Chicken Fajita Pasta

This Chicken Fajita Pasta is a flavor explosion! It has penne pasta smothered in a mouth-watering sauce with diced tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and seasoned chicken.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 787kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

1 ¼ cups half and half
¾ cup chicken broth
½ chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Seasoning

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon EACH: smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, coriander, garlic powder

Pasta/Chicken, etc.

1 tablespoon avocado oil can sub olive oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt/pepper to taste
2 cups sliced bell peppers any color(s)
1 cup chopped onions (1 small yellow onion)
½ cup dry white wine see notes
½ pound penne see notes
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes drained
¾ cup cheddar cheese shredded
½ cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded
2 teaspoons lime juice
Freshly Chopped Cilantro to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside.
Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons to the combined sauce mixture (from step 1) and reserve the rest. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes. Pat completely dry and season with salt/pepper. Sprinkle with half of the remaining Fajita seasoning (1 ¾ tsp). Toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning to sear on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions. Sprinkle with salt/pepper and remaining fajita seasoning and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat slightly during cooking if needed. Remove and set aside.
Turn the heat off and let the skillet cool for 1 minute. Add the wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will give the sauce more flavor. Reduce the liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes.
While the wine reduces, begin heating a large pot of salted water for the pasta. Once a boil is reached, stir in some salt and cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
Once the wine is reduced, add the butter and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add the diced tomatoes/green chiles.
Reduce the heat of the sauce to low. Gradually add the cheeses, stirring to combine.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Add the chicken (along with any juices from the plate), and peppers and stir to combine and heat through.
Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine. If needed, chicken broth can be used instead.
Cheese: I like to shred my own cheese from a block for this dish, it melts much creamier and smoother than packaged shredded cheese. I use Pepper Jack and Cheddar. Monterey Jack is a great addition too!
Pasta: Penne clings onto this sauce really well. Fusilli, Rigatoni, Ziti, Cavatappi are other good pasta choices for this as well.
Seasoning: You can't beat the homemade fajita seasoning used in this recipe, but you can also use just under 2 tbsp. taco seasoning if preferred.
Spice Level: Unless you're very sensitive to spice, you shouldn't find this dish to be spicy (that goes for kids as well)!
More dinner inspiration: Try my Loaded Nachos, Chicken Enchiladas, Baked Tacos, Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Taquitos, Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and more Mexican-inspired recipes!

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does reheat well.
Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 hearty servings in this recipe.

Nutrition