Chicken Fajita Pasta

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Chicken Fajita Pasta- a creamy chicken pasta dish with jalapenos, peppers and fajita spices. Delicious comfort food.

Close up of chicken fajita pasta with grated cheese on top

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Quick weeknight dinner ideas are a must in our house and Chicken Fajita Pasta is one of our favourites.  I try to have a few quick dinners at my fingertips for days when I have late staff meetings, parents' evening and that sort of thing. Sometimes we'll have something shop-bought with a jacket potato; chicken kiev and jackets, chunky breaded cod and jackets, that sort of thing. But more often than not, I prefer to cook something quick myself.

 When I want to cook, pasta is always a winner for speed. Plus you always have some in your cupboard! I quite like spicy pasta dishes, and Mexican food is a great inspiration. I'm a huge fan of Mexican food. There are no Mexican restaurants where we live, so we always take the opportunity to eat out in one if we go anywhere else. I always order the chicken fajitas- yum! And that's what inspired this chicken fajita pasta dish. Chicken, peppers, onion, tomato and seasoning- All the flavour of fajitas, but with pasta instead of tortillas! 

Chicken fajita pasta is easier to make than it might first appear- I always read recipes where it tells you cook something and then set it aside while you do the next bit, with some suspicion. Sound complicated! Well there's some 'setting aside' involved in this recipe and it's really not complicated, so don't be put off!

 You don't need many ingredients that you wouldn't already have. Fajita seasoning is easy to find; most supermarkets have their own version and all the big spice companies make it too. Jalapenos are also widely available- I like the Santa Maria brand. They really give the pasta dish the kick it needs. 

 Next time you are in the mood for Mexican flavours, give Chicken fajita pasta a try!
panfried peppers and onion and chicken fajita pasta with text overlay

Looking for other Mexican inspired recipes?
Chicken Enchiladas with Home-made Enchilada Sauce
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

Make Chicken Fajita Pasta

For a printable recipe card with full instructions, please go to the end of this post.

 Main steps of the recipe:
Chicken frying in a frying pan
Pan fry the chicken in fajita spices.

Sliced peppers and onion in a frying pan
Soften the veg in the pan with the garlic.

Pasta cooking in a pan with tomatoes and stock
Cook the pasta in the tomatoes and veg stock, mix through the cream cheese and then stir in the chicken, veg and jalapenos.

Close up of chicken fajita pasta with grated cheese in a bowl
Serve with grated cheese, if desired.



chicken, fajitas, pasta
dinner
British
Yield: 4Pin it

Chicken Fajita Pasta

Chicken Fajita Pasta- a creamy chicken pasta dish with jalapenos, peppers and fajita spices. Delicious comfort food.
prep time: 15 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 35 mins

ingredients:


  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 orange pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 400g tinned tomatoes
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp light cream cheese
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 8 slices of jalapeno pepper
  • 2 tsp fajita seasoning
  • 2 tsp oil
  • grated cheese (optional)
  • 300g penne pasta

instructions

1) Cut the peppers into long strips and cut the onions into circle slices, then cut those slices in half.
2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium to high heat. Chop the chicken breasts into medium chunks and fry in the pan. 
3) Add several good shakes of fajita seasoning and keep cooking until golden brown. Take the chicken out and keep to one side. Cover it with foil to keep the heat in.
4) In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, add the peppers, onions and garlic. Cook until softened and then put to one side under the foil with the chicken.
5) Add the chicken stock and the tinned tomatoes to the same pan so that it can take up all the chicken and veg flavours. When it's simmering, add the pasta and put the lid on the pan. Leave it for 8 minutes, but check on it occasionally and add a little more boiling water if it's drying out. The pasta shouldn't need draining when it's done. After 8 minutes, if it needs a little longer, put the lid back on.
6) When the pasta is almost cooked, stir the cream cheese through and add the chicken, veg and the jalapenos. 
7) Stir and warm through, then serve.
8) Optional- sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese over the top.
calories
447
fat (grams)
6
sat. fat (grams)
2
net carbs
63
protein (grams)
34
sugar (grams)
7
Fibre (in grams)
4
Created using The Recipes Generator

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