Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas (6 Ingredients)

These healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas couldn't be easier to throw together and make the most delicious, tender chicken fajitas. With just six ingredients - chicken breasts, bell peppers, onion, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, and fajita seasoning - these fajitas are affordable, versatile, and have all the flavors of classic chicken fajitas. 

We love chicken fajitas around here. So much so that we have recipes for sheet pan chicken fajitas, chicken fajita bowls, baked chicken fajitas, chicken fajita soup, and even chicken fajita casserole and one-pot chicken fajita pasta. So it only made sense that I also shared my favorite way to make chicken fajitas in the crockpot. 

While I love the idea of chicken fajitas sizzling in a hot skillet like they do in a restaurant, sometimes all I have time for is a simple slow cooker meal that I can throw together and enjoy all week long. 

All the traditional fajita fixings are added to the slow cooker and in three to four hours, you have delicious, moist chicken breast with plenty of tender peppers, onions, and tomatoes.

They are so easy, really tasty, and super versatile. 

Go the traditional route and serve the chicken in flour tortillas with all your favorite fajita toppings. It is also delicious wrapped in lettuce or served over greens for a low-carb option. 

For meal prep, I love making this on the weekend and preparing grain bowls for the week with brown rice, black beans, fajita chicken, and veggies. And since everything tastes amazing with cheese, it's worth mentioning that this chicken makes a killer quesadilla.

Why You Should Make Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Since traditional chicken fajitas take less than 20 minutes to make, you may be wondering why should try them in the slow cooker. Here's why!

• Great for batch cooking: While it takes a very long time to make a large batch of skillet chicken fajitas since you can only fit so much in one skillet, you can make a huge batch of chicken fajitas in the slow cooker and they freeze really well. Use them all week for meals and freeze leftovers for future dinners.
• Easy and healthy: With just six ingredients, these fajitas are easy to make. The hardest part is chopping the veggies. Plus they are naturally low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly. All you need is chicken, veggies, and spices.
• Versatile: While fajitas are traditionally served in flour tortillas, this fajita chicken tastes amazing in burrito bowls, quesadillas, wraps, salads, enchiladas, tacos, pasta, and more.

Looking for more ways to make fajitas? Try these Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas, Vegetable Fajitas, and Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas.

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

• Chicken: Traditionally fajitas are made with chicken breasts, but you can also swap in boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. This recipe can also work with pork tenderloin and even beef chuck (cook for 8 hours) if you prefer a different protein.
• Bell peppers: Usually I like to use a mix of red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers but any bell peppers will work. You can swap in frozen peppers and onions, but they will become very soft when cooked in the slow cooker. If you use frozen veggies, consider adding them in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking so they don't fall apart.
• Onions: Use any color onion you like including red onion, yellow onion, or white onion. They do not need to be sauteed before adding them to the slow cooker.
• Garlic: This boosts the flavor of the chicken. Swap in garlic powder, minced garlic, or frozen minced garlic if you prefer.
• Canned diced tomatoes: Tomatoes aren't traditionally used in fajitas but they do two important things in this crockpot version. First, they help ensure the chicken stays moist and doesn't dry out in the slow cooker. Secondly, they add a great flavor. If you like spice, use canned tomatoes with diced green chilies or Rotel tomatoes. For a smokier flavor, use fire-roasted tomatoes. 
• Fajita Seasoning: Making your own fajita seasoning lets you control the flavor. It's made with a combination of common pantry spices including chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Taco seasoning also works great in this recipe. Use homemade or store-bought.
• Toppings: Serve these fajitas with fresh lime juice, flour or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa, and more.

How to Make Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

These fajitas couldn't be easier to make! Also if you are looking for a crockpot dump recipe, it's possible. Just use presliced peppers and onions from the salad bar or freezer section.

1. Cook the chicken, peppers, and onions

Start by adding the chicken to the slow cooker and coating it with the fajita seasonings. Then add the sliced bell peppers, sliced onions, and garlic on top of the chicken. Add the diced tomatoes and the remaining fajita seasoning. 

Give everything a good stir and close the crockpot. Cook on high for 1.5-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours. Chicken breast cooks quickly in the slow cooker. 

Instant Pot Option

If you prefer to make these in the Instant Pot, follow the same instructions to layer in the chicken, seasoning, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Then close the Instant Pot and cook on high for 8 minutes. Let naturally release. 

2. Serve the Fajitas

This chicken can be served either shredded or sliced. To shred, just use two forks to gently shred the chicken in the slow cooker. Let it sit in the slow cooker for 5-10 minutes so it can soak up the flavor of the sauce. 

Then decide how you want to serve the chicken. Set up a fajita bar with warm tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, and shredded lettuce. Add the chicken to rice bowls or salads. Turn it into burritos or salads. There are so many options. 

Best Side Dishes for Fajitas

When it comes to side dishes for chicken fajitas, I am always thinking about the amazing plate full of toppings that come with fajitas in restaurants. So this list includes both toppings and sides.

• Toppings: Pull out all the stops when it comes to toppings. Have limes, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocados, guacamole, sour cream or Greek yogurt, pico de gallo, or green salsa.
• Beans: Make these Quick Refried Beans for a traditional side dish. Or serve this with traditional Frijoles Charros or Slow Cooker Black Beans.
• Rice: Mexican rice is always a good option and this Cauliflower Mexican Rice is a great lighter option.
• Salads: For a lighter option, make a salad like this Mexican Street Corn Salad or Cucumber Avocado Salad.

Recipe Tips and Ideas

Follow these tips and recipe ideas to make the perfect chicken fajitas for your family. 

• Spice level: It's really up to you how spicy you want to make these fajitas. You can always up the spice by adding fresh jalapeno or poblano peppers instead of bell peppers. You could also increase the amount of chili powder or throw in some cayenne to kick things up. If you don't like things spicy, use regular canned tomatoes and use less chili powder.
• Extra veggies: This recipe sticks to the traditional fajita veggies using just peppers and onions. However, if you want to switch things up, I love adding mushrooms or sliced zucchini. For the zucchini, add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking so it doesn't disintegrate.
• Fajita seasoning: While I recommend making your own fajita seasoning, if you need a shortcut, you could use store-bought fajita seasoning. Trader Joe's makes a good one.
• Meal prep: This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make up a big batch on the weekend and pack individual portions for lunches during the week. To mix things up, consider making a salad one day, a rice bowl the next, and then try a quesadilla or tacos.
• Frozen chicken breasts: It is never recommended to cook with frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker since bacteria can grow while the chicken defrosts and cooks. However, you can cook frozen chicken breasts using the Instant Pot option. Just add 5 minutes to the cooking time,

How to Make Fajita Seasoning?

I love having a big batch of fajita seasoning at home to have for crockpot fajitas, grilled fajitas, tacos, and more.

• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• Optional: Add some cayenne pepper to make a spicier fajita mix. 

You can also make this recipe with taco seasoning if that is all you have on hand.

Storage, Leftovers, and Freezing

These crockpot chicken fajitas keep well in the fridge and the freezer.

• Fridge: Once the fajitas have cooled, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• Freezer: Let the chicken fully cool and then pack it in freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. When serving, let them naturally defrost in the fridge and then reheat in a skillet or in the slow cooker.
• Reheating: This reheats well in the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to high and reheat for 30-45 minutes. Or reheat the chicken in a skillet on low.