Baked Chicken Fajita Roll Ups (Printable)
Tender chicken rolled with colorful peppers, onions, and melted cheese in bold Tex-Mex spices, baked golden.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Dairy
05 - 4.2 oz shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
→ Spices & Seasonings
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 tsp chili powder
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
10 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
11 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
→ Garnishes
14 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
15 - Lime wedges
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with cooking spray or a thin coat of olive oil.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.
03 - Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound to an even 3/8-inch thickness.
04 - Drizzle the pounded chicken breasts with 1 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle half of the spice blend evenly over both sides of each piece.
05 - Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced red and yellow bell peppers along with the red onion. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender but still slightly crisp. Remove from heat and toss with the remaining spice blend.
06 - Lay each seasoned chicken breast flat. Distribute the sautéed pepper and onion mixture evenly across each breast, then sprinkle generously with shredded cheese.
07 - Tightly roll up each chicken breast from one end to the other. Secure each roll with 2 to 3 toothpicks along the seam. Place the rolls seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F) and juices run clear.
09 - Remove from the oven and let the roll ups rest for 5 minutes. Carefully remove toothpicks, slice each roll into pinwheel portions, and serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- All the bold fajita flavors you crave wrapped neatly into each portion so theres no assembly required at the table.
- Cleanup is minimal since everything bakes in one dish and you can prep the filling ahead of time.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken evenly because thick spots will remain raw while thin edges dry out and toughen.
- Undercooking the vegetables slightly before stuffing is the trick because they finish softening inside the oven without turning mushy.
03 -
- Toothpicks are easier to find and remove if you count how many you put in each roll before it goes into the oven.
- Letting the sauteed vegetables cool for a minute before stuffing prevents the cheese from melting prematurely and oozing out before baking.