This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breast is juicy, cheesy, and packed with sautéed peppers and onions. It’s an easy, high-protein dinner with bold fajita flavor, all made in one simple recipe. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal that doesn’t feel boring.
This is one of those meals I make when I want something a little different from plain chicken. It has all the flavors of fajitas without the tortillas, and it always feels a bit more put-together, even though it’s actually simple to make. I also love that it’s filling, high in protein, and works great for leftovers the next day.
If you love fajita-style recipes, you may also like my chicken fajita casserole or my chicken fajita pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- High in protein and very filling (about 56g protein per serving)
- Packed with flavor from homemade fajita seasoning
- Made with simple, everyday ingredients
- Low carb and naturally gluten-free
- Great for meal prep
Recipe Overview
Ingredients needed
Here is a list of ingredients to make this fajita-stuffed chicken breast recipe. Full measurements are listed further down below.
- Chicken breast: The hero of this recipe, you cannot use chicken thighs. I recommend using medium-large chicken breasts so it’s easier to make pockets for stuffing.
- Oil: I used olive oil, but you can use any other oil you have on hand.
- Onion: I like cooking onions, but if you have white or red onions, you can use either one.
- Corn starch
- Fresh garlic cloves: works best for the fajita filling mixture, but if you do not have any, you can use garlic powder.
- Bell peppers: I used red peppers for this recipe, but the other colors will also work, or mix 2 different colors.
- Cheese: I used cheddar, but any other shredded cheese you have on hand will work just fine, such as a Mexican cheese blend.
- To serve: lime and/or fresh parsley
- Seasonings: chili powder, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin
How to make Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Make the fajita seasoning: To a small bowl, mix all the fajita seasoning ingredients.
- Cook the fajita veggie mixture: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion together and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers, then sprinkle with ½ of the fajita mix, and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare and stuff the chicken: Cut a lengthwise pocket into each chicken breast. Rub the chicken all over with the remaining fajita seasoning, then stuff the pocket with a spoonful of the fajita-pepper mixture and cheddar cheese. Seal with a toothpick by inserting it diagonally to keep the stuffing in.
- Cook the stuffed chicken: To the same skillet, add the remaining oil and sear the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes per side. Next, add ¼ cup of water to the pan, cover, and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Recipe notes and Tips
- Don’t cut too deep: Slice a pocket into the chicken without cutting all the way through so the filling stays inside.
- Cook the veggies first: Sautéing the peppers and onions brings out their flavor and keeps the chicken from getting watery.
- Secure with toothpicks: This helps keep everything in place while cooking.
- Don’t rush the cooking: After searing, cover and cook on low heat so the chicken stays juicy and cooks through evenly.
- Use a thermometer if needed: Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally.
- Bake option: You can bake instead at 375°F for about 25–30 minutes if you prefer a hands-off method.
Easy Variations
- Cheese swaps: Mozzarella, Monterey jack, or pepper jack
- Add-ins: mushrooms, spinach, or jalapeños
- Make it dairy-free: skip cheese or use a dairy-free alternative
- Spice level: adjust cayenne or chili powder
Common Questions
Stuffing your chicken breast can be as creative as you like. You can stuff them with asparagus and cheese, mushroom and cheese, broccoli, cheesy spinach, or try our fajita-style stuffed chicken breast.
It all depends on what you stuff your chicken breast with but most stuffed chicken breast recipes will be keto-friendly since they are mostly stuffed with some sort of veggies and cheese.
Yes. You can prep and stuff the chicken ahead of time, then store it in the fridge and cook it when ready.
You can, but they’re harder to stuff. Chicken breasts work best for this recipe.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
- Add a simple side salad
- Slice and use in wraps or bowls
- Top with avocado, salsa, or Greek yogurt
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days
- Reheat: microwave for 1–2 minutes or warm in the oven at 375°F until heated through
- Meal prep tip: slice before storing for easier reheating
More stuffed chicken breast recipes
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Tuscan Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Cheesey Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Olive Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rating below.
Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or avocado oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 4 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
- lime wedges, Optional
Fajita seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- To a small bowl, mix all the fajita seasoning ingredients. (1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 large onion and 2-3 garlic cloves together and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 medium bell peppers, then sprinkle with ½ of the fajita mix, and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside.
- Cut a lengthwise pocket into each of the 4 large chicken breasts. Rub the chicken all over with the remaining fajita seasoning, then stuff each of the pockets with a spoonful of the fajita-pepper mixture and 1 cup cheddar cheese. (divided equally). Seal with a toothpick by inserting it diagonally to keep the stuffing in.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sear the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes per side.
- Next, add ¼ cup of water to the pan, cover, and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Garnish with Fresh parsley and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- Cheese: you may use any other cheese, like provolone, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack
- Bell peppers: Use any colored bell pepper of your choice
- You will need to cover the pan to allow the chicken to fully cook. Don’t try to cook it too quickly over high heat.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, microwave in the oven for 60-90 seconds. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 F. Wrap the stuffed chicken breast in foil, then place it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So yummy 😋
Can we freeze it?
You sure can
Ok so like this was yummy but for an amateur like me, I had a very hard time flipping over the chicken that was stuffed with the toothpicks because they would not lay down flat on the pan after flipping it the first time. So, I had to take the toothpicks out and flip them, then pray that the peppers and onions stayed inside. They didn’t. Most did, but not all of them. And then, there were more peppers and onions then chicken, so they were overflowing anyway. It was ok. The flavor was great! I had to give it a 4 out of 5 because it probably would have been perfect if only I was a good cook. It was tender also, but I forgot to put the cheese in it so I put it in after putting it on the plate. Maybe if I put the cheese on it while I was cooking it would have stayed together better without the toothpicks.
Family loved it, we served it over rice so tasty
Perfect. Thanks for the review
Very tasty. I added it to baked tortilla chips and it worked so well together.
So glad you loved it
Couldn’t have enough of it, I had a one satisfied happy family
Amazing! Thanks for the feedback.
This was delicious, enjoyed by my whole family!!!!
The only thing I changed was I did not make the sauce, so I omitted the cornstarch (my husband is a Keto man). I just put the fajita spice mix on the chicken and pan fried in my cast iron pan.
But for my carb loving sons, I used the fajita spice mix on some potatoes and put them in the oven. And now everyone was happy! Thank you for this recipe, it is a keeper!
You made it work for everyone. perfect