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Get ready to fall in love with faijtas all over again with my mouthwatering Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe! Packed with flavorful common ingredients, this easy marinade recipe takes 5 minutes to make for an unforgettable fajita experience.
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I have a tip that will change your life. I'm serious! Make a marinade, place it in a zip-lock bag, add your chicken and freeze it. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator when you're ready to cook, and you have the perfect marinated chicken made ahead - no extra prep necessary!
One of the best chicken marinades using this technique is my chicken fajita marinade recipe. After enjoying the juiciest, tastiest fajitas ever at a local hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, I asked them their secret, and they told me: it's the marinade.
This chicken fajita marinade is bright, zesty, fresh, and so flavorful. Trust me, you need to try fajitas marinated this way! Your family will ask you to make them over and over again. Mine does!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Bright, fresh flavors
- Adds flavor in as little as 30 minutes
- Easy to find ingredients
- Perfect for meal prep!
Chicken Fajita Marinade Ingredients
- Lime Juice (Substitutions available): A good fajita marinade needs fresh citrus juice! Use freshly-squeezed lime juice for the best flavor you can get. You can substitute orange juice, calamansi, or other citrus juice if you have it, but I recommend it being fresh.
- Olive Oil: I highly recommend olive oil in this recipe for its rich flavor! However, if you intend to blacken the chicken in a cast iron pan, use oil with a high smoking point like avocado or peanut oil.
- Chili Powder: You can't do fajitas without the classic flavor of chili powder. For the best favor possible, get chili powder from an international grocery store!
- Cumin: The earthy, warm flavor of cumin is a classic in Mexican cuisine for a reason. You can adjust the amount to your taste.
- Paprika: If you can find it, I highly recommend smoked paprika, which will bring out that fresh-off-the-grill flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: As always, make sure to use a quality flaky salt like Maldon sea salt flakes (my favorite), and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Cilantro: I love the bright flavor of freshly chopped cilantro in marinades! You can leave it out if you or a family member doesn't like cilantro, or use parsley instead.
- Liquid smoke (Optional): Add just a ½ teaspoon to the marinade and that chicken will come out tasting grilled, even if it cooks in a pan! You can also use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
- Garlic (Optional): Everything is better with garlic! Adding 2 cloves of freshly smashed garlic to the marinade never hurts, but don't go overboard or it can start overwhelming the rest of the flavor.
- Oregano (Optional): If you have any Mexican oregano, add it to the marinade! Mexican oregano has a unique flavor that compliments the citrus flavors more than Italian oregano might.
Any time I marinate meat, I always use these marinade bags. They make it so easy!
How to Marinate Chicken for Fajitas
Step 1: If using cilantro, rinse and chop it finely, then add all the ingredients and spices to a bowl and mix well. I didn't end up putting the cilantro in the marinade this time, as one of my loved ones has the dreaded cilantro-hating gene!
Step 2: Pour the marinade into a plastic bag, then add sliced or whole boneless skinless chicken breasts. If you're making the fajitas same-day, slice the raw chicken breast first; if you're making them tomorrow, leave them whole. Sliced chicken strips will marinate more quickly, but can get too soft if marinated more than 12 hours.
Step 3: Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Then cook, serve, and enjoy!
And of course, make sure to check out my Chicken Fajita recipe for the full how-to on my favorite way to cook chicken fajitas, featuring sauteed bell peppers and yellow onions!
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Chicken Fajita Marinade Tips
- Chop up fresh cilantro for this recipe! Don't worry about stripping the leaves off the stems; the stems have the most flavor! Note: If you're using parsley instead, remove the stems, as they're bitter.
- If you're using sliced chicken, you only need to marinate it for about 30 minutes to get decent flavor. But remember, the longer, the better!
- You can use whatever citrus juice you prefer for this recipe; if you can find sour oranges, they're incredible!
- Got spare marinade? Let it simmer in the pan after making fajitas for 5 minutes to ensure it's safe to eat, then use it to cook your peppers and onions.
Isabel's Top Tip
You don't need to use chicken breast! Boneless skinless chicken thighs also cook up deliciously and have super tender meat.
Make-Ahead Marinated Fajita Chicken
A great solution to meal prep is making marinated chicken ahead of time, and freezing it for later! That way the chicken will marinate beautifully in the bag while it's thawing. Just don't add vegetables to the bag, as they'll come out soft instead of crisp.
You can also make this marinade up to 4 days ahead and leave it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use!
Fajita Chicken Marinade FAQ
Chicken should be marinated for anything from 30 minutes to overnight, but I don't recommend shaving it for over than 48 hours, as it can start getting mushy and losing its texture.
Absolutely! The flavors of this marinade pair well with pork and beef, or even just your favorite veggies if you use it as a sauce. You can also use it for fish or shrimp fajitas, but be careful marinating fish as it can get soft very fast.
The true question is, what can't you add to chicken fajitas? Classically, fajitas are served with toasted corn tortillas, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and shredded cheese. Personally, I love serving them with a sweet salsa, refried beans, and lime wedges!
What to Serve with Chicken Fajitas
- Freshly Warmed Tortillas
- Crisp and Zesty Pickled Red Onions (the quick way!)
- Sauteed Peppers and Onions (I eat these like candy, seriously)
- Lusciously creamy Mexican Crema
- And of course, super chunky and flavorful Homemade Guacamole!
- Try my Chicken Marinade for other chicken dishes!
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Chicken Fajita Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Lime juice
- 4 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- ¼ cup Cilantro - chopped
Instructions
- Combine: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.3 Tablespoons Lime juice,4 Tablespoons Olive oil,2 teaspoons Chili powder,1 teaspoon Cumin,1 teaspoon Paprika,Salt and pepper,¼ cup Cilantro
- Marinate: Slice the chicken breast if desired, and either place it in the marinade bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, or place it in a plastic bag and pour the marinade over top.
- Rest: Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Then cook, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Chop up fresh cilantro for this recipe! Don't worry about stripping the leaves off the stems; the stems have the most flavor! Note: If you're using parsley instead, remove the stems, as they're bitter.
- If you're using sliced chicken, you only need to marinate it for about 30 minutes to get decent flavor. But remember, the longer, the better!
- You can use whatever citrus juice you prefer for this recipe; if you can find sour oranges, they're incredible!
- Got spare marinade? Let it simmer in the pan after making fajitas for 5 minutes to ensure it's safe to eat, then use it to cook your peppers and onions.
Terri L Eckles says
How much chicken for this marinade?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi there! This will marinate about 3 chicken breasts. Enjoy!