Time to stop stuffing tortillas and turn the same fillings and flavors into a delicious One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta dish. Easy to make with seasoned chicken, a blend of bell peppers, tender penne, and melted cheese mixed in a creamy sauce.
One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
Our easy One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe checks all the boxes! It’s a complete one pan meal packed with protein, carbs, and veggies, so there’s no need to stress about serving extra sides.
This one pan chicken and pasta dish tastes like a delicious blend of Tex-Mex flavors meets a creamy Italian meal. It takes all the classic chicken fajita fillings and combines them with penne, then coats it all in a cheesy cream sauce.
This 30-minute meal is made to make your life a little easier. Fast enough for a last-minute family dinner but flavorful enough for a fiesta, this hearty recipe is a one-pot wonder you won’t want to miss!
Chicken Fajita Pasta Ingredients
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Yellow onion: Feel free to substitute red onion for the yellow onion if you prefer.
- Red bell pepper: Use any combination of bell peppers you prefer. I love the colorful mix of red, green, and yellow peppers. Make sure they are seeded and cut into ½ inch strips.
- Green bell pepper
- Yellow bell pepper
- Chicken broth: If using low or no sodium chicken broth, you may want to add an additional ½ teaspoon of salt to the seasoning blend.
- Penne pasta: Substitute the penne with any short pasta, such as bow-tie or rigatoni. Feel free to use your favorite gluten free pasta to make this a GF meal.
- Heavy cream: Used to create the creamy fajita sauce.
- Colby-jack cheese: Colby-jack cheese is a mild, easy melting cheese that works well for this recipe. You can substitute pepper-jack cheese, if you want a little more spice, or mild cheddar cheese if desired.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Make The Seasoning Mixture: Combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Coat and Cook The Chicken: Toss the chicken in the seasoning to coat. Cook in hot oil until golden brown and no pink remains. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Coat and Cook The Veggies: In the same skillet, coat the bell peppers in the seasoning blend and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender.
- Prepare The Pasta: Stir the chicken broth and penne pasta into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer the pasta for 12-15 minutes or until tender.
- Combine: Stir in the heavy cream and cheese. Add the chicken into the skillet and stir to combine all components.
- Serve: Remove from the heat and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This pasta is best served immediately, as the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as the skillet cools. Feel free to serve it with your favortite fajita toppings, like jalapeños, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, and guacamole.
Tips & Variations
- Skip A Step: If desired, you can use a premade fajita seasoning mix packet as a shortcut. I suggest using a spice blend that does not contain added cornstarch, as it tends to thicken the sauce too much. If using a premade fajita spice blend, you will need 2 tablespoons.
- Serve It Spicier: For extra heat, add ⅛-¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper to the spice blend. You can also use some fresh jalapeños as a garnish.
- Bell Peppers: While the recipe calls for one of each color (red, yellow, green), you can use any combination of bell peppers. I also like to mix in orange bell peppers.
- Prepare Without Pasta: While I love the convenience of this one dish dinner, my other chicken fajita dishes are great for those looking to cut their carbs. My Chicken Sheet Pan Fajitas, Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, and Chicken Fajita Casserole recipes are just as delicious!
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Leftovers can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a ¼ cup of additional chicken broth to the skillet to loosen the sauce when reheating.
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Chicken Fajita Pasta
Serves — 6
This One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta is filled with classic fajita ingredients combined with creamy pasta. A perfect for homemade, hearty dinner for the whole family.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided (2 tablespoons to cook the chicken and 1 tablespoon for the vegetables)
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ½ inch strips
- 1 cup yellow onion cut into ½ inch strips (approximately half of a large yellow onion)
- 1 cup red bell pepper seeded and cut into ½ inch strips (approximately 1 medium pepper)
- 1 cup green bell pepper seeded and cut into ½ inch strips (approximately 1 medium pepper)
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch strips (approximately 1 medium pepper)
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated colby-jack cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro Optional Garnish
Instructions
- Combine together in a small bowl the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground cumin, dried oregano and black pepper. Set aside.2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend to the chicken breast strips and toss to evenly coat.
- To a large (12 inch) heavy duty skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken breast strips. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and no pink remains.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, yellow onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and remaining seasoning blend to the skillet. Stir to coat the vegetables in the seasoning blend and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender.1 cup yellow onion, 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup yellow bell pepper,
- Add the chicken broth and penne pasta to the skillet. Stir to combine.2½ cups chicken broth, 8 ounces penne pasta
- Bring the liquids to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid and simmer the pasta for 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Be sure to stir the pasta half way through the cooking process to ensure that all the pasta is cooking evenly.
- Remove the lid to the skillet. Stir in the heavy cream and shredded colby-jack cheese until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is thickened.¼ cup heavy cream, 1 cup grated colby-jack cheese
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir to combine all the ingredients. Remove the chicken fajita pasta from the heat. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro if desired for garnish.Chopped fresh cilantro
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Leftovers can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a ¼ cup of additional chicken broth to the skillet to loosen the sauce when reheating.
- You can use a premade fajita seasoning mix packet as a short-cut if desired. I suggest using a spice blend that does not contain added cornstarch as it tends to thicken the sauce too much. If using a premade fajita spice blend, you will need a total of 2 tablespoons.
- You can add ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the spice blend for extra heat. Or uses some fresh jalapeños as a garnish.
- While the recipe calls for one of each color (red, yellow, green) you can use any combination of bell peppers. I like to mix in orange bell peppers as well.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1523IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 2mg
