These are the ultimate crispy chicken fajitas. Tender juicy chicken is fried until crispy then combined with perfectly seasoned bell peppers and onion. Everything is then piled onto warm tortillas. Serve for a party or make for a weeknight meal.
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If you’ve never made fajitas with fried chicken you must try it! The fried chicken adds the perfect crunch while being extremely tender and juicy on the inside. The chicken is first marinated then dipped in a homemade chicken batter which is made with chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and more.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These Ultra Crispy Chicken Fajitas
- What You’ll Need to Make Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps
- What Type of Fajita Seasoning Should You Use?
- How to Make Crispy Chicken Fajitas
- Why Make Crispy Chicken for Fajitas?
- Tips for Making the Crispy Chicken Ultra Crispy for these Fajitas
- Storing the Crispy Breaded Chicken Fajitas
- Ultimate Crispy Chicken Fajitas
Why You’ll Love These Ultra Crispy Chicken Fajitas
- These aren’t your typical fajitas. Fried chicken is ultra crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.
- You can make everything in one skillet to reduce the number of dishes you have to do at the end of the day. This makes it a great weeknight meal.
- They’re easy to make main course. If you don’t have much experience with fried chicken, don’t worry these are fool proof.
What You’ll Need to Make Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps
Chicken tenderloins - you may substitute with chicken breasts sliced into smaller chicken strips
Bell peppers - I used red and green bell peppers. Feel free to use any colors you’d like
Onion - sweet or yellow will be just fine
Fajita seasoning mix - make your own or buy store bought. Only used to season the veggies as they cook
Tortilla shells - corn or flour will do
For the Chicken Dredge
Buttermilk - to tenderize the chicken without it becoming tough and chewy
Hot Sauce - for flavor and a touch of spice, leave out if you or your family are sensitive to spicy foods
For the Chicken Batter
All purpose flour
Corn starch
Chili powder
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground cumin
Salt
Pepper
What Type of Fajita Seasoning Should You Use?
So you have multiple options when it comes to fajita seasoning. You can make it your own or buy a pre-made mix from the store. I love making a homemade fajita seasoning. The most common ingredients that are found in the spice blend are chili powder, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne.
Many of the same ingredients found in the chicken batter are found in fajita seasoning mix. The biggest difference is that the batter contains flour and corn starch. Making your own fajita seasoning is a great idea because it gives you control over how much salt and cayenne you use. There’s no right or wrong choice, sometimes choosing a store-bought mix is easy and is one less step. I’ve made it both ways and it has turned out great each time.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Fajitas
Step 1: Place the chicken tenderloins in a container with the buttermilk and hot sauce. Place a lid on the container and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or a maximum of 24 hours for the best results.
Step 2: Make your chicken batter by placing all of the chicken batter ingredients in a bag. Mix until seasonings combine with the flour and cornstarch. Next, add the chicken after allowing any excess buttermilk to drip off. Shake the bag to coat the chicken breasts in the batter. Set aside.
Step 3: Place a skillet over medium heat and add enough oil so the oil is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. After the oil is heated add sliced chicken working in batches making sure they don’t overlap. Then cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the other side has browned and the chicken is cooked through. Let cool on a cooking rack. Repeat with remaining batches.
Step 4: Remove the skillet from the heat and drain excess oil leaving some residual oil in the skillet. Place back over medium heat and add the bell peppers, onion, and top with fajita seasoning. Stir until the veggies are coated. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the peppers and onion have cooked down and softened. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve the fried chicken and cooked peppers and onion on tortilla shells. Top with shredded cheese, cilantro, and anything else you'd like.
Why Make Crispy Chicken for Fajitas?
So why make crispy fried chicken for fajitas instead of pan fried? Well, why not? Who doesn’t love fried chicken? Especially fried chicken that’s seasoned well and packs a punch of flavor like this recipe does. Fajitas with crispy fried chicken adds an element of crunch that traditional fajitas just don’t have. If you’ve never had it this way you’ll love it.
Tips for Making the Crispy Chicken Ultra Crispy for these Fajitas
- Make sure your oil is hot enough. If your oil isn’t hot enough you’ll end up with greasy or oily chicken which is not what we’re going for. The best temperature for the oil when frying chicken is 350 degrees. Use a thermometer to check and try to maintain this heat. An oil too hot will cause excess splattering and could overcook the outside of your chicken while the inside is still raw. Don’t have a thermometer? Flick a drop of water into the skillet and see if it starts to bubble. If it does you’re usually good to ahead and add the chicken.
- Don’t crowd the pan when you fry. Avoid overlapping and over-crowding the chicken in the skillet. Adding too many pieces at once reduces the temperature which can lead to oily soggy breading.
- Soak the raw chicken in buttermilk. This helps tenderize the chicken allowing it to be juicy and delicious after it’s been fried.
- After the chicken has been fried, don’t let it sit on a plate with paper towels. A cooling rack is almost necessary. Consider preheating your oven to 250 degrees and place the chicken on the cooling rack in the oven. It will remain warm and crisp until you’re ready to serve.
Storing the Crispy Breaded Chicken Fajitas
The crispy chicken fajitas best the day they are served. However, if you have leftovers they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. I recommend storing the peppers and onion separate from the fried chicken. I usually place a paper towel in the container with the fried chicken to soak up any excess oil. Be sure that your fried chicken is close to room temperature before adding to a sealed container to avoid condensation and soggy breading.
Ultimate Crispy Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins sliced into smaller strips
- Tortilla shells
Chicken Dredge
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
Chicken Batter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Veggies
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
Instructions
- Place the chicken tenderloins in a container with the buttermilk and hot sauce. Place a lid on the container and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or a maximum of 24 hours for the best results.
- Place all chicken batter ingredients in a bag. Mix until all the seasonings are well combined with the flour and cornstarch. Place the chicken into the chicken batter mixture. Shake the bag to coat the chicken breasts in the batter. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Place a skillet over medium heat and add enough oil so the oil is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Once the oil is heated through add the sliced chicken in batching making sure they don’t overlap. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the side facing down is browned. Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the other side has browned and the chicken is cooked through. Let cool on a cooking rack in a 250 degree oven until the remaining chicken has cooked. Repeat with remaining batches until all the chicken is cooked. Then remove from the oven right before serving.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and drain excess oil leaving some residual oil in the skillet. Place back over medium heat and add the bell peppers, onion, and top with fajita seasoning. Stir until the veggies are coated with the seasoning. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the peppers and onion have cooked down and softened. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve the fried chicken and cooked peppers and onion on tortilla shells.
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