Chicken Fajita Casserole

Chicken Fajita Casserole is so incredible to look at and even better to eat! Quite possibly the easiest and most delicious fajitas you will ever make! This is a fabulous, colorful, and festive dish that can be served with or without tortillas.

Each bite … full of juicy chicken baked in a slightly spicy seasoning and a touch of black refried beans. The peppers have the perfect texture of soft yet crunchy, loaded with flavor from the fajita spice mix, and covered in melted cheesy goodness … all wrapped in a hot flour tortilla. Yum.

Pre-pandemic… every time we would venture out to eat Mexican food, Corey and Tyler would ALWAYS order fajitas. Every… single … time.

Creative parenting …

It wasn’t always this way, however. When the kids were younger, Tyler would ONLY order flour tortillas and queso. That’s it. His reason was that there was nothing about Mexican food that he liked. Nia, Corey, and I were worried that Tyler’s reluctance to try new things would put a serious damper on our delicious outings to our favorite Mexican restaurant. So Nia and I decided Corey would be the best one to convince Tyler of the error of his ways.

Corey grilled him some fajita steak, threw a handful of peppers and onions in a skillet with butter and seasoning, and had a bowl of shredded cheddar alongside his favorite flour tortillas. When the little guy realized he loved all of these things individually he begrudgingly agreed to try it all wrapped up together. He took a tiny bite, followed by a bigger bite and you could just see the happiness fill his big brown eyes.

Corey saved the day and that, my friends, is how Tyler’s love of fajitas began.

Quarantine 15?

Now, however, during quarantine and the pounds that followed as we stayed at home, we looked for ways to enjoy our favorites while trying our best to follow a Keto diet. Keto never lasts long for us (we try our best) but it did pave the way for this creative, colorful, and deceptively simple yet irresistible recipe that creates a beautiful spin on traditional fajitas. I love easy recipes and this is the perfect keto chicken fajita casserole to meal prep for those super busy nights or a quick and tasty lunch.

And my whole family, LOVES THIS DELICIOUS DISH!

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What do you need to make this easy Chicken Fajita Casserole?

This is a super easy dish! You can make it even easier by buying pre-cut veggies (not always budget-friendly though) from the supermarket and making extra of the fajita seasoning to save for the next time you cook this for dinner. However, I kind of enjoy cutting vegetables … for some reason I find it to be a relaxing cathartic stress-reliever. And I always cut extra to save for breakfast or to add to another dinner recipe. Totally up to you!

Here’s what you need for your grocery list:

Homemade Fajita Seasoning mix:

• Smoked paprika
• Ground cumin
• Dried oregano
• Fajita seasoning (I know it seems redundant but store-bought fajita seasoning on it’s own is just blah)
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt + black pepper
• Onion powder

Casserole Ingredients:

• Chicken breast, 1 1/2 pounds * or use half skirt steak cut in strips and half chicken – rotisserie chicken would work too
• Kosher salt + black pepper
• Lime juice
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Black refried beans (optional)
• Onion, large
• Red bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Orange bell pepper
• Jalapeno pepper (optional – we like a little kick in our spice!)
• Sour cream
• Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Optional sides:

• Tortillas, 1 package of flour or corn (or both!)
• Cooked rice
• Tomatoes
• Chopped green onion

How do you make Chicken Fajita Casserole?

First step – Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces or into thin strips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss around to season each piece. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of this tasty dish.

Second step – Combine all of the fajita seasoning ingredients into a small bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk. Set to the side while preparing the fajita veggies.

Third step – Preheat the oven to 375° F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Forth step – Layer the chicken breast meat on the bottom of the baking dish. Drizzle the lime juice and olive oil over the chicken and then sprinkle with half of the fajita spices and seasonings. Chop 2 tablespoons of butter into smaller pieces and spread evenly on top of the chicken. Toss the chicken around to coat each piece.

* Optional – Add a few spoonfuls of black refried beans evenly dropped on top of the chicken.

Fifth step – Add the yellow, red, orange, and green peppers and the onions to the top of the chicken followed by the remaining fajita seasoning (you can use taco seasoning too) and the last two tablespoons of butter (chopped into pieces).

If you enjoy a spicy kick to your meals then you best add the fresh jalapenos. I’m not the biggest fan of this particular pepper but I really love it in this easy chicken fajita casserole dish. Corey loves the added spice to each bite and says you should absolutely use it in this recipe!

Sixth step – Add a dollop of sour cream (optional but I say it’s a must) and then sprinkle the top of this delicious dinner with shredded cheddar cheese (or a Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese) as the final layer.

Seventh step – Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake this delicious casserole for an additional 10 to 15 minutes to release a lot of the moisture from the fajita vegetables (peppers are naturally full of water).

What can I serve at the dinner table with Chicken Fajita Casserole recipe?

• Corn totillas and flour tortillas
• White rice, brown rice, Spanish rice, or cauliflower rice
• Black beans or refried beans with cheddar cheese
• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Tortilla chips with salsa
• Garden green salad

How should I store Fajita Chicken Casserole leftovers?

Refrigerate chicken fajita casserole leftovers promptly in an airtight container and be sure to eat within 3 days. It reheats nicely either in the microwave for just a few minutes or toss a few servings in a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil and cook over medium heat until it’s ready to serve.

Looking for more tasty recipes? Try one of these …

• Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
• Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
• Creamy Beef and Potatoes
• Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
• Meat and Potato Timballo Pie

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