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Chicken fajita pasta is creamy, dreamy comfort food that just doesn’t get much better! This is one of those chicken pasta recipes that gets requested over and over again because it’s just that good. Really tasty chicken recipes are the ones you want to hang on to because, let’s face it, America eats a lot of chicken.
It’s wholesome and cost-effective. So, when you can add succulent chicken to pasta recipes, you end up with a winner, winner chicken dinner! That’s just what you get with this chicken fajita pasta recipe and you won’t believe how good it is!
If love creamy pasta dishes, try my creamy lemon chicken pasta, creamy Rotel sausage pasta, and chicken spaghetti with Rotel! I promise your family will love each and every one of these dishes. ♥
What I Love About Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe
- Incredible Tex-Mex flavor
- Wholesome economical ingredients
- Creamy cheesy goodness
- Plenty of nutritious veggies
CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA INGREDIENTS
Fajita Rub For Chicken:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Dried Oregano
- Granulated Sugar
Casserole:
- Olive Oil
- Chicken Tenderloins
- Red Bell Pepper
- Green Bell Pepper
- Yellow Onion
- Jalapeño
- Garlic
- Egg Noodles
Queso Sauce:
- Butter
- All-Purpose
- Whole Milk
- Diced Tomatoes
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Monterey Jack Cheese
Topping:
- Monterey Jack Cheese
Making this chicken fajita casserole doesn’t require any special skills or gadgets. It’s easy to throw together but there are some techniques that will help coax out some intense flavors. Here’s what you do.
Tips
- Pasta: I like to use egg noodles in this chicken fajita pasta recipe because there’s lots of prime real estate to sop up all that yummy cheese sauce. You should cook your pasta al dente since it’s going into the oven afterward. This helps ensure it doesn’t come out mushy.
- Salt The Pasta Water: Also, don’t forget to salt your pasta water. I typically use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water. The pasta will absorb the salty water as it cooks giving your chicken fajita pasta recipe even more flavor.
- Chicken: When you cook the chicken tenderloin pieces with the dry rub on them, you’re essentially searing in all the awesome flavors rather than cooking it all the way through. Using a heavy-bottomed skillet will distribute heat more evenly and help prevent burning.
- Be careful not to overcrowd your pan, either. You may have to cook more than one batch. Overcrowding prevents heat from circulating properly so the food can’t cook evenly.
- Veggies: Sautéing your veggies is vital to your chicken fajita pasta recipe. It helps combat bitterness and brings out their sweeter more mellow flavors. This helps take the dish to the next level creating sweet robust flavors.
- Roux – You probably know that the roux is the base for your cheese sauce. It’s important to cook the flour and butter for just a minute so your sauce doesn’t taste like flour. You’ll also want to remove the roux from the heat while you whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until all the lumps are gone.
- Queso Sauce – As you transform the roux into queso sauce, you’ll want to continue stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. The sauce will thicken as it bubbles gently, and you can add the remaining ingredients once the desired consistency has been reached.
STORING + FREEZING
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This recipe does great in the fridge as leftovers! Seal it up, and let it sit for up to 3-4 days.
- Can You Freeze This? I don’t like to freeze this casserole. The egg noodles get too mushy.
- Make-Ahead Tips: I love to keep a big batch of this chicken fajita recipe in the freezer for those times when I just need to throw something good in the oven.
- This makes a great meal for up to 6 people and I can divvy up leftovers in single-serve containers for grab-n-go lunches. It’s also an ideal dish for potlucks and friendly get-togethers.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
I love to serve this with my Southwest salad, Mexican rice, or my drunken beans!
MORE DELICIOUS MEXICAN-INSPIRED FAVORITES
- Chicken Tortilla Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Fiesta Chicken
- Dorito Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Mexican Casserole
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Chicken Fajita Pasta
This chicken fajita pasta recipe is a creamy cheesy Tex-Mex signature with South of the border flair that makes a winner winner chicken dinner!
Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
Fajita Rub For Chicken:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Casserole:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces egg noodles
Queso Sauce:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes well-drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Topping:
- 1-2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta (12 ounces) according to package directions. Drain pasta and dry the pasta pot.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Add the cubed chicken (1 1/2 pounds) and toss to evenly coat. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring, until one side is browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the other side. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the bell peppers (2), onion (1), and jalapeno (1), and cook on medium heat until soft, about 7-10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the garlic (4 cloves), and continue to cook 1 minute more. Remove all the cooked veggies to the chicken plate and set aside.
- Add butter (1/2 cup) to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour (1/2 cup) and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and slowly whisk in milk (4 cups). Return to medium heat and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and stir in well-drained tomatoes (1 can), Worcestershire (1 teaspoon), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and 2 cups shredded Jack cheese.
- Add drained pasta back to dried pasta pot and combine with sauce. Stir in chicken and veggies and pour into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups of shredded Jack cheese over casserole. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted and golden brown
Notes
- Pasta: I like to use egg noodles in this chicken fajita pasta recipe because there’s lots of prime real estate to sop up all that yummy cheese sauce. You should cook your pasta al dente since it's going into the oven afterward. This helps ensure it doesn’t come out mushy.
- Salt The Pasta Water: Also, don’t forget to salt your pasta water. I typically use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water. The pasta will absorb the salty water as it cooks giving your chicken fajita pasta recipe even more flavor.
- Chicken: When you cook the chicken tenderloin pieces with the dry rub on them, you’re essentially searing in all the awesome flavors rather than cooking it all the way through. Using a heavy-bottomed skillet will distribute heat more evenly and help prevent burning.
- Be careful not to overcrowd your pan, either. You may have to cook more than one batch. Overcrowding prevents heat from circulating properly so the food can’t cook evenly.
- Veggies: Sautéing your veggies is vital to your chicken fajita pasta recipe. It helps combat bitterness and brings out their sweeter more mellow flavors. This helps take the dish to the next level creating sweet robust flavors.
- Roux – You probably know that the roux is the base for your cheese sauce. It's important to cook the flour and butter for just a minute so your sauce doesn’t taste like flour. You’ll also want to remove the roux from the heat while you whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until all the lumps are gone.
- Queso Sauce – As you transform the roux into queso sauce, you’ll want to continue stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. The sauce will thicken as it bubbles gently, and you can add the remaining ingredients once the desired consistency has been reached.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 1614mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1470IU | Vitamin C: 47.4mg | Calcium: 365mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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Making this tonight…..looks SO good!
This is a personal favorite of mine! Hope you enjoy!!