Chicken Fajita Bowls
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Published Apr 14, 2023, Updated Jul 05, 2023
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These chicken fajita quinoa bowls come together in about 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner. They feature spiced-up chicken, sautéed peppers and a creamy avocado goat cheese sauce all served over a bed of quinoa.
These chicken fajita bowls are perfect. You’re getting plenty of veggies, carbs from the quinoa, protein from the chicken and healthy fat from the avocado goat cheese sauce.
Plus, you can’t go wrong with fajitas in bowl form – they’re seriously one of my favorites to order whenever we’re at a Mexican restaurant.
Also, can we talk about this avocado goat cheese sauce? I got the idea from tacos in a meal kit delivery service that we love and it’s like a tangy sour cream, but with the flavor of goat cheese. I’m obsessed with how creamy it is.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with protein thanks to the chicken and quinoa.
- Jam-packed with flavor!
- Completely customizable. Feel free to make this recipe your own.
- Easy to make and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients Needed
- quinoa – a nutrient-dense grain that serves as the base for this recipe. It is high in protein and fiber, making it a great addition to any healthy meal. I used white quinoa, but feel free to use whatever variety of quinoa you have on hand… red, black or tri-colored quinoa will all work!
- chicken – can’t have chicken fajita bowls without the chicken! I prefer to use chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could also use chicken thighs.
- fajita veggies – for the fajita veggies we’re using red and yellow bell peppers, garlic and onion. Feel free to use whatever color bell peppers you have on hand.
- avocado – used to make the creamy sauce that tops this bowl. It adds healthy fats and a creamy texture to the bowl.
- goat cheese – adds a tangy flavor to the avocado sauce, which complements the other flavors in this chicken fajita bowl.
- lime juice – used to add a citrusy flavor to the chicken and avocado sauce.
- olive oil – for cooking the fajita veggies and chicken. It adds healthy fats to the bowl and helps to keep the ingredients from sticking to the pan. You could also use avocado oil if you have that instead.
- seasonings – chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, ground pepper and salt.
- toppings – romaine lettuce, cilantro, pico de gallo (or salsa) and hot sauce (optional).
How to Make
Make avocado goat cheese sauce: Add avocado, goat cheese, lime juice and sea salt to a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Cook quinoa: Rinse and drain quinoa. Place water, salt and quinoa into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let pot sit, covered for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
Sauté veggies: While quinoa is cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, red and yellow bell pepper, salt and chili powder. Sauté until veggies are tender, but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate.
Cook chicken: Using the same skillet, add chicken, lime juice, oil and seasonings (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin paprika, salt and pepper) and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble bowls: Once everything is cooked and dressing is prepped, make bowls by adding a base of quinoa, 1/4 of the chicken and 1/4 of the bell peppers. Add chopped romaine, pico de gallo or salsa, freshly chopped cilantro and a dollop of avocado sauce for serving. Add a little hot sauce (if using) and dig in!
Customize Your Bowl
One of the best things about this chicken fajita bowl is how customizable it is. You can switch up the ingredients to suit your taste or dietary preferences. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Vegetarian: Swap the chicken with roasted sweet potato, black beans, tofu or tempeh.
- Swap the quinoa: If you’re not a fan of quinoa, you can use white rice, brown rice, farro, cauliflower rice or another grain of your choice.
- Different veggies: Want to add more veggies or swap the peppers out? Go for it! Some good options are zucchini, mushrooms and corn.
- Toppings: Use your favorite toppings here! Some ideas include sliced avocado, shredded Mexican cheese, sliced jalapeño and/or sour cream/Greek yogurt.
- Serve w/ tortillas: This bowl would go great served alongside some warm tortillas! Use flour or corn tortillas.
Have fun with it and make it your own!
How to Prep in Advance
If you’re short on time during the week, you can easily prep this chicken fajita bowl in advance to make mealtime a breeze. Here are some tips:
- Cook the quinoa: You can cook the quinoa up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Prepare the fajita veggies: Cut the bell peppers and onions ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Or you can cook the veggies 1-3 days prior for quick assembly on the night of.
- Cook chicken: Cook the chicken 1-3 days prior and store in an airtight container in the fridge for quick assembly on the night of.
- Make the avocado sauce: The avocado sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Since the sauce is made with avocado it might start to brown a little, but just mix it up before serving!
How to Store Leftovers
These chicken fajita bowls are great because they store so well! I recommend storing each component in a separate container. Everything should last 4-5 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to enjoy, heat up the warm components over the stovetop or in the microwave and assemble your bowl!
More Mexican-Inspired Meals
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Taco Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Taco Bake
- Ground Turkey Tacos
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Vegan Burrito Bowl
- Copycat Chipotle Sofritas
- Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowl
- Red Chilaquiles
- Healthy Chicken Tacos
- Salmon Burrito Bowl
Be sure to check out all of the dinner recipes as the full collection of healthy Mexican recipes on EBF!
Chicken Fajita Bowls
Ingredients
Avocado Sauce
- 1 avocado
- 2 Tablespoons goat cheese
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Quinoa
- 1 cup of red or white quinoa, I used white
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Fajita Veggies
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½-1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Toppings
- romaine lettuce
- cilantro
- pico de gallo or salsa
- hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Prepare avocado goat cheese sauce. Add avocado, goat cheese, lime juice and sea salt to a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.Â
- Rinse and drain quinoa. Place water, salt and quinoa into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let pot sit, covered for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
- While quinoa is cooking, get started cooking everything else. Heat a large skillet with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add in garlic, onions, red and yellow bell pepper, salt and chili powder. Sauté until veggies are tender, but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate.
- Using the same skillet, add chicken, lime juice, oil and seasonings (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin paprika, salt and pepper) and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once everything is cooked and dressing is prepped, make bowls by adding a base of quinoa, 1/4 of the chicken and 1/4 of the bell peppers. Add chopped romaine, pico de gallo or salsa and freshly chopped cilantro for serving. Drizzle on the avocado goat cheese sauce. To make it look really pretty you can add the sauce to a zip-lock baggie, cut the tip and squeeze the sauce over each bowl in a zigzag pattern. Add a little hot sauce (if using) and dig in!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t wait to try this! I love Simple Truth as well and didn’t know they sell a goat cheese. Awesome video too!
Yum! These look so good! I have them on my list to make next week.
Please add a Yummly link so we can easily save your recipes.
Many thanks!
Hi Tobi — I have the yummly social share button at the bottom of each post. Is it too hard to find?
I cant stand goats cheese – do you recommend another cheese as a substitute
Instead of doing another cheese I would probably just do fresh avocado slices and a squeeze of lime juice. 🙂
SO GOOD!!!! This was delicious 🤤 Will definitely be making this again!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Sarah! Thanks for the review 🙂
So tasty and easy to put together. Love the avocado goat cheese sauce — I would not have put those together but it made the dish.
YAY! I am so happy to hear that this recipe is a hit, Beth! Thanks you so much for your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Excellent. I made it almost exactly like the recipe. I added some plain full fat Greek yogurt to the avocado dressing. And that was the only change. It’s definitely a keeper. I will be taking it for lunch all week. My coworkers are always wanting to know what I am eating today. Most of them eat frozen meals out of a box. Not me. I love perusing your site for my next recipe. Thank you.
This is the best, I am so glad you are loving these fajita bowls, Katie. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!