Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Mexican Monday just got a lot easier! If you love fajitas, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Plus, thanks to the pressure cooker, it is so quick to make. The chicken comes out full of flavor with the fajita seasoning.

These Instant Pot Chicken Fajita’s are a family favorite and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Check out these other fajitas recipe – Instant Pot Steak Fajitas Recipe, Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas or Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas.

Why This Recipe Works

You can literally get dinner on the table in hardly no time at all. In just 20 minutes, you can have dinner ready to go for your family. The chicken is cooked tender and juicy with the bell peppers.

The combination of these ingredients make for the best chicken fajitas. We love that we can serve them in a soft taco shell or on rice.

Ingredients

• Salsa – We used picante but you can also make Homemade Salsa Recipe
• Chicken Broth – See Chicken broth substitutes
• Taco Seasoning – We make homemade taco seasoning
• Flour Tortillas – Try making Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Low Carb Option – Instead of using a flour tortilla, wrap the chicken and peppers in a lettuce wrap.
• White Rice – You can serve the chicken over white rice for a second meal option.
• Change the Chicken – You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
• Frozen Chicken – If you have chicken that is not thawed, you can still put in the instant pot for this recipe.
• Air Fryer – You can easily make chicken fajitas in the air fryer. If you haven’t used an air fryer before, we love using for many things.
• Use Beef – Steak Fajitas are always a family favorite as well. We sometimes make both so we have a variety. We like to cook both when we are feeding a crowd.

How to Cook Chicken Fajitas in the Instant Pot

If you can throw a few ingredients in the pressure cooker, you can make this meal for dinner. Just put everything in the instant pot except for the bell peppers.

• Step 1 – Add ingredients to the Instant Pot – Place the chicken, salsa, taco seasoning, and broth in the instant pot.

• Step 2 – Add the lid – Set the valve to sealing.

• Step 3 – Pressure Cook – Set the pressure (high pressure for 20 minutes).

• Step 4 – Quick Release – Do a quick release to release the pressure. Stir to combine.

• Step 5 – Add in the green bell peppers and onions. Add the lid back on and set the pressure for 2 minutes.

• Step 6 – Quick Release – Do quick release again to remove the pressure.

• Step 7 – Stir, Serve and Enjoy – Stir to combine the shredded chicken. Serve on flour tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Expert Tips

• Homemade Seasoning – We recommend using homemade seasoning. It taste better on the chicken and makes them so flavorful.
• Mixing Seasoning with Chicken – If you prefer, you can mix the chicken with the fajita seasoning in a separate bowl. Then add the chicken to the instant pot. This ensure that chicken is covered with the fajita seasoning.
• Layer in Instant Pot – Place chicken in the instant pot a straight way. This is the way they cook so it easier to load your taco shell.
• Extra Liquid – We recommend not skipping on adding the broth to the instant pot with the chicken. This keeps the chicken juicy and not getting a burn notice on your instant pot.
• Quick Release – Use the quick release option on the instant pot. If you use the natural release the peppers could get mushy.
• Heat Tortillas – I like to warm the tortilla before serving the fajitas.
• Cut into Strips – To prepare the chicken for the instant pot, we recommend cutting the chicken breast into strips. We recommend slicing the chicken about the same size strips. This makes it easier to cook. You can also shred chicken after it cooks with a two forks or with a hand mixer.
• Meat Thermometer – Cook chicken until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Cook time will vary based on how thick your chicken is.
• Cook Chicken First – When making these chicken fajitas, we recommend cooking the chicken first and then adding in the peppers. If you cook the peppers as long as the chicken they will become mushy.

Instant Pot Recommendation

We love using our instant pot especially when I forget to set something out for dinner. I am using an 8 quart Instant pot but you can use a 6 quart. I personally have an Instant Pot and so far I am loving it.

No worries if you do not have a pressure cooker yet. Try our Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas.

How to Make Homemade Fajita Seasoning

We recommend using our Homemade Fajita Seasoning for the seasoning mixture. You can easily use the seasoning packet from the store. But this Fajita Seasoning blend is easy to make and you probably already have all the ingredients.

We love making our own seasoning blend. I know exactly what I am adding to the seasoning blend. The packets purchased at the store have added ingredients that I can’t even pronounce.

You can easily adjust the spices to what you have on hand. Add more or less depending on how spicy you want it. Making your own seasoning saves your money and time.

How to Serve Instant Pot Fajita Chicken

• Tortilla – Serve these chicken fajita on a Homemade Tortilla.
• White Rice – Serve over Instant pot White Rice Recipe or Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe. We love make a taco bowl with this chicken fajita.
• Top on a Salad – For a healthy dinner, serve this chicken fajita on a green salad.

Chicken Fajitas Topping Ideas

Our family loves toppings so this is a favorite around here. Enjoy!

• Sour Cream
• Onion
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Tomato
• Quick Salsa Verde De Tomatillo
• Simple Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Fresh Cilantro
• Slice Avocado

Frequently Asked Questions