Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Instant Pot chicken fajitas are made with sliced chicken, bell peppers, onions, lime, and a simple homemade fajita seasoning, all cooked together in the pressure cooker. They’re ready in about 30 minutes and make an easy dinner for tacos, rice bowls, salads, or meal prep.
I like using a mix of red, yellow, and green bell peppers because they add a little sweetness and color, while the lime and fajita seasoning give the chicken plenty of flavor. Everything goes into the Instant Pot in layers, so there’s very little hands-on cooking.
The vegetables will be softer than skillet fajitas, which is expected with pressure cooking. Cutting the peppers and onions into thicker strips helps them hold their shape better.
Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
A Few Things to Know Before You Start
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work. Slice the chicken a little thinner than the vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
Bell peppers: I like using a mix of colors, but you can use whichever bell peppers you have. Cut them into thicker strips so they don’t become too soft under pressure.
Onion: Red, yellow, or white onion will work. I usually slice it about ½-inch thick.
Fajita seasoning: You can use the homemade blend in the recipe card or your favorite store-bought fajita seasoning.
Lime: Both the zest and juice go into the pot for a fresh, citrusy flavor.
Water or chicken broth: You only need a small amount of liquid because the onions, peppers, and chicken release moisture as they cook.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Start by slicing the onions and bell peppers into about ½-inch strips. Slice the chicken slightly thinner so it cooks through in the same amount of time.
Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot in this order:
- Onions
- Bell peppers
- Chicken
- Olive oil
- Lime zest and juice
- Water or chicken broth
- Fajita seasoning
Keeping the onions on the bottom helps provide moisture as the pot comes to pressure, while the chicken cooks gently on top.
Close the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
As soon as the cooking time ends, carefully quick release the pressure. This helps keep the chicken from overcooking and prevents the vegetables from getting even softer.
Open the lid and toss everything together before serving.
For the Best Chicken Fajitas
✔️ Cut the vegetables thicker than the chicken. The peppers and onions soften quickly under pressure, so larger pieces hold up better.
✔️ Keep the layering order the same. Add the onions first, followed by the peppers and then the chicken.
✔️ Quick release right away. A natural release will continue cooking the chicken and vegetables.
✔️ Expect softer peppers. Instant Pot fajitas won’t have the same crisp texture as skillet fajitas. If you prefer firmer peppers, sauté them separately and stir them in after pressure cooking.
✔️ Use a slotted spoon for tortillas. The chicken and vegetables release quite a bit of liquid as they cook, so this keeps tortillas from getting soggy.
✔️ Don’t throw away the cooking liquid. Spoon it over rice bowls or simmer it on Sauté for a few minutes if you want to reduce it.
Favorite Fajita Toppings
I usually keep the toppings simple and let everyone add what they like.
Some of our favorites are sliced avocado or guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa or pico de gallo, sliced jalapeños, and extra lime wedges.
Serve the fajitas with warm flour or corn tortillas, or skip the tortillas and spoon everything over rice for an easy fajita bowl.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Fresh or fully thawed chicken works best for this recipe.
Frozen chicken takes longer to cook, and the extra cooking time can make the peppers and onions too soft. The seasoning also coats thawed chicken more evenly.
Why Is There So Much Liquid in the Pot?
This is normal. Bell peppers, onions, and chicken all release moisture while pressure cooking.
If you’re serving the fajitas in tortillas, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and vegetables.
The leftover liquid has plenty of flavor, so you can spoon it over rice bowls or turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and simmer it for a few minutes to reduce it.
Can I Double the Recipe?
Yes, as long as the ingredients stay below your Instant Pot’s maximum fill line.
Keep the pressure-cooking time the same. The pot may take a little longer to come to pressure with a larger amount of food.
What to Serve With Chicken Fajitas
For a simple dinner, serve the fajitas with warm tortillas, rice, avocado or guacamole, and your favorite toppings.
[Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers] would also work well if you want an easy appetizer or side with a little more heat.
You can also turn the fajitas into rice bowls and add shredded lettuce, salsa, cheese, and avocado on top.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover chicken fajitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat them in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through. If they seem a little dry, add a spoonful of the reserved cooking liquid or a squeeze of fresh lime.
The chicken and vegetables can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
If you make these Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment and rating below.
RECIPE
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Chicken Fajita
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into ½ inch strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into ½ inch strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into ½ inch strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons water or chicken broth
Fajita Seasoning
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Cut the bell peppers and onion into about ½-inch strips. Slice the chicken slightly thinner so it cooks evenly.
- Layer the vegetables and chicken. Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot in this order: onion, bell peppers, then chicken.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken, then add the lime zest, lime juice, water or chicken broth, and fajita seasoning over the top. There’s no need to stir.
- Pressure cook. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Quick release. As soon as the cooking time ends, carefully quick release the pressure.
- Toss and serve. Open the lid and toss the chicken and vegetables together. Use a slotted spoon if serving in tortillas, and add your favorite fajita toppings.
Notes
- Cut the peppers and onions thicker than the chicken so they hold their shape better.
- Keep the layering order as onions, peppers, then chicken.
- Quick release the pressure as soon as the cooking time ends.
- The vegetables will be softer than skillet fajitas.
- For firmer peppers, sauté them separately and stir them in after pressure cooking.
- Use a slotted spoon when serving in tortillas since the chicken and vegetables release liquid as they cook.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The instructions on layering are confusing. Other places it says chicken first but the step in the instructions say onions, peppers, chicken…. leading me to adding chicken third. It would be helpful to list ingredients as they go into the pot.
Hi Arianne! Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate you calling that out. There’s a reason for that order, especially since this recipe uses very minimal added liquid and relies mostly on the moisture released from the vegetables (with just a small amount of water or broth to get the pot going). I layer the onions first, then peppers, then chicken because the onions release moisture as they cook, which helps prevent scorching and avoids a burn notice. The peppers cook evenly in the middle, and the chicken steams gently on top so it stays tender. The fajita seasoning goes on top so it’s not sitting directly on the bottom of the pot, which also helps prevent burning.
That said, some recipes pressure cook just the chicken with extra liquid and then sauté the onions and peppers separately afterward so they stay more crisp. You can absolutely do it that way too if you prefer a firmer veggie texture. Hope that clears up the confusion!
Oh! The order is correct in the steps then. I think it’s confusing in other places. It did work well with the order you gave in the instructions. Thanks for your thorough response! The recipe is yummy!
Made this with McCormick fajita seasoning. Turned out pretty solid
That sounds great! Glad you enjoyed it!