Chicken Fajitas Bake is a super delicious and EASY Mexican recipe! Full of all your favorite classic fajitas flavors, but in a tasty casserole. Yum. Make in one pan from stovetop to oven.
This keto chicken casserole is the perfect low carb meal for the whole family. A cast-iron skillet meal makes weeknight dinners so much easier.
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🎥 Recipe Video
What People Are Saying
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get such fantastic positive feedback from everyone. Here's what people are saying about this chicken fajita bake! 🙂
- "This is an amazing dinner!! Will even be a hit with non-keto conscious people" - Shannon, Pinterest
- "This was really good! Great family meal and good reheated 🙂 " - Cheyanne, Pinterest
- "Made this tonight! Holy cow - so dang good!" - Michacline, Instagram
- "OMG. The fam went nuts! Totally loved this recipe. Thank you!!!" - Linda, Facebook
You'll ❤️ Baked Chicken Fajitas Casserole
Classic Fajitas But in a Creamy Cheesy Casserole
Classic stovetop fajitas turned into a delicious casserole that your whole family will love. Delicious sour cream and cheese are blended with taco seasoning, sauteed chicken and veggies for the perfect dinner. This recipe is an almost weekly occurrence in our household! LOL
Easy to Make
This is a perfect weeknight meal to make (weekends are good too! LOL). I think it's total comfort food. Comfort food is great during a crazy weeknight don't you think? 🙂
I know after a long day of working I want something simple, satisfying and EASY to make - this fajita bake fits the bill!
One Pan Skillet Meal From Stovetop to Oven
While you can use any oven proof skillet, I love to use my cast iron skillet for this recipe. The more seasoned a cast iron skillet is the more flavoring it imparts!
By sauteing the chicken and peppers with the taco seasoning before baking you create a ton of flavor from the browning, carmelizing and blending of all the flavors.
Mix in the remaining ingredients and then pop in the oven just until the cheese is bubbly.
Keto Chicken Fajitas
With healthy fats and low carb vegetables, keto chicken fajitas bake is a great option if you follow a ketogenic diet.
If needed, you can increase healthy fat content by adding avocado or cooking in additional olive oil. You can also substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts.
The great thing about this recipe is that it is completely flexible to your day's dietary requirements. If you are over on your protein for the day you can reduce the amount of chicken in your serving, if you are over on your carb requirements, you can use less onion.
28 g fat | 7.6 g net carbs | 33 g protein
Ingredients and Tools
Here are the tools and ingredients you will need to make Chicken Fajita Bake. It is pretty straightforward. Nothing too complicated!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 (4 to 6 oz ) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, 1" to 2" pieces. If using pre-cooked chicken, you will need about 5 to 6 cups.
- 4 bell peppers, sliced (vary the colors to make it pretty! I used green, yellow, red, and orange)
- small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 recipe of Fajita Seasoning Recipe or Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe (feel free to use store-bought packets if you're short on time)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- optional: sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole, cilantro, and salsa. Don't forget hot sauce for the spicy lovers! 🙂
Try our Homemade Guacamole recipe! You'll love how fresh and easy it is. No need to buy mushy store-bought guacamole anymore.
Tools
- 12" cast iron skillet, or you can use individual sized cast iron skillets like I did in the photos - my kids love it for some reason! 🙂
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an oven proof skillet, over medium heat, saute the chicken in olive oil until the chicken is done. Remove from skillet and set aside. (see image #1)
- Add onions and peppers and saute until tender, (approximately 3 to 5 minutes depending upon your preference). (see image #2)
- Add chicken back to the pan and stir in the fajita seasoning, sour cream, and cream cheese. Mix well. (see image #3)
- Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. (see image #4)
Tip: the safe cooking temperature of chicken is 165º
Serve and enjoy! Really good topped with avocado, guacamole, sour cream, or salsa. Yum
Expert Tips
- Use boneless chicken thighs or breasts that have been cut into uniform sizes (approx 1" to 2" in size, or you can do 1.2" strips if you prefer)
- Onions cook slower than peppers so I often add them a few minutes before I add the peppers. This is strictly personal preference of course.
- You can cook the onions and peppers to your desired tenderness. Some people love them crisp-tender, some love them completely soft.
- Consider making our fajita seasoning recipe or homemade taco seasoning instead of buying a store-bought packet! This isn't just a plug for you to check out the recipe, it's highly rated, very good, healthy, and SUPER EASY. I made the recipe because I was tired of serving my family a packet of taco seasoning that I couldn't pronounce all the ingredients (i.e chemicals)
- Cook the chicken to 165º - the safe internal cooking temperature.
- Since most of the recipe is cooked, you only need to bake the casserole to get the cheese bubbly and heat the inside. No more no less. 🙂 Technically you don't even have to bake this casserole, but you won't have that nice ooey gooey melted cheese on top! There is just something about baking all the ingredients together - all the flavors blend together and make a whole casserole of tasty goodness. LOL
- If you don't have an oven proof skillet just cook chicken, peppers, and onion according to the recipe. Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream. Put the mixture into a casserole dish then top with cheese and bake.
How To Serve
There are a lot of options on what to serve with chicken fajitas but overall, I like to round out the meal with a simple salad of shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, and green onion.
Instead of using a typical salad dressing I just top the salad with a dollop of sour cream and salsa and toss it together, making an easy tasty salad dressing.
Sliced avocados make a perfect topping for this casserole, but if you want to take it up a notch I HIGHLY recommend my Homemade Guacamole!! It's so dang good. My husband always said he hated guacamole, but it turns out he had only tried the mushy store-bought guacamole. This is NOT the same thing in my book. Guacamole is best with fresh avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime, and salt. I leave it chunky.
"I love the warm flavorful, slightly spicy, fajita casserole balanced with the cold crisp fresh taste of a simple salad. " -Kori
If you are not following a low carb or ketogenic diet then serving with fajita tortillas on the side make a delicious way to serve up your chicken fajita bake.
Want to make your own healthy taco seasoning or fajita spice mix? Recipe: Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix (Healthy Taco Seasoning Recipe) and Best Fajita Seasoning Recipe
Common Questions
What Temperature Should Chicken Be Cooked To?
The USDA recommends that chicken should be cooked to 165º degrees. I always check the temperature of my chicken with an instant read thermometer. Here is a link to their Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.
What Toppings Go On Chicken Fajitas?
Typically people top their fajitas with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa or taco sauce, and avocado slices or guacamole. Of course, this is all a personal preference!
I also love to top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and green onion too! Because this recipe is in a casserole form and the cheese has been mixed in, you probably don't need to top with more cheese, but if you're a cheese lover go ahead.
Are Chicken Fajitas Healthy For You?
Chicken fajitas are very healthy, yes. With plenty of nutrients, healthy fat, protein, and fiber you will feel satisfied long after your meal is over.
Amazingly, each serving of this chicken fajita bake has over 100% of your day's vitamin C, 35% Vitamin A, 30% zinc, 23% calcium, and is loaded with Vitamin B's! 48% Vitamin B12, 45% Vitamin B6, 44% Vitamin B3, 41% Riboflavin B2.
Where are all these vitamins coming from? Well, of course the fats are coming from the chicken, olive oil, cheese, and sour cream. The calcium is mainly coming from the cheese and sour cream, but the bulk of the remaining B's, Vitamin A , and Zinc, are coming from the bell peppers.
Did you know that the longer a pepper remains on the vine before picking, the more nutrients it contains? Yep. I grow a lot of peppers in my garden and I've often let them sit on the vine. Peppers first ripen to green (this is when they are most commonly picked), then they turn yellow, orange, and then red. Out of curiosity I did some research and found that a red bell is the most nutrient-packed of all the bell peppers. 🙂
Here's a super interesting article about peppers from WebMD:
Pepper Power: Nutrition and Other Benefits
Can I Freeze Fajita Chicken Fajita Bake?
Yes, definitely! That's one of the best things about this casserole. You can portion out meals, freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Chicken Fajita Bake makes amazing leftovers for lunch!! So much flavor and a great change-up from soup and sandwiches.
How Do You Cut Chicken Breast for Chicken Fajitas?
For traditional fajitas, cut chicken breast into thin 1/2" strips sliced horizontally, cutting against the grain. This recipe calls for smaller bite size pieces, but you can really cut them to the size that you prefer most.
Keep in mind that the smaller the pieces the quicker they will cook so you may need to shorten your cooking time as recommended by the recipe instructions.
Do I Have To Use A Cast Iron Skillet?
No, you do not have to use a cast iron skillet. Any ovenproof skillet will work. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet no problem! You can simply mix in the cheeses in your pan and place in a casserole dish.
📋 Recipe
Chicken Fajitas Bake (Low Carb and Keto)
A super delicious and EASY Mexican recipe - full of all your favorite fajitas flavors, but in a cheesy casserole. Yum. This chicken fajita bake can be made in one pan from stovetop to oven.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 (4 to 6 oz each) boneless skinless chicken thighs, or breasts cut into 1" to 2" pieces.
- 4 bell peppers, sliced (vary the colors to make it pretty!)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 recipe of our: Taco Seasoning Mix, or 1 taco seasoning packet
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 oz of cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- optional: garnish with avocado or guacamole, sour cream, salsa. For spicy lovers add heat with hot sauce.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Over medium heat, saute the chicken in olive oil until chicken is done. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add onions and peppers and saute until tender.
- Add chicken back to pan and stir in taco seasoning, sour cream, and cream cheese. Mix well.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- You can use pre-cooked chicken to save some time - about 5 to 6 cups is needed.
- Serve and enjoy! This is really good topped with avocado, guacamole, sour cream, or salsa. Yum.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 cup (chicken, peppers, onions, cheese, etc)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 395Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 439mgCarbohydrates: 9.4gNet Carbohydrates: 7.6gFiber: 1.8gSugar: 4gProtein: 29g
DISCLAIMER: Any changes to this recipe could change the nutrition facts. Nutrition facts are provided as a reference only and are calculated to the best of our ability using Nutritionix. If you are concerned, always calculate your own nutritional analysis. The information provided on Seeking Good Eats is for informational use only and we are not liable for how that information is used. The information provided by Seeking Good Eats is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified healthcare provider.
Related Recipes
More (Low Carb Keto) Mexican Recipes
- Easy Fresh Homemade Guacamole
- Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas (Keto Zucchini Enchilada Boats)
- Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers (Keto Stuffed Peppers)
- Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix
- Crockpot Chicken Fajita Soup (Low Carb and Keto Soup Recipe)
- Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup (Keto Slow Cooker Mexican Soup)
More Easy Skillet Recipes You'll Love
- Cajun Sausage and Peppers Recipe (Keto Sausage Recipe)
- Reuben Bake With Meatballs (Keto Reuben Casserole)
- Easy Eggs Benedict Frittata With Hollandaise (Keto Eggs Benedict)
- Low Carb Smoked Salmon Frittata (Keto Egg Recipe)
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Chicken Fajitas Bake (Low Carb and Keto) is a super delicious chicken casserole recipe AND an EASY Mexican recipe! One-pan from stovetop to oven. Full of your favorite fajitas flavors, but in a tasty easy casserole. Yum. This keto chicken casserole is the perfect low carb meal for the whole family. An easy keto recipe for beginners too! #chickenfajitabake #chickencasserolerecipe #mexicanrecipe #keto #lowcarb #chicken #mexicanfoodrecipes #skillet #fajitas #tacotuesday #dinner #casserole
Jaci says
Do you think I could go this with ground chicken?
seekinggoodeats says
Sure! Absolutely. Let me know how it turns out
Sarah says
I work a lot! Can this be made ahead of time? I like make ahead meals that my husband can just through in the oven.
seekinggoodeats says
Hi Sarah! Yes, it definitely can be made ahead of time! Since everything is cooked you're pretty much just re-heating until the cheese is bubbly. If you pull it straight out of the fridge cold it will take a little longer to bake and get the cheese bubbly. Enjoy!
Gina says
Followed this recipe to the T, minus the bacon! Soooooo freaking good! My husband asked for thirds.
Gina says
For some reason I thought the original recipe had bacon, my mistake!
Jessica says
How big is a serving size
seekinggoodeats says
Hi! Approximately 1 cup
Shamika says
It says 1 as the serving size but does that mean 1 cup?
seekinggoodeats says
Hi, it's one cup 🙂
Linda Stanfill says
Is it ok to make this with chicken breasts? Not a fan of dark meat.
seekinggoodeats says
Yes! Absolutely you can use chicken breasts 🙂 Enjoy!
Kristi says
This is sooo delicious, even as leftovers!!!! Will be making again next week!
seekinggoodeats says
Yay! Thanks for letting me know you loved it. We eat it A LOT too! LOL 🙂
Candace says
I don’t have a cast iron skillet, do you think a stainless steel (All Clad) would work?
seekinggoodeats says
Any oven-proof skillet will work! 🙂
Amber says
Hi!
Can this be made without sour cream, or do you have an alternative? My husband doesn’t like sour cream.. I’m telling him he won’t taste it, but he won’t budge 😝
seekinggoodeats says
Hello! 🙂 I would just use your favorite cheese. Maybe you could add a little cream cheese? If all the cheese is making it too "thick" then you could possible add a little cream or milk to stir in?
Cara says
Could you use Greek yogurt as a sub?
seekinggoodeats says
Sure! Since the meat is already cooked when you add the yogurt just add a little and sample first. Then you can adjust to your tastes. 🙂
Aubrey says
This was very good!! Should be 5 stars, super simple to make and so yummy! We substituted chicken breast and put it over salad 😍
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you!! I love your idea of serving it over salad. That sounds so delicious 🙂
Stephanie W says
If I choose to do the copycat taco seasoning mix in this recipe. How much would I use? Do I use the whole recipe or just one serving of the recipe?
seekinggoodeats says
Hi! You use the whole recipe for 1 lb of meat.:-)
Natalie R says
Could this be done in a crock pot?
seekinggoodeats says
I think you could cook the chicken and peppers in the crockpot, but you'd want to drain the liquids before adding the rest of the ingredients. You're going to laugh...I did this very thing (only didn't drain the liquids) and that is how my Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup recipe came about! LOL! 🙂
Victoria says
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Do you think itll bake right in a glass 9x13 pan?
seekinggoodeats says
Yes, for sure! 🙂 All you're really doing is baking long enough for the cheese to get melty.
Mallory says
Have you tried this using steak? I love everything about this recipe but I’m not a huge fan of chicken. I assume as long as I don’t over cook the steak, I could substitute?
Kori says
Yes, absolutely! Since everything is cooked prior to going in the oven you technically only have to bake this in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese and warm the casserole. I am going to make this recipe with steak this week! You have inspired me 🙂
Debbie says
what is the recipe for taco seasoning?
seekinggoodeats says
Hi! 🙂 Link is here: Copycat Taco Seasoning Recipe
Angie says
So is this 8 carbs for 1 cup or 8 carbs minus 7 for fiber?? Sorry confused!
seekinggoodeats says
Sorry for the confusion! It's actually 7.6g net carbs. (9.4g carbs - 1.8g fiber). 🙂
Anna Smith says
This is delicious. I put a layer of refried beans in bottom of pan and then put chicken fajita mixture on top. Husband also doesn’t like sour cream but what he don’t know won’t hurt him. LOL
seekinggoodeats says
LOL!! That is so funny - hide the sour cream! I've hidden ingredients before too. Our secret! 🙂 I love the idea of refried beans in the bottom - sounds delicious.
Elisabeth Ensor says
I have made this 3 times already and my whole family loves it!!! I don't use as many peppers, usually just one but otherwise the same- thanks for a great recipe!
Tiffany says
This was delicious!! I seriously wanted to lick the plate lol. I didn’t use taco seasoning and just used seasoning salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. I used 4 bell peppers of different colors but only half of each. It was seriously one of the best keto meals I’ve made. Thank you!!
Becky Morgan says
This was a great recipe and so easy. I had leftover shredded chicken from another dish and used it. I also added some grape tomatoes that I had left from a veggie tray to get them out of the fridge. I didn’t make a side and it was very liquid so I added riced cauliflower it made it more filling and I didn’t want to use tortillas. It was so yummy I’ll definitely make this again.
Shirley Knipfel says
How much of the leftover shredded chicken did you use to substitute for the 6 uncooked breasts?
seekinggoodeats says
Hello, about 6 cups
Shirley Knipfel says
Thank you!
Carol says
This was a hit for my family. Made it as instructed except I cooked in skillet then transferred to baking dish. Served it with homemade lo carb tortillas, salad, salsa and sour cream! Yum!! Thanks for sharing. We will make again!
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you!! So glad you loved the chicken fajita bake recipe! 🙂 Great idea with the baking dish!
Jen says
Would this taste ok with hamburger meat? Thanks!!! Can’t wait to try tonight.
seekinggoodeats says
Yes, I think it would work well! Let me know this sounds like a new recipe version 🙂
Jen says
Thanks for your reply! I sure will! ❤️
Deborah D Lynch says
Absolutely delicious. I'd never made fajitas before but took a chance and made this for company tonight. I've been following keto for 6 weeks, and this was a fantastic meal.
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you! I"m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 6 weeks on keto, that's so great! Stick with it you're doing great! 🙂
Suzanne says
Simple to make and delicious
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you! So glad you loved it!
Phyllis Ianniccari says
You may need to correct the nutritional information. It says there are
439 Carbs with a Net Carb of 9.4.
seekinggoodeats says
Hi there! 🙂 It's actually correct but it reads as sodium: 439mg, carbs: 9.4g, net carb: 7.6g. I think because it's such small print and sort of all runs together it can be hard to read. Enjoy the recipe and have a good day!
Aleta says
This is delicious! My whole family loved it, which is significant because they are cooking aficionados. It is going into my regular dinner rotation
Kori says
Thank you!! So GLAD the whole family loved it - especially the cooking aficionados. Phew! 🙂
Stephanie says
Are you using 6 chicken breast?
That just seems like a lot for one skillet...
Kori says
Use 4 to 6 oz chicken breasts. So in total around 24 to 36 ounces of chicken. I will clarify in the post. I used chicken thighs which I believe on average are around 4 ounces. It's a pretty flexible recipe so if you are over or under it's okay. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Stephanie says
Ok thank you!
I definitely exited to try it!!
Kori says
Great! Let me know what you think and have a good weekend! -Kori
Tess says
Are you using six thin sliced chicken breasts? From the video it looks to be about 3 cups of uncooked chicken in 1" pieces. Do you have the measurements in cups so that I can make this with leftover chicken?
Kori says
I vary between chicken breast or thighs. They are about 4 to 6 oz each. So in total around 24 to 36 ounces of chicken. I made it with pre-cooked chicken recently and used between 5 and 6 cups. It's a pretty flexible recipe so if you are over or under it's okay. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Cindy says
Do you happen to know how many calories is in a serving?
Kori says
395 calories in a serving! Hope you enjoy the peppers!
Steven Smith says
It was delicious!! Made it with 3 boneless chicken breasts, 3 large red bell peppers, small onion, extra taco seasoning, hot sauce, all the cheeses, and sour cream. Did everything in a skillet and baked it in a glass 9 x 13 pan. Came out fantastic!! Definitely a keeper!! Thank you!!!
Kori says
Thank you so glad you loved it!!! That sounds perfect! 🙂
Mary says
I am thankful to the person who kindly shared the fact that she uses pepper flakes instead of real peppers. Unfortunately, since I have aged certain foods do Not agree with me.
Kori says
Glad you found a solution for this recipe! Hope you enjoy
Carol says
What size pan did you use to make this dish?
Kori says
Hi, I use either a 12" skillet or (4) 6.5" individual-sized skillets. If you don't have a skillet you can transfer to a similar size casserole dish. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Cory says
This was delicious! My husband said this will be our new taco Tuesday meal. Love it!
Kori says
Oh yay! Thank you...I'm so happy you love it!! It's one of my go-to recipes 'cause it's so easy. When it cools down I have a soup recipe you might like. It's basically the chicken fajita bake recipe just turned into a crockpot soup....Crockpot Chicken Fajita Soup. 🙂
Cathy says
Can I freeze this since it’s only me.
Kori says
Yes, absolutely you can freeze this! 🙂 Hope you enjoyed it