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This chicken fajita pasta is a great 30 minute weeknight dinner that is so easy to make. This Mexican inspired pasta recipe is loaded with flavor and is high in protein. Made with simple ingredients, it’s a great recipe to add into your weekly meal rotation.
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Ingredients to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Popular Substitutions and Additions
- How to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Tips for Making the Best Chicken Fajita Pasta
- What to Serve with Your Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
- How to Store and Reheat Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Frequently asked questions
- More pasta recipes
- More Tex Mex recipes
- Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
This chicken fajita pasta is so good! I love fajitas; I mean, who doesn’t? I, of course, jumped on the sheet pan steak and chicken fajita trend and couldn’t help but think it would be amazing as a pasta recipe. So I combined them to make this super easy chicken fajita pasta recipe to create a tasty twist on the classic Mexican favorite you can eat with a fork. It’s a dish that even kids seem to love, and it’s a great way to sneak in some extra veggies, too!
This was great! I used whole wheat pasta and it was still delicious! Thank you! – Cherish
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Tex-Mex
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: High-protein
Key Flavor: Savory, Zesty, Warm
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Easy Ingredients: Everything you need to make this chicken fajita pasta recipe is readily available at your local grocery store. It also works well for using up extra veggies in your fridge!
- Fast, One Pan Dinner: This recipe only takes 30 minutes from start to finish, making it the perfect family meal for busy weeknights. Plus, clean-up is minimal!
- Great for Parties: This dish is easy to make and easily multiplied, making it a great recipe for parties and potlucks.
Ingredients to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Chicken Breast: Chicken breasts make the meaty base for these fajitas. They’re affordable, and their mild flavor melds perfectly with the other ingredients in the recipe.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil keeps the chicken from sticking to your skillet as you cook it.
- Taco Seasoning: This adds classic Mexican flavor to your fajita pasta.
- Onions and Bell Peppers: This is the classic vegetable combination in fajita recipes and adds mild, sweet flavor along with a slight touch of bitterness.
- Canned Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Marinara Sauce, and Milk: This combination of ingredients creates a rich, slightly creamy tomato sauce with a bold, zesty flavor that remains kid-friendly.
- Penne Pasta: Penne pasta’s textured shape makes it perfect for holding on to the sauce in this recipe.
Popular Substitutions and Additions
- Shredded rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred the breasts.
- Use your favorite textured pasta. Any short pasta with a textured surface the sauce can adhere to will work well in this recipe.
- Make it spicy. Try adding diced jalapenos to the sauce for a spicy kick.
- Make your own marinara sauce. Jarred sauce works fine, but you get much more flavor when using homemade marinara sauce.
- Change up the meat. The flavors in this sauce work with beef or seafood, such as shrimp, for a totally different fajita pasta experience.
- Try adding more vegetables. Mushrooms and tomatoes are both classic additions you can try.
- Make it dairy-free. Reserve some of the pasta water and use it instead of the milk to make a dairy-free recipe.
How to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Season the chicken strips with taco seasoning, and brown them in a skillet.
- Set the chicken aside, add the veggies to the same skillet, and season. Cook them until they are softened and lightly charred.
- Add in the tomatoes, chiles, sauce, and milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and return the chicken to the skillet, heat through and serve.
Made this chicken Fajita pasta for dinner yesterday. It was a hit. Everybody loved it. Thanks for all your recipes. – Amy
Tips for Making the Best Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Make sure to cook the pasta al dente. After cooking the pasta, you’ll transfer it to the skillet with the vegetables, sauce and chicken and toss to combine. You want to make sure the pasta doesn’t get too soft here.
- Cut the chicken into similar sized pieces so that it cooks evenly. This also helps to make sure you can fit a little of everything into every bite.
- Add in different veggies if you like. Mushrooms and cherry tomatoes both work well.
- Save the pasta water to use instead of milk. If you prefer to keep the recipe dairy-free, you can use pasta water to stir with the tomatoes and chiles instead of milk.
- Learn how to make your own marinara sauce – it’s so flavorful!
What to Serve with Your Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
This delicious chicken fajita pasta is a fun, tasty twist on the classic, so it pairs well with your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. Make it a fajita feast with sides like:
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Fajita Pasta
To ensure your chicken fajita pasta stays fresh as long as possible, refrigerate it in an air-tight container as soon as it’s cool enough to do so.
To reheat this recipe, cook it in a pot over medium-low heat until heated through.
How long does chicken fajita pasta last in the fridge?
This pasta dish will remain fresh and delicious for up to three days when stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze this chicken fajita pasta recipe?
This is a freezer-friendly recipe that will last for up to three months when stored properly. To freeze it, simply place it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible and save it for later.
Frequently asked questions
This dish comes together so quickly and easily, so it’s a perfect recipe if you are short on time. If you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stovetop or microwave with a little added water.
This chicken fajita pasta isn’t an overly spicy dish, if you are sensitive to heat, just choose the taco seasoning you are using carefully. If you prefer your pasta on the spicy side, you can add in a chopped red chili when you cook the onions and peppers.
I like to use penne pasta for this recipe as it helps to collect all of that delicious sauce. If you like you can use whole wheat for a bit of added fiber. Other medium sized pasta like bows or shells will also work well.
Pasta is always a great option for an easy weeknight meal and I love the Mexican flavors in this chicken fajita pasta dish. So easy to make for a great well balanced meal.
More pasta recipes
More Tex Mex recipes
- Tex Mex Breakfast Bowl
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Street Tacos
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Chicken Taco Cups
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Chicken Fajita Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 14.5-ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 1 4.5 ounce can diced green chiles
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 8 ounces penne pasta
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into thin strips. Season with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning.
- In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Transfer the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook until chicken is browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over and add the onions and bell peppers. Season with the remaining taco seasoning, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly soften and become slightly charred.
- Keeping the vegetables in the skillet, add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, marinara sauce and milk. Mix together and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add to the skillet along with the cooked chicken.
- Stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- To make it dairy-free, you can use past water in place of the milk to make the sauce.
- To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free pasta of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This was great! I used whole wheat pasta and it was still delicious! Thank you!
You’re so welcome; glad you liked it!
This was fantastic! Great for meal prep. I would say this is a 10 star !!
Thank you! Yay!!
Delicious, and held up great for reheating/meal prep.
That’s perfect! Yay!!
Made this chicken Fajita pasta for dinner yesterday. It was a hit. Everybody loved it. Thanks for all your recipes.
So glad you liked it. Thank you!