Oven-Baked Chicken Fajita
An easy one-pan dinner full of flavour, baked until bubbly and golden.
There's something quietly clever about a fajita that never touches a skillet. Instead of standing over a hot pan, you toss sliced chicken breast with sweet coloured peppers, onion and mushroom, season with paprika, mixed spice and dried coriander, then let one baking dish do all the work. The vegetables soften into the chicken, the spices deepen, and a blanket of mozzarella melts to gold on top. It's the fajita I reach for on busy evenings: colourful, forgiving and endlessly generous. Fold it into warm tortillas or spoon it over rice, and dinner for four feels effortless.
How to Prepare
Slice the chicken, onion, peppers and mushrooms.
In a bowl, combine the chicken and vegetables with the tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, mixed spice, paprika, dried coriander and olive oil. Mix well.
Spread the mixture in a baking dish.
Bake in a preheated oven until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and return to the oven until melted and golden.
Serve hot.
Made it? Rate this recipe
Serve with warm tortillas or rice for a complete meal.
Ingredient Swaps
Swap the chicken breasts for boneless thighs if you like a juicier, more forgiving bake.
Not a mushroom fan? Leave them out and add an extra pepper for the same colour and volume.
No mozzarella on hand? Any good melting cheese works just as well on top.
Out of tomato sauce? A spoonful of tomato paste loosened with a little water does the same job.
Reach for smoked paprika instead of sweet for a deeper, smokier flavour, or a pinch of chilli if you want heat.
Common Questions
Can I prepare it ahead of time?
Yes. Mix the chicken and vegetables with the spices, tomato sauce and olive oil, then cover and refrigerate. Spread it in the dish and bake when ready, adding the mozzarella only for the final melting stage.
How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
Bake until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the vegetables are tender before you add the cheese. The mozzarella step is only to melt it and turn it golden, so the chicken should already be done by then.
The vegetables released a lot of liquid, is that normal?
Peppers, onion and mushroom naturally give off water as they bake. Spread the mixture in an even layer rather than piling it up, and simply keep baking until the vegetables are tender.
What goes well with baked chicken fajita?
Serve it hot, folded into warm tortillas or spooned over rice for a complete meal.
Can I store the leftovers?
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the oven until hot; the mozzarella will melt again nicely.
More from the Kitchen
Quick Chicken Fajita
Spiced chicken strips quickly pan-seared with onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, finished with ketchup and melted mozzarella.
Read Recipe
Chicken and Potato Tray
How to make Chicken and Potato Tray: A quick, easy baked tray of chicken and potatoes with onion, tomato, garlic and warm spices.
Read Recipe
Roasted Peppers with Chicken
How to make Roasted Peppers with Chicken & Mozzarella: Tender chicken breast cooked with onion and mushroom, layered with sweet red pepper and melted…
Read Recipe
Spiced Baked Chicken Tray
How to make Spiced Baked Chicken Tray: Tender chicken pieces in a rich marinade of pepper paste, yogurt, honey and BBQ sauce, baked with onion and peppers.
Read Recipe
Creamy Chicken over Mashed Potato
How to make Creamy Chicken over Mashed Potato: Creamy mushroom chicken spooned over smooth mashed potato, topped with mozzarella and baked.
Read Recipe
Pasta Bechamel
How to make Pasta Bechamel: Classic baked pasta bechamel — pasta layered with spiced minced meat and a creamy bechamel, topped with melted mozzarella.
Read Recipe