This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas recipe combines tender chicken, peppers, onions, Rotel and taco seasoning for a low-prep family dinner the whole family will love.
If you love chicken fajitas as much as I do, but don’t want to stand over the stove, this Crockpot chicken fajita recipe is such an easy alternative. The chicken cooks until it is tender enough to shred while the peppers, onions, taco seasoning, and tomatoes create plenty of flavor.
The slow cooker does create more liquid and softer vegetables than a skillet, but I have included simple tips for handling both. Using a slotted spoon and returning only a small amount of the cooking liquid to the shredded chicken keeps the filling juicy without making your tortillas soggy. You’re going to love this recipe!
Pin this now to save it for later
Pin It NowWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick preparation: It takes only about 10 minutes to get everything into the slow cooker. And with the use of a taco seasoning packet, there’s no time wasted measuring a lengthy list of seasonings.
- Easy Ingredients: Nothing. fancy here. Just chicken, bell peppers, onion, Rotel and taco seasoning.
- Minimal cleanup: Quite possibly the worst part about cooking is the cleanup. The. entire fajita filling cooks in one slow cooker!
- Family-friendly: Everyone can assemble their fajitas with the toppings they enjoy.
- Easy to customize: Use mild or hot Rotel and choose your favorite color bell peppers and toppings.
- Leftovers: I like to use leftovers to make quesadillas, a salad, rice bowls, or even nachos!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Part of what makes this such a great recipe is that the ingredients are simple and easy to keep on hand. Everything marinates in the slow cooker while the fajitas cook, getting the juiciest and best flavor! For the full recipe including all measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Cut each breast in half length-wise to create thinner pieces of chicken. The smaller pieces cook more evenly and are easy to shred once they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bell peppers: I always opt for a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper, but any combination of bell peppers will work for fajitas. Try to cut the strips into thick, even-sized strips. Thin strips can become too soft after several hours in the slow cooker.
- Onion: A medium yellow onion cut into pieces similar in thickness to the bell peppers.
- Taco seasoning: Use a packet of taco seasoning or ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of my homemade taco seasoning.
- Rotel: One 10-ounce can of Rotel provides diced tomatoes, green chiles, flavor, and the liquid needed to cook the chicken. Add the Rotel with its juices. You do not need to add water or broth.
How to Cook Chicken Fajitas in The Slow Cooker
The method is truly simple. Dump everything into the slow cooker, turn it on low, walk away and 8 hours later you have perfectly tender chicken fajitas! Here is a breakdown of how it comes together. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Prepare the chicken. If chicken breasts are large, cut them in half lengthwise to make thiner pieces. Place the chicken in the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the seasoning. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken.
- Add the vegetables: Arrange thickly sliced bell peppers and onion over the chicken.
- Add the Rotel: Pour the entire can of Rotel, including its juices, over the chicken and vegetables. You do not need any additional liquid.
- Cook the chicken fajitas: Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Begin checking at the early end of the time range. The chicken is ready when the thickest portion reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and is tender enough to shred easily with forks.
- Shred the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board of a medium-sized bowl and shred it with two forks.
- Adjust the cooking liquid: Remove the peppers and onions with a s lotted spoon. If there is excess cooking liquid, drain some of it (although reserve it in case you need to add more back in. Return the chicken ,peppers and onions to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. There should be enough cooking liquid to keep the chicken moist but not overly watery. Add in as much or as little cooking liquid as needed.
- Serve: Serve the chicken fajita mixture into warm tortillas and add your favorite toppings.
How to Keep the Peppers from Getting Mushy
Slow cookers use moist heat, so the bell peppers and onions will be softer than vegetables cooked in a skillet. This is normal for slow cooker chicken fajitas. The time saving method of this recipe is worth the trade of softer peppers.
One way around this is to cut the peppers into thick strips. You can add them at the beginning of the cook time for the easiest, hands-off method. If you’d like firmer peppers, add them during the last 30-60 minutes of cook time.
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Equipment
- 1 5-6 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into thick strips
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into thick strips
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel with juices or diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 packet taco seasoning or 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning
- flour or corn tortillas warmed for serving
- toppings cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place chicken breasts or thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker. If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half lengthwise.
- Season: Sprinkle 1 packet or ¼ cup of homemade taco seasoning over the chicken.
- Add the vegetables: Arrange thick sliced bell peppers and onions evenly over the chicken.
- Add the Rotel. Pour the entire 10 ounce can of Rotel, including its juices, over the chicken and vegetables.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Begin checking at the early part of the time range. The chicken is ready when its thickest portion reaches 165 ℉ and it is tender enough to shred easily with two forks.
- Adjust the cooking liquid: Remove the chicken and peppers and onions with the slotted spoon. Keep only enough cooking liquid to keep the chicken moist. Reserve the rest of the liquid in case more needs to be added. Return the chicken and vegetables to the liquid and stir to combine.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken fajita mixture into warm tortillas and add your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Slow-cooker temperatures vary. Check the chicken early and rely on an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit rather than cooking for the maximum time automatically.
- For firmer peppers, reserve half of the sliced peppers and add them during the last 30-60 minutes of cooking. Cut the peppers into thick strips if adding them at the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and onions naturally release liquid as they cook. Because a slow cooker traps steam under the lid, the liquid does not evaporate the same way it does in a skillet. To prevent soggy fajitas: do not add water or chicken broth. Remove the chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon and only keep enough cooking liquid to keep the mixture moist.
Serve with a slotted spoon or tongs to avoid excess liquid.
Chicken is fully cooked when the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken varies in thickness and every slow cooker is different. Begin checking the chicken at 4 hours if cooking on low and after two hours if cooking on high. When the chicken shreds easily and has reached 165 degrees, it’s done.
You can use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Chicken breasts are used in the original recipe but chicken thighs can be used. They have a little more fat and tend to remain juicy during slow cooking.
I do not recommend using frozen chicken. Be sure chicken is completely thawed before placing it in the crock pot. Frozen chicken makes the cooking time unpredictable.
The peppers and onion can be sliced a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep the vegetables and seasoning separate from the raw chicken until you are ready to assemble and cook the fajitas.
Chicken Fajita Toppings and Serving Suggestions
One of the best parts about fajita night is allowing everyone to choose their own toppings. Try these easy options:
- Shredded cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese
- Sour cream
- Homemade Guacamole (my favorite recipe!)
- Salsa or Pico De Gallo
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced jalapeños
Warm the tortillas before serving. I like to heat them in the air fryer! Choose flour tortillas if you like soft and flexible. Choose corn tortilla for more corn flavor. For a low-carb option, skip the tortillas and serve the chicken and vegetables over a bed of shredded lettuce, or cauliflower rice.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Remove any leftover chicken and veggies from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can discard the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or in a small skillet until heated through. Leftovers should never be reheated more than once.
For a fun variation, try my Chicken Fajita Quesadillas!
More Fajita Recipes
- Make delicious fajitas in the instant pot with these Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas.
- Air Fryer Steak for Fajitas and Burritos
- Make these Fajita Veggies to go alongside leftover chicken, steak, or in a burrito bowl.
If you try this recipe for chicken fajitas or any of my other recipes, I’d love to know how you enjoy it. Hearing from you makes my day!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
I love making my own seasoning blends! Not only is it very cost-effective, but super easy. When you make your own taco seasoning, you have full control over the ingredients and can adjust the flavors to suit your taste preferences. You can customize the spice level, saltiness, and overall flavor profile to create a seasoning blend that perfectly complements your dishes and skip the added preservatives and sodium that can be found in store-bought packets.
