Easy Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken

This Easy Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken makes a great dinner idea. The boneless chicken breasts are stuffed with cheese and vegetables before being baked in the oven on a sheet pan.

The mexican seasonings give the chicken so much flavor and the cheese and vegetables keep it moist whilst it bakes. Serve this fajita chicken with tortillas, avocado and sour cream or with rice and extra veg.

If like me, you love chicken dinners that can be cooked in the oven, then this fajita chicken breast stuffed with bell peppers and cheese is going to be your new favorite dinner!

The bell peppers and onions are cooked off with delicious Mexican​ seasonings before beefing loaded between two butterflied chicken breasts with plenty of pepper jack cheese (or use monetary jack or in fact any melty cheese)

Everything is baked in the oven, leaving you with juicy chicken, melted cheese and sweet veg. It really is a delicious dinner.

And the best bit is you can slice off chunks and serve everyone their chicken straight into homemade soft tortilla wraps, or slice it up and let everyone help themselves - making this perfect for the family or for a casual evening with friends.

What does it mean to butterfly a Chicken breast?

Butterflying a chicken breast means cutting it down the centre so you can unfold it like a book.

It's a great technique as it keeps the chicken juicy by creating one even piece of chicken.

Plus it is much easier than it sounds.

How to butterfly a chicken breast:

Place the raw boneless chicken breast on a chopping board with the fattest part facing the blade of your knife (this will change for people who are right/left handed)

Keeping the knife flat and parallel to the board start to cut horizontally through the chicken breast gently opening the chicken breast out like you are opening a book.

Don't cut all the way through and you will be left with a heart shaped piece of chicken.

Now cover the chicken breast with parchment paper and use a flat based fry pan to lightly pound the chicken.

Which vegetables to use in fajitas?

The beauty of this baked chicken dish is you can use any veg you like as long as it has been cut up into thin strips.

Some usual suspects and some rouge outsides include:

• Bell peppers (in a variety of colours)
• Onion (red or white)
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini
• Corn
• Pumpkin
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Carrots

Personally I like mine with the more traditional bell peppers and onions, but mix and match to suit your tastes. Just remember to cut the veg into very thin strips so it will cook quickly. With the exception of mushrooms which can just be sliced. You want 4 cups of sliced veg in total.

What seasonings to use in Fajitas

The classic Mexican flavors of cumin, chilli powder, oregano and garlic are all perfect for this dish. I like to add a small amount of smoked paprika too.

The veg are fried off in olive oil and a very hot pan so they start to soften and charr. Then you remove them from the heat and add in the seasonings. This stops the spices from burning. Then we are ready to load up the chicken breasts with veg and cheese and bake.

If you are making this in advance then let the veg cool before adding it to the chicken, but if you are going to put it straight into the oven there is no need.

Which cheese to use for stuffed fajita chicken?

You want a cheese that melts well but doesn't give off lots of oil. Any from the list below will be perfect:

• Pepperjack
• Monetary jack
• Mozzarella
• Cheddar
• Cheddar jack

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4.84 from 6 votes

Easy Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken

This Easy Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken makes a great dinner idea. The boneless chicken breasts are stuffed with cheese and vegetables before being baked in the oven on a sheet pan. The Mexican seasonings give the chicken so much flavor and the cheese and vegetables keep it moist whilst it bakes. Serve it with tortillas, avocado, and sour cream or with rice and extra veg.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Calories: 339kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper -see note 1
• 1 red bell pepper - see note 1
• 1 onion - see note 1
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper/red pepper flakes
• 6 slices pepper jack cheese - see note 2
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC

To Butterfly the chicken

• Place the chicken breast on a chopping board with the fattest part of the breast facing the blade of your knife.
• Keep the knife flat and parallel to your chopping board and horizontally through the chicken breast. Use your other hand to slowly open the chicken up like a book. You will be left with a heart shaped piece of chicken.
• Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper and using a fry pan to lightly pound the chicken.
• Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts

To make the filling

• Slice the bell peppers into thin strips and peel and slice the onion into similar sized strips.
• Place a large heavy fry pan over a high heat and allow it to get hot. (see note 3)
• Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then fry the veg for 3-4 minutes until lightly charred and starting to soften.
• Remove from the heat and add in the cumin, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika and oregano. Stir to combine.

To construct your chicken

• Stread ¼ of the mixture over two of the flattened chicken breasts and then top each with 3 slices of cheese. Divide the remaining veg over the top and sandwich shut with the last two chicken breasts.
• Using the same pan you cooked the veg in, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently sear one side of the chicken stacks. Carefully flip the chicken and place the fry pan into the oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through.
• If your fry pan isn't oven proof then carefully transfer the chicken to a lined baking sheet.
• Serve with flour wraps, avocado and sour cream. Or with mexican rice.

Notes

1. The beauty of this baked chicken dish is you can use any veg you like as long as it has been cut up into thin strips, you will need 4 cups in total. Bell peppers (in a variety of colours) Onion (red or white) Mushrooms Zucchini Corn Pumpkin Asparagus Green beans Carrots
2. Alternative cheeses: Monetary jack Mozzarella Cheddar Cheddar Jack.
3. If you have one, use a fry pan that can be placed in the oven, this will save you washing an extra sheet pan later.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 703mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1150IU | Vitamin C: 44.5mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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