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5 from 2 votes

CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA

Chicken Fajita Pasta is creamy and loaded with flavor! Delicious one pot pasta recipe made with onions, peppers, cheese and chicken.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Chicken Fajita Pasta
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 382kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz fusilli or favorite pasta
  • 2 medium chicken breasts cut into strips or bite sized pieces/cubes
  • 2 heaping tablespoons cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoon fajita seasoning
  • 3 bell peppers tri color, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large white onion sliced about ½ inches thick
  • 5 garlic cloves minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons minced)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup monterey jack, colby or cheddar mix cheese shredded (any good melty cheese will do)
  • ½ cup fire roasted crushed tomatoes or rotel tomatoes with chili for some added heat
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • OPTIONAL : Fresh cilantro and/or ¼ cup Parmesan or cotija cheese for serving

Instructions

COOK THE CHICKEN

  • In a dutch oven or a deep skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken strips and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove any excess liquid, return to the pot and add 1 1/2  tablespoons of fajita seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for another 1 minute. The chicken should be cooked through at this point, but if you have thicker pieces, you may need to cook a little bit longer. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° to be safe. Set aside.

COOK THE VEGGIES

  • In the same skillet saute the bell peppers and onions with 1 tablespoon of fajita seasoning until they start to become soft (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside.

COOK THE PASTA

  • Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and fusilli to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. At this point you will have a little extra water in the pot (it will not evaporate completely). That's totally fine!

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

  • Add dollops of cream cheese, stir to combine.
  • Return the veggies and chicken to the pot, taste for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if needed. (If you want even more flavor, you can add a little smoked paprika, cumin, and cajun spice.) Stir in shredded cheese. If desired, serve with fresh cilantro and parmesan or cotija cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes

Traditionally fajita meat is cut into strips but you can cut the veggies and chicken into bite size pieces, especially if using smaller pasta. Easier to eat:)
Don’t overcook the pasta, it will continue to cook in the pot once you add the rest of ingredients. 
This pasta has plenty of Mexican flavor but should only be mildly spicy.  This will also depend on fajita seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2167IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg