Amazing Chicken Fajita Pasta

Get ready for one of the best chicken pasta recipes out there, Chicken Fajita Pasta – an easy weeknight dinner idea totally packed with flavor. This is one of those easy dinner recipes perfect for spicing up your meal routine! Juicy marinated chicken, colorful peppers, and pasta blend in a cheesy sauce. Try it tonight and bring these bold, Mexican-inspired flavors right to your table!

Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below!

Want to give your usual pasta nights an upgrade that’ll impress everyone at the table?

Check out this Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe! It perfectly combines creamy pasta with the amazing spices of fajitas. It’s really easy to make and is bursting with delicious flavors, including a awesome marinade and a decadently cheesy sauce.

Perfect, for nights when you’re craving comfort food yet with a burst. This meal is sure to be a favorite, in your household!

With succulent chicken colorful bell peppers and a sauce that wonderfuly balances richness this dish offers a burst of flavors while totally easy to make! So gather your ingredients. Lets get cooking!

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How to make Chicken Fajita Pasta

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken and Prepare the Vegetables

1. Marinate the Chicken: Combine the chicken pieces with lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey or agave syrup, soy sauce, orange juice, and fajita seasoning. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to soak up all the flavors.
2. Prepare the Vegetables: Slice the bell peppers and onion. Set them aside for sautéing later.

Step 2: Cook the Chicken and Vegetables

1. Cook the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the marinated chicken until it’s nicely browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: In the same skillet, add more olive oil if needed, then sauté the bell peppers, onions, and minced garlic until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized. Add fajita seasoning for extra flavor.

Step 3: Make the Sauce and Combine

1. Make the Sauce: In the same skillet, pour in the heavy cream, softened cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
2. Combine: Add the cooked chicken and cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and vegetables. Stir to coat everything evenly. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and garnish with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

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Take It to the Next Level

• Homemade Pasta: If you’re feeling ambitious, try making homemade pasta to make this one-pot chicken pasta even more special. It’s so worth it!
• Artisan Cheeses: Mix in smoked gouda and sharp aged cheddar instead of regular cheddar to add depth and a smoky hint to this Mexican-inspired pasta
• Shrimp Addition: Adding sautéed shrimp brings a awesome twist. It creates a surf-and-turf experience.
• Charred Corn: Charred corn brings a sweet, smoky contrast that enhances the Mexican-inspired flavors of the dish. Here is an awesome article on how to char corn
• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: These add bursts of sweetness and acidity. They cut through the sauce’s richness, adding some freshness.
• Roasted Garlic in Sauce: Use roasted instead of raw garlic. This adds a aromatic depth to the sauce.
• Chipotle in Adobo: For a spicy kick in this one-pot chicken pasta, add minced chipotle peppers to warm up the sauce for heat lovers.
• Crispy Tortilla Strips: Who does not like a nice crunch?  Topping with crispy tortilla strips adds a nice crunch. It contrasts the creamy pasta, nodding to fajita origins.
• Avocado Lime Crema: Drizzle this over the top for a creamy, tangy finish. It works with the rich flavors beautifully. Here is a fantastic homemade version

Chefs tips

• Reserve Pasta Water: Before you drain your pasta remember to set aside a cup of the pasta water. This starchy water can be used to thin out the sauce if needed. The starch is going to help smooth out the sauce as well – a double whammy!
• Room Temperature Cream Cheese: For perfect sauce consistency take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator in advance to bring it to room temperature. Room temperature cream cheese blends so much better, and without forming those awful lumps.
• Char Your Veggies: Don’t hesitate to let your bell peppers and onions develop a char in the skillet. This adds a flavor reminiscent of traditional fajitas cooked on an outdoor grill. Why to char your veggies
• Fresh is Best: Opt for fresh lime juice and cilantro when you can. Their flavors are so much better. Their bottled and dried counterparts just cannot match.
• Adjust Heat with Seeds: When using jalapeños for added heat keep in mind that most of the spice lies within the seeds. If you prefer heat leave the seeds intact; otherwise remove them for a milder taste.

Finish with Fresh: Before serving, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to enhance the flavors. The acidity and saltiness will bring out the best in our Chicken Fajita Pasta!

• Give it time: Once all the ingredients are mixed, let the pasta rest off the heat before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken slightly. It also give the the flavors a chance to work out their differences and get together!
• Make it your own: Encourage (tell?) your guests (screaming kids?) to personalize their meal by adding toppings, like avocado, sour cream or extra shredded cheese to make it even more delicious. That’s possible? Yes, yes it is!!

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Key Ingredients

Chicken: Marinaded Chicken what is not to love? It soaks up all those yummy marinade flavors and adds a nice, hearty bite to the pasta.

Bell Peppers: These colorful bell peppers don’t just look prettyᅳthey bring a sweet, slightly smoky flavor that’s a must for that fajita flavor. Plus, they add a nice crunch!

Creamy Goodness: The heavy cream adds a velvety texture to the sauce – and who does not love a cream based sauce?

Fajita Seasoning: This is where the Fajita for our Fajita Chicken Pasta comes in! It turns our pasta into delicious fajitas.

Cream Cheese: Adds a creamy, tanging richness to the sauce.

Lime Juice: Lime juice provides a bright, citrusy acidity that cuts through the richness of the sauce and balances the overall flavors.

Wine Pairings

• Chardonnay: When it comes to wine pairing consider a medium Chardonnay with a hint of oak for the creamy pasta. Its buttery notes and smooth texture complement the dish’s richness while its acidity adds a balance.
• Sauvignon Blanc: If you prefer a crisper option go for a Sauvignon Blanc with acidity and herbal undertones. It will offer a contrast to the pasta flavors, especially the zesty lime and cilantro elements.
• Grenache or Garnacha: If you love a red wine, you might like a Grenache (known as Garnacha in Spanish) with its fruit forward profile and soft tannins that pair well with chicken. The hints of spice in this wine can also complement the fajita seasoning.
• Tempranillo: For a interesting red choice try a Tempranillo that blends fruitiness and spice perfectly. It can handle the dishes spices without overshadowing them thanks to its body and smooth tannins. Excellent article on this: What is Tempranillo?
• Rosé: Opting for a Rosé, whether from Spain or another region can be a great choice. Rosé combines freshness a white and with the fruity notes of a red. The freshness and fruity notes of the wine can balance out the texture of the sauce. It also pairs well with the flavors of lime and cilantro.

Faq’s

Equipment Needed

• A big frying pan: Perfect for cooking the chicken, vegetables and mixing everything with the sauce. A humungous skillet works well to hold all the ingredients together! Just kidding it does not have to be humungous, just gigantic
• Mixing bowl: Use it for marinating the chicken. Pick a one that will (obviously) fit all the chicken and marinate comfortably.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Yes, you guessed it! What else are you going to use to measuring out your ingredients like olive oil, lime juice, heavy cream and spices? 🙂
• A cutting board and knife for chopping up the chicken, bell peppers, onion, and garlic is really important. These are must-haves for your prep work.
• Pot for boiling pasta: You’ll need a medium to pot to cook pasta until its al dente. Ensure it’s roomy enough for cooking.
• Wooden Spatula: Useful when stirring ingredients in the skillet especially when making creamy sauce or mixing it with pasta.
• Colander: For straining pasta. Opt for a colander, with holes to prevent small pasta shapes from slipping through.
• Citrus Juicer (optional): You may want to have a juicer, on hand if you plan to use limes, for the marinade and final squeeze as it can help extract all the juice without any pesky seeds.
• Cheese Grater (optional): Consider using a cheese grater if you have a block of cheddar cheese that needs shredding for the sauce.