Chicken Fajita Pasta is a delicious and flavorful dish that combines the vibrant flavors of chicken fajitas with creamy pasta, topped with cheese. It’s a satisfying and well-balanced meal that is sure to please your taste buds! I also have Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pasta: Penne pasta is the perfect choice for chicken fajita pasta with its tubular shape and ridges. It is also sturdy, helping it hold up against all of the other ingredients in the recipe. If you don’t have penne pasta, use what you have on hand or make your own homemade shaped pasta!
Chicken: Chicken cubes are seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika before being cooked in the skillet. To save time, you could use leftover rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken. If using chicken that has already been cooked, it just needs to be warmed up to use in this recipe.
Vegetables: I added the classic fajita vegetables to the pasta, onions, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers. In addition, I added diced tomatoes and green chiles. You could certainly add even more vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, corn, or some jalapeno peppers for a little heat.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream, also known as heavy whipping cream, is added to the sauce for a creamy consistency. For a lighter version, you could use light whipping cream or half and half.
Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese is a common choice for fajitas. It melts well and pairs nicely with the flavors of the fajita ingredients. Of course, you could certainly use your favorite cheese like cheddar, queso fresco, or Pepper Jack cheese.
Can I Make Chicken Fajita Pasta Ahead Of Time?
Sure! You could get the fajita vegetables and sauce cooked ahead of time. When made, let it cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 2-3 days. When ready to serve the dish, heat up the sauce as you cook the pasta and chicken. Then, mix it all together and top it with cheese.
Can I Make This Without Chicken?
Absolutely! If preferred, leave out the chicken and add more vegetables to make up for it. You will still end up with a delicious combination of sautéed vegetables and creamy pasta. Or, try the dish with another kind of meat like sliced beef, shrimp, or ground meat (beef, turkey, or pork). Just make sure the meat is fully cooked.
How To Store Chicken Fajita Pasta
Store leftovers of chicken fajita pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat the pasta on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe dish.
Chicken Fajita Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup (60 g) chicken broth
- ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilis, drained
- 1 ½ cups (169.5 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- cilantro, for garnish
- lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the noodles are boiling, season cubed chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken cubes and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature of fully cooked chicken should reach 165°F. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet, place it on a plate, and tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sliced onions, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder to the skillet with the onions and peppers. Stir until the spices are well combined.
- Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, diced tomatoes, and diced green chiles. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the cooked chicken and pasta to the skillet and stir to coat it with the sauce. Top with cheese. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the dish.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Elizabeth
Yum! I loved this dish! The combination of fajita vegetables with sauce and pasta is perfect! I will definitely be making this one soon!
Rachael
So good, fajita in pasta form, I would make this for dinner! It is easy to throw together, too!
Bella
To be honest, I have never been a fan of fajita-anything. Although, this pasta is something that I'd actually eat! I think regular recipes that are turned into pasta dishes always seem to work for me, haha! It was creamy, cheesy, and had the right amount of spices while not being super spicy!
Selena
This really reminds me of fajitas with the peppers and onions and chicken chunks! Nicely seasoned easy pasta dish!
Annabelle
If you like fajitas you need to try this! It has so much flavor and it's not hard to make!
We enjoyed this! I liked that I could use any sweet pepper which was great during gardening season. Added a little more cream and broth for more sauce. Also, I cut the chili powder by half to be more kid friendly.
Love your recipes 😋😊
Cheap recipe. Instead of chicken broth I added water and chicken powder instead. Tastes good.
I love everything about your recipes.😊