Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
The ultimate comfort food, Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas combine juicy chicken and vibrant vegetables in a flavorful spice mix. This easy weeknight dinner is not only quick to prepare but also bursting with fresh flavors!
Equipment
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
- Chef's Knife
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili pepper
- 1.4 teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, ground cumin, ground paprika, salt, black pepper, and chili pepper. This mixture will serve as a marinade for your chicken.
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. If it’s not in place, the cooking process won’t work correctly.
- Add the chicken strips to the insert. Be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
- Pour the oil and seasoning mixture over the chicken. Use metal tongs to gently toss the chicken until it's well coated in the marinade.
- Wash, core, and thinly slice the bell peppers and onion. These will be layered on top of the chicken.
- Layer the sliced bell peppers and onion on top of the chicken in the Instant Pot. This method allows the vegetables to steam and become tender.
- Add ½ cup of water to the insert. This is crucial as it helps the Instant Pot come to pressure.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. This step ensures no steam escapes during cooking.
- Press the manual button on your Instant Pot and ensure it's set to high pressure. Adjust the timer to 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will beep a few seconds after you set it.
- Once it comes to pressure, the timer will start. You'll hear a gentle hissing sound, which is normal.
- When the cooking time is up, the Instant Pot will beep again. Press the cancel/off button.
- Carefully switch the valve to the venting position to release the pressure quickly. Always do this away from your face to avoid burns.
- When the metal part of the valve drops, carefully open the lid away from your face to release any remaining steam.
- Serve the chicken and peppers in flour tortillas. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and sprinkle with crushed red pepper for an extra kick.
Notes
This recipe calls for ½ cup of water, as that is the manufacturer's recommended and required amount of liquid so your Instant Pot can come to pressure. I received comments from readers who made this recipe and didn't like the "soupy" texture. To prevent that, you can add the water to the bottom of the pot and set the chicken and veggies on a trivet. You can also remove the chicken and peppers after cooking, set on a baking sheet and broil, like you would for carnitas. You can use chicken thighs if that's what you have on hand. I recommend buying the thinly sliced chicken breast (it has way less sodium than the thick breasts) and cutting it into thin strips. You can add the oil and seasoning mixture along with the sliced chicken to a ziploc bag and freezing or storing in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking the fajitas. You can skip the seasoning selection from this recipe and use a packet of fajita or even taco seasoning. Serve fajitas with rice and black beans.