Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas

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These Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas are made with tender and juicy slices of chicken, peppers and onions. It’s a quick and easy pressure cooker recipe that takes just 40 minutes from start to finish!

Fajitas are always a crowd pleaser, and when you can get them on the table quickly with little fuss, that’s even better! (A reason we love these rajas con crema , tacos de pollo or this Instant Pot carne asada for dinner too!)

The key to quick cooking chicken fajitas without soggy peppers and onions is browning the chicken first, then cutting them into slices and cooking them with everything else. 

It’s an extra step, but it speeds up the process and ensures your peppers and onions are tender and delicious!

We love these chicken fajitas wrapped in tortillas with all the toppings, but you can also serve them as bowls with some Instant Pot black beans and rice. So good!

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Storage instructions
• Serving options
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why this recipe works

1. This is a time saving recipe not just because we’re using the Instant Pot, but also because you don’t need to marinate the chicken!
2. Browning the chicken in the Instant Pot before slicing it adds flavor to the fajitas, speeds up the cooking process and ensures your peppers and onions don't get too soft.
3. Adding chicken stock to the fajitas as they cook ensures you don’t get a burn message on your Instant Pot.

Ingredients

The following is an overview of some of the ingredients needed for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I love making fajitas with chicken thighs as they’re more flavorful than chicken breasts. While boneless, skinless thighs are easier to slice, you can use bone-in, skin-on thighs if that’s your only option. Just remove the skin before cooking.

I used a mix of red and green peppers for the fajita veggies. Make sure you don’t cut them too thin as they will get soft in the Instant Pot.

The same goes for the onions. Make sure your slices are thick. I used a yellow onion, but you can also use red onion if you prefer.

To keep this recipe quick and easy, I used store-bought fajita seasoning. If you have a favorite homemade fajita seasoning recipe, you can use that instead.

For a spicy kick, you’ll need one chipotle pepper. Make sure it’s smashed before adding it to the Instant Pot so the flavor infuses better with the other ingredients.

A ¼ cup of chicken stock is required to make sure the chicken doesn’t burn in the Instant Pot. (The Instant Pot needs liquid in order to build pressure). You can use store-bought but I like to use this homemade crockpot chicken broth.

Step by step instructions

STEP 1: Heat the oil in the Instant Pot and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.

STEP 2: Remove and let cool. Slice into strips.

STEP 3: Add the onion and peppers to the Instant Pot and sauté for 1 minute.

STEP 4: Add all remaining ingredients (including sliced chicken).

STEP 5: Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes, then naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before using the quick release to release the remaining pressure.

Serve hot. 

Expert tips

1. You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, just remove the skin before cooking.
2. Instead of red and green peppers, feel free to substitute with yellow and orange peppers. 
3. To help prevent your peppers and onions from getting too soft in the Instant Pot, make sure you cut them into thicker slices.
4. If you don’t like your fajitas spicy, just leave out the chipotle pepper.
5. You might think the broth will make your fajitas watery, but don’t leave it out as it’s required to build pressure and prevent a burn message on your Instant Pot.
6. Instead of chicken broth, you can use vegetable broth or even water.
7. Make sure your chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165F degrees.
8. Be sure to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes as the chicken, peppers and onions will continue cooking during this time.
9. While the cooking time in the Instant Pot is just 5 minutes on high, you’ll need to factor in time for the pressure to build and release.

Common questions

Storage instructions

Leftover chicken fajitas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

To reheat, you can warm them in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat. You can always add a splash of chicken stock or water to ensure they don’t dry out while reheating.

You can also freeze chicken fajitas. Just place everything in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Serving options

• The toppings are essential! The usual toppings include jalapeños, cilantro, cheese, sour cream and traditional tomato salsa.
• To change things up, you can top them with mango peach salsa, tomatillo salsa or avocado crema. 
• Rice and fajitas just go together in my opinion, so whether you’re enjoying fajitas in tortillas or bowls, make a batch of Instant Pot Spanish rice or Instant Pot cilantro lime rice to serve along with it.

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