Everything you love about classic chicken fajitas are piled into these chicken fajita rice bowls that are made on a sheet pan for less mess and easy to meal prep!
Everything you love about chicken fajitas piled into one glorious rice bowl! Dinner plans are permanently sorted.
You know those sizzling fajitas you get at Mexican restaurants? These rice bowls are kinda sorta like that only we’re SUPER simplifying things today and putting everything in easy rice bowl form.
Where you can pile all the toppings you want with no danger of overloading and breaking your tortilla. Major wins all over the place.
Did I mention this is a sheet pan recipe? And you can meal prep most of it in advance? No wonder these rice bowls are almost always on our weekly dinner menu.
Suffice to say, dinner is about to rock.
These Rice Bowls feature…
- A base of fluffy rice
- Juicy marinated chicken breasts and tender peppers and onions
- Tons of toppings including avocado, tomato, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, and lime
Making the Rice Bowls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Garlic
- Lime juice
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Vegetable oil
- Chicken breasts
- Sweet pepper
- Sweet onion
- Rice
- Avocado
- Tomato
Choosing Your Chicken
We recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. This cut of chicken is fast to cook up in the oven and turns out super tender and juicy.
If you don’t have breasts on hand, boneless skinless chicken thighs will work great instead. Be aware, you may need to adjust bake time.
Tips for Perfect Chicken Fajita Bowls
- Use a marinade – a simple lime-and-spices marinade infuses so much flavor into the chicken breasts.
- Marinate chicken at least 2 hours – a good rule of thumb with marinating is 2 hours if you’re in a hurry and up to 12 if you’ve got some extra time.
- Marinate chicken on bottom shelf of fridge – it’s always a good idea to keep raw meats away from fresh produce and on the bottom shelf of your fridge to reduce risk of cross contamination.
- Thinly slice peppers and onions – thinly slicing them will ensure they get super tender and caramelized during baking.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these bowls.
- Grill chicken and peppers – you can easily convert this recipe to grilling instead of baking.
- Use different toppings – feel free to use different toppings such as salsa, green onions, shredded cheese, black beans, or corn.
- Bake chicken with other veggies – try using zucchini, mushrooms, or asparagus.
- Make it spicy – throw a minced jalapeno or serrano pepper in with the other peppers for roasting.
Meal Prep Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving meal prep tips.
- Make rice – cook the rice and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Marinate chicken – the chicken may be stored in marinade in refrigerator up to 12 hours.
- Assemble in containers – bake the chicken/peppers according to recipe instructions and arrange in meal prep containers with rice
- Serving bowls – when ready to serve, reheat chicken and rice containers and top with toppings.
No way around it, these chicken fajitas are the dinner MOVE if you’re craving fajitas but want to do it the easy and mess-free way! The chicken and peppers roast up so incredibly tender on the sheet pan and it’s absolutely incredible piled over warm rice with alllll the toppings.
New dinner crush, indeed.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More Mexican night favorites to try next!
Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 medium sweet peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 2 avocados pitted and thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- Tortilla chips, sour cream, lime wedges, and cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk garlic, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange chicken in marinade until evenly coated. Cover bowl, transfer to refrigerator, and allow chicken to marinate at least 2 hours or up to 12.
- Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a large sheet pan. Arrange peppers and onion on pan and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange on sheet pan with sliced peppers and onion.
- Bake chicken at 400F 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165F and peppers/onions are tender. Allow to cool slightly, then thinly slice chicken into strips and toss back into peppers and onions.
- Assemble rice bowls by dividing rice between serving bowls and topping with chicken, peppers, and onions mixture, avocado, and tomatoes. Garnish bowls with tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, and squeeze fresh lime wedges over top. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 4/18/24.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Rice bowls are my favorite! That’s the only thing that I will order when I go to Chipotle! 🙂 You’ve definitely got me craving this for breakfast, Sarah! I love how easy this is to whip up. And definitely the perfect dish for watching the Super Bowl! Yum!
Sarah says
Chipotle has the best rice bowls ever right?! I would definitely dare to say that these bowls rival theirs! 😉
Thanks Gayle!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
This rice bowl looks super delicious, Sarah! My hubby is a rice fiend so we have to incorporate it into our meals a few times a week. I’m sure he would appreciate this meal! Pinning.
Sarah says
Thanks Jen! I’m positive your guy would adore these rice bowls! Thanks for the pin!
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen says
Mexican is the best kind of cuisine!! I actually love rice! As long as it is prepared correctly and this fajita bowl looks delicious!! 🙂
Sarah says
Totally my favorite kind of food too! 😉 Thanks Renee.
Sydney @Tastefully Frugal says
This looks so good! I love rice bowls but have always had them Chinese style… this chicken fajita one looks amazing!!
Sarah says
Thanks Sydney! These rice bowls are a nice twist from the usual kind! 😉
Kat@Home. Made. Interest. says
We make fajitas a lot around my house and this bowl looks great!
Sarah says
Thanks Kat!!
Manali @ CookWithManali says
I love this rice bowl and I’m so excited to tell that you WON the giveaway on my blog! Wohooo! 😀
Sarah says
Eeee!! I’m literally so excited, Manali! I just got your email–thanks so much girlfriend! xoxo
Leia @ Eat It & Say Yum says
Yum, I love rice bowls. And all your toppings look so delicious. Pinned!
Sarah says
Thanks for pinning, Leia!!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
girl, we must be on the same wavelength because I also just made a rice bowl (going live on Sunday) 🙂 I am obsessed with rice bowls right now. . yours looks freaking fabulous!!! Glad your tastebuds have had a change of heart!!!
Sarah says
Awesomeness!! I can’t wait to see your take on rice bowls, Alice! Great minds definitely think alike. 😀
Emily @ Table & Hearth says
This would be so perfect for lunch! Easy peasy and gooood!! We always have leftover chicken fajita meat too 🙂
Sarah says
It’s definitely my idea of a perfect lunch! 😉 Thanks Emily!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This rice bowl looks absolutely incredible, Sarah! My husband and were just talking about this and could seriously have Mexican every single night and this rice bowl would definitely be the star! Craving a big bowl of this right now – love all your toppings in this!
Sarah says
Thanks Kelly! Isn’t Mexican-night the best?! It happens more than once a week around here. 😉
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
The toppings are the best part! Love the avocado and Black Beans and Corn!
Sarah says
Totally agree! Thanks Christin. 🙂
Caroline says
I am one of those who will stand in line forever for Chipotle…but these looks SO amazing. I mean really, they are so fresh and beautiful. Adding this to my “to make” list!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
This bowl looks insane Sarah. I love it. This is my kind of meal.
Sarah says
Thanks Kathy!! xoxoxo
marcie says
I could seriously eat this way every day…I love rice, and Mexican dishes are a favorite! They’re always full of fresh ingredients, and this would leave me satisfied and feeling great. Pinned!
Sarah says
Mexican-food is the best. I rest my case. 😀 Thanks for pinning, Marcie!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
I’m so obsessed with how everyone has been posting these great Mexican recipe recently! This looks like the perfect lunch and I totally love everything about it 🙂
Sarah says
Thank you Medha! If you love Mexican food, these bowls are definitely up your alley!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Love this dish, Sarah! And wow, GORGEOUS photos, I want to reach through my screen and steal that avocado off your rice bowl 😉 Love all the flavors you have in here and the fact that it’s healthy makes it even better!
Sarah says
Aww thanks for the sweet photo love, Denise!! xoxoxo