Tex Mex Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner || Quick Way To Make Fajitas For A Crowd
A tex mex chicken sheet pan dinner is a great way to put together a meal using just one pan. And it’s a real crowd pleaser too.
You may know this popular dish by the name fajitas. It is often thought of as a Mexican dish. But, it really isn’t Mexican cuisine at all.
Rather, it is Tex Mex cuisine. An American cuisine that arose from a blend of the food cultures of Texas cowboys and Mexican Pancheros. And it’s pretty tasty stuff.
Chili con carne, queso dip, and chimichangas are all examples of Tex Mex cuisine. And while burritos, enchiladas, and tacos are common foods in both Mexican and Tex Mex cuisines, the versions that are most often offered here in the states are more typical of Tex Mex cuisine.
How Healthy Is Tex Mex Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner?
The Tex Mex chicken sheet pan dinner is really rather good for you. There’s plenty of good nutrition to be found in the meat, veggies, and tortillas that comprise the main stay of this great meal.
It is quite likely that you will opt for one or more of the suggested toppings for this meal, that are listed further on in this post.
But it’s really hard to go wrong there either. They are all healthy choices as well. You may want to go light on the sour cream and avocado if you use them, as they have such a high fat content.
Personally, I go all out and add whatever appeals to me. The great thing is that you can only fit so much of any one thing in a tortilla shell, and just one or two of these bad boys is really filling.
There’s just not a lot of room for overindulgence.
Ingredients For This Recipe
There are only 6 simple ingredients needed to make this dish. If you choose to use toppings, and I assume most everyone will, then you will need additional ingredients for those.
Here’s a list of the basic 6 for your reference …
Chicken – Farm fresh organic chicken breast is recommended for this recipe.
Bell Peppers – Tri-color and green bell peppers are used in this recipe. You can use just your favorites if you like. If you use only green bell peppers it really changes the flavor, a little too much in my opinion.
Onion – A sweet variety onion is best in a Tex Mex chicken sheet pan dinner. However, any onion can be used successfully. When I was making the recipe for the blog pictures, I got my hands on a candy onion at my local Amish stand. It was outstanding.
Fajita Seasoning – This seasoning can be picked up in any major grocery store. I use my own homemade version, as I prefer it to store bought.
Lime – Fresh squeezed lime makes all the difference in this recipe. If you only have bottled lime juice it will work. But, I encourage you to go get a lime!
Tortillas – Large, plain white tortillas are my preferred choice for this recipe, at least until I start making my own from scratch. Any tortilla can be used. So if you have a favorite flavor, go for it. Larger tortillas are easier to work with.
Make Your Own Fajita Seasoning
It is really easy to put together your own fajita seasoning mix. And if you make a large enough batch, you can store it in the cupboard for future use. This way you don’t have to make it every time you need it.
The recipe that I use can be found on my Steak Fajita Omelet post. It makes just enough for this Tex Mex chicken sheet pan dinner, with about a tablespoon leftover to season some sour cream for the top.
If you prefer to grab some at the store, you should have no trouble finding it. Fajita seasoning mix is available at any major grocery chain.
How To Make A Tex Mex Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
One of the really great things about a Tex Mex chicken sheet pan dinner is that it uses only one pan.
You will need an extra large mixing bowl to season the ingredients before you lay them out on a sheet pan.
You’ll season the bell peppers, onions, and chicken individually in the bowl. And then lay them out on the sheet pan, squeeze a little lime juice over them, and bake.
When they come out of the oven, they are ready to enjoy. Wrap the ingredients in a tortilla, either warm or cold, add your favorite toppings, and have at it.
How To Serve A Tex Mex Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
You can prepare individual fajitas and serve them that way if you like. But, it’s really rather fun to allow everyone to put their own fajita together.
Lay out your chicken, bell peppers, and onions on a large platter and serve them with a pair of tongs. Place a few tortilla shells on a plate. And let everyone have at it. Then they can dig in and make their fajita just the way they like it.
This recipe serves about 4 people. Because there are only 2 people in my house, we always have leftovers. And that’s quite alright with us, as there are so many ways to use them up.
They are great served on a toasted sub roll or stuffed into a grilled cheese sandwich. We also use them to top salads, so good.
And we’ve been know to turn them into nachos on occasion as well.
If you have a larger family, you may want to consider making a double batch. It’s great to take the leftovers and make a quick meal with them later in the week.
The Best Toppings For This Recipe
Everyone who makes, or eats, a Tex Mex chicken sheet pan dinner is going to have their own ideas about which toppings are a must have for this dish.
There are just 4 toppings that I absolutely can’t live without when I eat this meal. And they are shredded cheddar cheese, homemade pico de gallo, sour cream blended with fajita seasoning, and fresh lime juice.
However, when the mood strikes me I serve this dish with quite a few other toppings. And they are actually outstanding additions.
They are …
- Scallions
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sliced Avocado
- Pickled Red Onion
- Black Beans
- Rice
- Jalapenos
As you can see, there’s a lot of versatility concerning the toppings for this dish. So, make what pleases you. Or have a few guests over, and put them all out on the table. There will be something for everyone. And everyone will be impressed.
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TEX MEX CHICKEN SHEET PAN DINNER
A tex mex chicken sheet pan dinner is a great way to put together a meal using just one pan. And it's a real crowd pleaser too. You may recognize the more common name for this dish, which is fajitas.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 3/4" strips
- 4 bell peppers, 1 each red, yellow, orange, green, sliced 3/4" strips
- 1 onion, sweet, extra large, sliced 3/4" strips
- 6-7 tbls fajita seasoning
- 1 lime
- 8 tortillas, 10"
- cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
- sour cream, optional
- pico de gallo, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, roll peppers in 2 tbls fajita seasoning mix and spread them out on 1/3 of a sheet pan.
- In same bowl, roll onions in 2 tbls fajita seasoning mix and spread them out on the same pan. Again using 1/3 of the pan.
- Repeat with the chicken.
- Squeeze half the lime over the top of the chicken and veggies.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until peppers and onions are tender.
- Remove from oven and distribute among the tortillas.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Mix sour cream with remaining tbls of fajita seasoning and put some on top of each portion.
- Put a little pico de gallo on each portion.
- Squeeze a bit of lime over top.
- Wrap snugly and dig in!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 731mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 42g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 10/4/2022. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never made fajitas though we love all Mexican foods and dishes… this gives me great inspiration! Thanks!
This one is too easy not to make 😉
Simple, fresh, and healthy … that’s a perfect description of this dish!