturally, I thought to put everything over rice, and well, this recipe was created.
Here are the details
Start with the chicken. I love to use Tajin seasoning as the spice mix in place of chili powder. It keeps the flavor delicious and the spice level just right. I’ve been using Tajin so much lately. Most recently to rim the glasses in Saturday’s frozen peach margarita.
I like to season the chicken directly in the skillet with olive oil, then start cooking. You want to use a pretty high heat to cook the chicken. Then you’ll get that nice light char around the edges of the meat that feels so classic for fajitas. If you have one, a cast-iron skillet is best.
When the chicken is cooked, I like to pull it out of the skillet and then add the onions to the same skillet. Give the onions a cook quick, then add in all of the peppers.
The peppers and onions are KEY here. Just like with a traditional fajita, the peppers and onions make these bowls. I use a mix of sweet onions, bell peppers, and smoky poblano peppers so that there’s plenty of flavor.
Then add the chicken back to the peppers to re-warm. Could not be simpler.
While the chicken is cooking, I mix the vinaigrette. We’re taking a shortcut and using store-bought salsa verde mixed with olive oil and lime. The salsa verde makes for a delicious vinaigrette that feels a little more special.
At this point, all you have to do is assemble. You’ll need cooked rice, tortillas, grilled corn, avocado, and lots of crumbled cheese, I love to use cotija cheese, but feta or shredded cheddar cheese are great subs.
The chicken should be served over bowls of rice. Then add the corn and sprinkle with some additional Tajin. Trust me, it’s delicious and reminds me of the popular Mexican street corn. And while I didn’t add this, a dollop of mayo or Greek yogurt over each bowl would be especially delicious.
And finally, tortillas. We’re obsessed with my homemade flour tortillas this summer. I’ve been making them nonstop!
Top each bowl with the vinaigrette and plenty of fresh cilantro + avocado.
So much happening, but really it comes together simply and in less than an hour. A fun, family dinner for sure!
Looking for other Mexican recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Jalapeño Verde Sauce
Crispy BBQ Salmon Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa and Jalapeño Cream
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Lastly, if you make these Chicken Fajita Tortilla Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chicken Fajita Tortilla Bowls
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 575 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder or Tajin
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 bell peppers, sliced
- 3-4 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups grilled corn kernels
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- shredded lettuce, mashed/whipped avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro, for serving
- tortillas, for serving
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup salsa verde
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons spicy honey
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, paprika, chili powder (or Tajin), cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Set the skillet over high heat. Cook until seared all over and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the garlic. Cook 1 minute, then remove everything from the skillet.2. In the same skillet, add the onions and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Toss in the bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers are tender, another 5 minutes.3. Add the chicken to the peppers and toss to combine.4. To make the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Season with salt. 5. Spoon the chicken and peppers over the bowls of rice. Top with lettuce and grilled corn. Sprinkle the corn with chili powder or Tajin, then pour over the vinaigrette. Crumble the cheese over each bowl. Top with avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with tortillas. Enjoy!
looking forward to making this! How did you make the whipped avacado??
just saw below how to on the whipped avocado!!
Hey Erin,
I just whip avocados, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime juice in the food processor. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Definitely a keeper.. Delicious combination of flavors and easy to make cheats with if necessary for time. We didn’t exactly make bowls, we just ate and wrapped in tortillas as needed. The salsa vinaigrette was delicious, I did add extra Salsa Verde and next time might not put as much Honey. I didn’t have hot honey but added about and 1/8 t. of cayenne and that could be adjusted to taste. A great meal and would be great for a crowd.
Hey Mary,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe:) I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Easy, tasty but not a quick prep! I’d prep earlier in the day to get it on the table quickly if needed! Other wise, the whole meal preparation adds to the expected enjoyment! I have left overs for lunch! ?
Hi Rita,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry the prep was longer than expected:) xTieghan
Another amazing recipe!! The ingredients and the flavors were outstanding.
Hey Julie,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Oh.My.Gosh. THIS WAS DELICIOUS. The homemade tortillas were AWESOME and the salsa Verde sauce made the dish!
Hi Linda,
Wow!! Thank you so very much!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
All of your recipes are amazing and easy to do. I am making the tortillas. They are ready to cook but I’m not ready to eat. Can I let them sit before I cook or should I cook and rewarm. Thanks.
Hi Joyce,
You can let them sit, I would just cover with a dish towel:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I let them sit under a damp towel and then cooked. They were perfect. My husband was still talking about how good dinner was at midnight!!
Awesome!! Love to hear this:)
We absolutely loved this recipe!! I prepped the meat, veggies and vinaigrette ahead of time and we cooked it together when my husband came home. So delicious!! We left out the tortillas and ate it as a salad!! Thanks Tieghan!!
Hey Jan,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great Thursday! xx
This has to be one of my top five favorite recipes of yours, Tieghan! Made it last night for the first time because it appeared in my inbox that morning and I had most of the ingredients, including ripe avocados….and my daughter (your age) here to help prep. What intrigued me the most was learning about tajin – I had never heard of it, but sent my son to the grocery store & he secured the last one! Because of the high salt content of the tajin (the hubs and I are watching our salt) I only used half tajin and half chili powder. We could still taste the amazing new flavors brought out by that tiny teaspoon full! I also LOVED the cilantro lime vinaigrette – it added amazing depth to an already fantastic recipe. Smoked paprika is my favorite spice to cook with, so I knew I’d love the chicken. I did not do the corn because corn on the cob isn’t fresh here until August – and DID use poblano peppers in addition to the red & yellow peppers just because there was so much discussion in the comments about them. Bottom line is that this recipe is better than any top-notch Mexican restaurant and I am looking forward to my leftovers for lunch today – and since I had no time to try making your homemade tortillas last night, I’m making them this morning to use with lunch! If I could give 10 stars here I would!
Hey Shelley,
Awe, thanks so much for your kind message! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe and your daughter was able to help you as well:) Seriously, your message made my morning, thanks for being so positive!! Have the best day! xTieghan
I made this last night and WOW. So good. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hey Kate,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
How did you make the avacado cream and jalapeño honey. Looks amazing and can’t wait to try. Thank you!
How do you make avacado cream and jalapeño honey
Hi Charlotte,
I just whip some avocados with lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt in the food processor for the avocado cream. For the jalapeño honey, just slice some jalapeños and let them marinate in honey. I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Hi Carolyn,
I just whip some avocados with lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt in the food processor for the avocado cream. For the jalapeño honey, just slice some jalapeños and let them marinate in honey. I hope you love the recipe!! xx
This was excellent! Super fresh flavors and easy to make. My kids got right into helping with the prep as they love a good rice bowl!!
Hey Cheyenne,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and that your kids were able to help out in the kitchen. Thanks for making it! xx
Love this recipe (as usual with everything you make)! It was so easy and delicious!
Hey Maura,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ?Tieghan
I checked the skillet chicken fajitas recipe and it says 1 poblano chili, sliced. I’m assuming it’s the same for this… Looks great!
Thanks so much Jan!! It was actually a typo for this recipe, I didn’t use any poblanos, but you totally could if you wanted!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try:) xTieghan
How many poblano peppers?
Hi Connie,
No poblano peppers in this recipe, just the bell peppers, sorry for the confusion:) Have the best Monday!! xTieghan
In the blog post you literally said you used onion, bell peppers and poblano peppers. Maybe start proofreading if you copy paste from other recipes? This is a very recurrent issue that really lower the quality of your recipes. Cheers!
Wow,
She literally said “I use a mixture of…”
“Use”, meaning that’s typically how she prepares a recipe like this. Not “used” as in what she did specifically in this case.
Maybe start proofreading if you are going to be a trolling twat, or perhaps start with a remedial grammar course.
The only thing lowering the quality of this blog is all the jealous whining douches that slither around here looking for something to whimper about. Get a life.
?
Maybe get a life and stop criticizing people who are making your life easier.
Whoops! My bad, I will have to go back and edit that, thanks for pointing it out! Hope you’re enjoying the free recipes:) Have the best week! xTieghan
Is there fresh cilantro in the vinaigrette, or just as an ingredient in the salsa verde?
I don’t see poblanos listed in the recipe but it says to add them to the pan.
Hi Ginna,
So sorry for any confusion, there are no poblanos in this recipe, I fixed the directions:) I hope you love the dish! xTieghan
Hey Anne,
Yes, you will want to use 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xxT
So as not to have to go to the grill, could I just add fresh raw corn? I love the sweetness and don’t think it would be a negative. It’s just one less step.
Thanks
Ann
PS try my pavlova recipe soon. I want to know that it works for you xxxx (As if you are not busy enough haha
Hey Ann,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan