Healthy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Healthy crockpot chicken fajitas recipe made in the slow cooker! All of that delicious traditional fajita flavor without the time spent charring the veggies and chicken. Just dump it all in your crock pot, set it, and forget it. And almost all of the ingredients are whole foods and healthy spices! It’s perfect for those busy days when you still want to eat healthy, but you also want to come home to a delicious dinner ready to eat!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Let’s be honest, life can get really hectic sometimes. That’s why having a few ‘dump dinner’ recipes in your back pocket can really make all of the difference. In this easy chicken fajitas recipe, all of the ingredients get tossed into a crock pot and are then slow cooked for 4-8 hours.

When you come home from work, you will have a steaming hot mixture of sweet onions and bell peppers and perfectly seasoned chicken in a super flavorful sauce. The crockpot does most of the work for you, and you get to reap the benefits!

And when you cook food in a slow cooker, you allow the flavors to take their time developing. The chicken (or any meat, for that matter) becomes perfectly tender and easily shredable. It makes for a wonderful family friendly recipe because it is healthy and easy to make, and it will likely give you leftovers for lunch the next day!

• For the days where you would rather your ‘dump dinner’ be baked in the oven, try my Sheet Pan Hummus Chicken and Veggies recipe!

  

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Ingredients

This recipe is super versatile, so here are some common ingredients and ingredient substitutions that you can use.

• Chicken – Feel free to use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Traditional chicken fajitas recipes typically use boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into long pieces, but I find that chicken thighs work just as well!

• Canned Tomatoes – I choose to use regular organic canned tomatoes instead of fire roasted because I season my recipe with red pepper flakes. But if you can handle the spiciness, feel free to use canned fire roasted tomatoes or even canned diced tomatoes with green chilies!

• Bell Peppers – Try to use a variety of colors, if you can. As you know, we tend to eat with our eyes, and seeing a rainbow of color on a plate gets our stomachs excited for what’s to come!

• Lime – To keep this healthy, try your best to use fresh lime juice. But if you are in a pickle, the squeeze bottle lime juice also works. And if you’re REALLY stuck, lemon juice can be substituted, just note that it will change the flavor profile.

• Onion – Absolutely any type of onion that you have can work here. Red onion is great cooked with the ingredients, or used as a raw topper.

  

How To Make Fajitas In Slow Cooker

We keep it REALLY simple here. No searing the chicken beforehand, just toss it all in the crockpot and let it do its thing!

Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions!

• Add 1 can of diced tomatoes to the slow cooker, along with half of the sliced peppers and onions.
• Top them with the chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts).
• Mix together the spices and sprinkle the fajita seasoning evenly over the top of everything. If you are in a pinch, you can also use premade taco seasoning.
• Top with half of a can of diced tomatoes.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or cook on high for 4 hours to 6 hours.
• About 1-1.5 hours before it is set to be done cooking, add the rest of the sliced peppers and onions. This allows some of the veggies to maintain their textural integrity, and gives you a little crunch when you bite into them!
• When done, carefully remove the chicken and slice it into 1/4-1/2 inch wide strips.
• Serve crockpot chicken fajitas over warmed whole wheat or flour tortillas, rice or side of choice. Top with topping of choice.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas Toppings

What toppings should you use for fajitas? Just about anything that you put on a burrito bowl will work, but here are a few suggestions.

• Avocado – Sliced or made into guacamole

• Sour Cream – For a healthier alternative, try using plain Greek yogurt!

• Cheese – Cheese is always a welcome topping in this house! Shredded colby jack, Mexican blend or cheddar all work great.

• Parsley, Cilantro or Green Onion – They all work well. Feel free to use two or more!

• Rice – It’s not really a topping, per say, but rice can make a great base to fajitas! Brown rice is a healthier option, and you only need a few tbsp per fajita.

What Makes This A Healthy Chicken Fajita Recipe?

Well, for one, almost all of the ingredients are whole ingredients that are not processed! All three colors of bell pepper are exceptionally rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body.

If you purchase organic free-range chicken, you are more likely to consume higher amounts of vitamins and minerals like Vitamins B, D,A and potassium since the chickens are allowed to roam free. One cup of chicken also boasts about 38 grams of protein, which helps your body repair cells and also make new ones.

While the tortilla wraps are a processed ingredient, opting for whole wheat tortillas provides higher amounts of complex carbohydrates and fiber, which helps to reduce cholesterol levels and may reduce your risk of heart disease. Fiber is also essential for proper digestion.

Check out this Homemade Tortilla recipe from Taste of Home!

If you are practicing a Mediterranean Diet, I suggest using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (if you choose this topping). If you want to make it completely processed-ingredient-free, swap the wheat wrap for a bowl of brown rice.

But all in all, crock pot chicken fajitas are a pretty healthy dinner to serve your family!

Tips and Tricks

• You are going to have a lot of liquid left over in the crock pot from the tomatoes and the chicken. Don’t throw it away! I saved mine and actually used it the next day to cook stewing meat in. I added beef to the crock pot with the leftover tomato liquid and beef broth, and then added barley and veggies. It was super flavorful and delicious!

• Save half of the bell peppers and onions and add them in about 1 hour before the meal is done cooking. This keeps some of the veggies tender and crisp, and not too soft. (Still use half to cook the entire time, as they contribute to flavor!)

• This is a chicken thigh fajitas recipe for a reason. Many people don’t realize that you can make perfectly delicious chicken fajitas with chicken thighs! The trick here is to carefully remove them from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. You want to use a very sharp knife and carefully slice the chicken thighs into 1/4-1/2 inch thick strips. They may break into two pieces after slicing due to higher fat content in comparison to chicken breasts, but for the most part, they turn out just as well! You can also shred the chicken.

• If you are in a pinch, you can also use premade taco seasoning! Try to get low sodium, if possible.

More Delicious Recipes To Try:

• Turkey Sliders Recipe

• Ginger Sage Shrimp With Brown Butter Pumpkin Polenta

• Slow Cooked Tuscan Chicken

• Crockpot Lemon Chicken Recipe – Healthy!

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