These chicken and chorizo fajitas are the Tex-Mex dinner that delivers more bold, smoky, deeply spiced flavor than a standard chicken fajita with one simple addition. Thick chicken breast strips and sliced bell peppers and onions tossed in Kinder's Taco Seasoning and cooked on a griddle until the chicken is nearly done, then chorizo added and everything cooked together until the chicken is fully cooked through, the vegetables are beautifully sautéed, and the chorizo has rendered its smoky, spiced fat through every piece of chicken and vegetable on the griddle. Served with fresh pico de gallo, Mexican rice, and black beans for a complete Tex-Mex dinner, or loaded into tortillas with shredded cheese for a full taco night spread.
The chorizo is the ingredient that makes these fajitas unforgettable. As it cooks it renders a deeply spiced, smoky, slightly oily fat that coats the chicken and vegetables around it and infuses every piece with a bold, complex flavor that taco seasoning alone cannot produce. The combination of the Kinder's seasoning on the chicken and the natural seasoning of the chorizo produces a fajita that tastes like it was made at a proper Tex-Mex restaurant.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The chorizo transforms the flavor of everything around it on the griddle. Its rendered fat and bold spices coat the chicken and vegetables in a smoky, deeply seasoned layer that makes these fajitas taste significantly more complex than a standard chicken version.
Kinder's Taco Seasoning does all the seasoning work in one packet. No measuring individual spices, no additional salt, and a bold, well-balanced flavor that coats the chicken and vegetables evenly.
The griddle method produces the best caramelization on the vegetables and the crispiest edges on the chicken. Everything cooks at the right rate and the chorizo grease cooks off rather than pooling.
It is a complete dinner in one cooking vessel. Serve with rice, beans, and pico for a full spread that covers every element without any additional recipe required.
Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas
Simple, bold Tex-Mex ingredients. Here is what you need.
The Proteins
Thick chicken breasts sliced into strips provide the primary protein and absorb the taco seasoning deeply during the cook. Mexican chorizo is a fresh, highly seasoned ground pork sausage that is completely different from Spanish chorizo. It is sold in a casing or loose in most grocery stores near the sausages and is the version used in this recipe.
The Vegetables
Two onions sliced into half moons caramelize beautifully on the griddle and add sweetness alongside the bold chorizo flavor. Three bell peppers in any color combination add sweetness, color, and freshness. All three colors together produces the most visually striking fajita presentation.
The Seasoning
One packet of Kinder's Taco Seasoning coats the chicken and vegetables before cooking and provides the primary Tex-Mex seasoning profile throughout the dish. Combined with the natural seasoning that renders out of the chorizo during cooking, the finished fajitas are deeply and completely seasoned without any additional spices.
How to Make Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas
One griddle or skillet, 40 minutes.
Step 1: Season and Prep
Add the sliced chicken strips, sliced onions, and sliced bell peppers to a large bowl. Sprinkle the Kinder's Taco Seasoning over everything and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken and Vegetables
Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and vegetables in an even layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken is almost fully cooked through and the vegetables are beginning to soften and develop caramelized edges.
Step 3: Add the Chorizo
Add the chorizo directly to the griddle, breaking it apart into smaller pieces as it goes in. Continue cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, the vegetables are well sautéed and slightly caramelized, and most of the grease rendered from the chorizo has cooked off the griddle surface.
Step 4: Serve
Transfer to a serving platter or serve directly from the griddle alongside fresh pico de gallo, Mexican rice, and black beans. Add tortillas and shredded cheese for a taco night format.
Sheet Pan Option
Toss the seasoned chicken, onions, and bell peppers together on a large rimmed sheet pan. Add the chorizo in pieces distributed across the pan. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Be aware that the chorizo releases a significant amount of grease onto the sheet pan during baking. The griddle method is preferred for this reason since the grease cooks off rather than accumulating in the pan with the other ingredients.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or in the microwave on medium power in 60-second intervals. The reheated fajita mixture is excellent in quesadillas, rice bowls, or on top of nachos the next day.
How to Serve Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas
Serve the fajita mixture on a large platter with all the accompaniments arranged around it. Fresh pico de gallo, Mexican rice, and black beans alongside make this a complete, well-rounded Tex-Mex dinner. For taco night, set out warm flour or corn tortillas and shredded cheese and let everyone build their own. I love serving this alongside the Mexican Rice for a complete from-scratch Tex-Mex spread where the rice and fajita flavors reinforce each other beautifully.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas
What type of chorizo works best for this recipe?
Mexican chorizo is the correct type for this recipe. It is a fresh, loose, highly seasoned ground pork sausage sold either in a casing or loose in a tube or wrapper. It is bright red from the dried chiles and spices it contains and crumbles as it cooks. Spanish chorizo is a completely different product, a dry-cured sausage that is sliced rather than crumbled and has a firmer texture. Mexican chorizo is what you want here for its loose texture that breaks apart on the griddle and renders its spiced fat through the surrounding ingredients.
Why is the griddle method recommended over the sheet pan?
Chorizo releases a significant amount of fat as it cooks from the lard and the oils in its spice blend. On a griddle or open skillet that fat renders off and evaporates or drains away, producing a drier, more caramelized result on the chicken and vegetables. On a sheet pan that fat has nowhere to go and accumulates in the pan, essentially braising everything in chorizo grease rather than searing it. The griddle method produces a dramatically better texture and a less greasy finished dish.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs sliced into strips are actually an excellent substitute that produces a juicier, slightly richer result. They are more forgiving of slightly longer cook times and absorb the seasoning and chorizo flavor deeply. The cook time remains approximately the same since they are sliced thin.
What is Kinder's Taco Seasoning and can I substitute it?
Kinder's is a premium seasoning brand known for producing well-balanced, bold blends with high quality ingredients. Their taco seasoning is less salty and more flavorful than standard grocery store taco packets and produces an excellent result in this recipe. If unavailable, any good quality taco seasoning packet works in the same amount. McCormick Original Taco Seasoning is the most widely available alternative.
How do I get the vegetables properly caramelized rather than just softened?
Two things produce properly caramelized rather than simply softened fajita vegetables. First, medium to medium-high heat rather than low heat. Low heat steams the vegetables in their own moisture rather than searing them. Second, stirring occasionally rather than constantly. Leaving the vegetables in contact with the hot griddle surface for a full minute or two between stirs gives them time to develop caramelized edges rather than just cooking through evenly. A little patience with the stir frequency produces dramatically better color and flavor.
Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the sliced chicken strips, sliced onions, and sliced bell peppers to a large bowl. Sprinkle the Kinder's taco seasoning over everything and toss until evenly coated.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through and the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the chorizo, breaking it apart as it cooks. Continue cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through, the vegetables are well sautéed, and most of the grease from the chorizo has cooked off.
- Serve immediately with pico de gallo, Mexican rice, black beans, and tortillas and cheese if making it a taco night.
- Toss the seasoned chicken, onions, and bell peppers on a large sheet pan. Add the chorizo in pieces across the pan.
- Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Note that the chorizo will release a significant amount of grease on the sheet pan. The griddle method is preferred for this reason.
Notes
- The griddle or stovetop method is strongly recommended over the sheet pan. The chorizo releases a significant amount of grease during cooking and the griddle allows it to cook off rather than pooling in the pan with everything else.
- Cook the chorizo last so the chicken and vegetables get a head start and everything finishes at the same time.
- Kinder's Taco Seasoning is bolder and less salty than standard taco seasoning packets. It coats the chicken and vegetables evenly and does all the seasoning work without any additional spices.
- Slice the chicken, onions, and bell peppers to a similar thickness so everything cooks evenly in the same time frame.
