Spice up your dinner with our delicious fajita pasta, made with tender chicken thighs, peppers, onions and a zesty fajita-style seasoning. Perfect for a quick and easy dinner.
This chicken fajita pasta recipe is so easy and tasty. It’s the perfect midweek meal and something that we eat a lot!
We love Mexican food and often rotate tacos, burritos, and fajitas on Tuesday nights. Which is great, but sometimes it’s nice to get something different into the mix.
This fajita pasta dish has all the flavours of fajitas and lots of peppers for colour, crunch, and nutrition. It sticks to the theme, so the kids love it, but it’s a little different.
If you are looking for a new pasta dish to add to your family meal plans, this is one that I highly recommend trying.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
It’s Quick and Easy
Who doesn’t love a quick and easy dinner?
Once you’ve browned the chicken, the rest is ready by the time the pasta cooks. Then it’s just a case of mixing it all together!
It’s a Cheap Family Dinner
I generally find that thighs are cheaper than breasts and that you get more chicken for your money. You can use cheap peppers and basic penne pasta and create this meal incredibly cheaply, which is always a bonus!
It’s Not Spag Bol
My kids really love pasta, but they seem to associate pasta with spagbol, and that’s the only dish they’ll ever ask for.
If you are bored to death with spagbol, then this easy fajita pasta with chicken makes a great alternative.
It Tastes Like Fajitas
The spice mix I use in this recipe really does taste and smell like the fajitas you’d get in a restaurant or from a make-your-own type kit.
You could use the same fajita seasoning, with wraps instead of pasta, to make your home chicken fajitas.
It’s Absolutely Delicious
The main reason any of us love meals, it’s a chicken pasta recipe that always tastes great! This is always a big hit in my house, and I hope it is in yours, too.
Ingredients for Fajita Pasta
Another great thing about this recipe for fajita-style pasta is that there aren’t too many ingredients, and you can make some easy swaps! I use:
Cooking Spray – You can use olive oil or any other cooking oil if you prefer.
Chicken Thighs
Peppers – I tend to go for a mix of red/yellow/orange, but all are fine.
Red Onion
Tomato Puree
Butter – Just a knob, it’s optional, but butter makes most things better.
Chilli Puree/Lazy Chilli – You can chop a fresh red chilli if you prefer, but I like to keep a red chilli puree or jar of chopped chilli in for ease.
Paprika – Smoked paprika works too.
Oregano
Coriander
Cumin
Chilli Powder
Double Cream – Again, optional. You could make fajita pasta without cream, but it’s lovely with even a splash! If you want a cheesy fajita pasta, you could also add some grated or shredded cheese.
Penne Pasta – You can use whatever pasta you have, but the cheapest penne is great.
Can You Use Chicken Breasts?
Yes, you can make fajita pasta with skinless chicken breasts.
I like the taste and texture of thighs, but any chicken will work.
Can You Use Different Peppers?
Yep, use what you’ve got. I don’t like the green ones as much!
What Pasta Should You Use?
Cheap penne is fine, but you can use whatever is in your cupboard.
Do You Need to Add Cream?
No, if you don’t want a creamier flavour, skip this entirely.
Alternatively, if you want it creamier, add a little more.
How to Make Fajita Pasta
You can get the full instructions for my fajita pasta recipe in the card at the bottom of this post.
It’s super simple and fast, I promise!
How do You Retain Pasta Water?
So, you might wonder how to retain pasta water when you drain your pasta.
I tend to scoop a ladle out and pour it into the chicken before draining, then just drain usually and add the pasta to the frying pan.
Easy!
Is it Spicy?
No, this fajita pasta isn’t that spicy. There’s a spice, certainly, but my kids love it as it is.
To reduce the spice, miss the chilli puree or powder, and to make it spicier, either add more or add a pinch of chilli flakes.
Try my Spicy Chicken Pasta Bake if you want a little heat.
What Should You Serve with Fajita Pasta?
You can absolutely serve fajita pasta as it is or maybe topped with a little parmesan. It’s a filling dinner with carbs and protein.
But you can also add a quick salad and garlic bread if you want to.
Can You Freeze Fajita Pasta?
Yes.
If possible, freeze before adding pasta, as I find pasta can go very soft when reheated.
If you do freeze, whether with pasta or not, thaw fully in the fridge, and then reheat on the hob, adding a little extra water if needed, until the chicken is piping hot.
Fajita Pasta
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
- 600 g Chicken Thighs (Roughly Chopped)
- ½ Red Onion (Diced)
- 3 Bell Peppers (Mixed colours, deseeded and sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Chilli Puree (or a finely diced red chilli)
- 2 Teaspoons Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 80 ml Double Cream
- 250 g Dried Penne (Cooked to packet instructions, aiming for an Al Dente texture)
Instructions
- Heat the cooking spray in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped chicken thighs and fry for a few minutes until browned.
- Remove from the pan and set to one side.
- Start cooking the pasta around now.
- Add the onions to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the peppers and stir in.
- Stir in the tomato puree and butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan.
- Add the chilli puree, paprika, oregano, coriander, cumin, and chilli, and stir well.
- Add a ladle of water from the pasta pan.
- Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan.
- Stir well before adding a good splash of double cream.
- Stir until well mixed together, remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
- Switch to different pasta if you prefer.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
