Let Me Tell You About Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Alright, so, here’s the thing—I started making these crockpot chicken fajitas back in my old flat when I barely knew how a slow cooker worked. My friend Kelly came over (she was probably just being polite, let’s be honest) and after I’d chucked everything in the pot and we sat watching The Great British Bake Off reruns, the flat started to smell like I really had my life together. Spoiler: I didn’t. Anyway, these fajitas sort of became my go-to for lazy (or, ahem, “busy”) days. Plus, I swear every time I make them someone comments, “Wait, you made this?!” which always make me laugh because it’s honestly just a dump and go situation. Right, I’ll stop waffling—onto the recipe!

Why I Keep Making This

I make these on days when my energy's about as flat as a pancake. You know the feeling? My family practically stampedes to the kitchen when the smell hits (even my picky one—he only complains if there's too much onion, go figure!). Plus, it all happens in one pot, so it’s not like I’m running ‘round cleaning up a tornado. Okay, I did once forget to plug the crockpot in—but that’s a story for another day. Still, it works even if you’re a bit scatterbrained, like me. (I do it on Mondays when Monday wins.)

What You'll Need (Ingredients—which, honestly, are forgiving)

About 2 pounds (900g for metric friends) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs—I use both, depends on what’s on sale!)
3 bell peppers, sliced (I like one red, one yellow, one green, but any colour works. My gran swore by yellow.)
1 large onion, sliced (red or white, honestly I've used both in the same dish once)
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes (or use fresh if they're about to turn mushy in your fridge)
3 cloves garlic, minced (If you’re lazy like me, the pre-minced jar stuff is fine)
A good handful of fajita seasoning (store-bought or homemade. Here’s one I sometimes follow but I usually just wing it)
Salt and pepper, just eyeball it (some days I forget this and nobody notices)
Optional: juice of 1 lime (I usually squeeze it in... unless I've already used that lime for a drink!)
For serving: tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, jalapeños, whatever makes you happy

How I Actually Make These Fajitas

Get your crockpot (slow cooker). Sometimes mine’s hiding in the cupboard behind the air fryer. Worth hunting down, though.
Layer in your sliced onions and peppers at the bottom. This is your veggie bed. (Sometimes I get lazy and just dump them unevenly—it still works.)
Add your chicken on top. Nestle it in, like you’re tucking it up with a vegetable blanket. Not necessary to be too precise.
Sprinkle over your fajita seasoning. Don’t stress if it clumps a bit; the crockpot will sort it out (eventually!).
Pour over the can of diced tomatoes and scatter the minced garlic in there.
Give everything a bit of a mix— or don’t, honestly, I skip this if I’m in a rush. But if you’re fussy, give it a stir.
Lid on, set to low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. I tend to go low—it just feels a bit less risky. And maybe I’m superstitious.
About 30 minutes before you want to eat, shred the chicken. Just grab two forks and have at it right in the pot. Sneak a little taste, no one’s looking.
Add the lime juice (if you remembered it). Don't panic if you forgot, it's not a deal breaker.
Serve it up! I like to pile the chicken and veggies right into warm tortillas (microwave for 15 seconds if you're not fancy). Top with whatever you’ve got—you know the drill.

A Few Notes You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier

Crockpot chicken can look worryingly bland until you shred it. Suddenly it’s beautiful. Don’t fret if it looks a bit pale at first—happens every time.
Too much liquid? Scoop some out at the end, but keep it for leftovers—it makes killer soup. Learned that one the weird way.
I used to always forget the garlic. No one noticed. But if you’re a garlic fan, don’t skip. (I am now, but wasn't always)

Some Fun (And Not-So-Fun) Variations I’ve Tried

Using smoked paprika—amazing! Makes it taste like you put more effort in than you did
Forgot the tomatoes once. Still tasted fine, just more like roasted chicken. Maybe not “fajitas” but still good (ish).
Subbing tofu for chicken... eh, not for me, but my mate Jill loved it. So, maybe worth a go if that’s your vibe?
Extra spicy with a chopped jalapeño tossed in. Honestly, once I overdid it and everyone needed more water than usual... live and learn

Do You Really Need a Slow Cooker?

Well, yes and no. If you don’t have one, shove everything into a covered casserole dish and bake at 325°F for a couple hours. It’s not exactly the same but close enough if you’re in a pinch. Actually, once I tried to do this on the hob (stovetop) and it worked, but with way more supervision. So yeah, slow cooker’s easiest—but you do you.

How I (Try to) Store Leftovers

Supposedly these last 3–4 days in the fridge in a sealed container. But honestly? They’re gone within 24 hours at my place, so don’t quote me on that. You can totally freeze portions in ziplocks though—great for next week’s lunch.

How I Like to Serve It Up

I’m big on squeezing extra lime over my fajitas, plus a dollop of Greek yogurt, and if I have cilantro kicking about, I’ll add a handful. My sister dips her fajitas in sriracha, which is a bit wild for me but hey—each to their own. On game night, we pile it all up family style and everyone dives in (no formalities, just chaos).

The Stuff I Wish I'd Known—Pro Tips from My Mistakes

I once tried shredding the chicken right at the beginning. Doesn’t work, it turns to mush. Patience. The wait is worth it!
Don’t skip the lime unless you have to—it really does freshen things up
If your tortillas are sad and stiff, dampen them and microwave for 10 seconds. Learned that form a cooking blog—I think it was this one.

Questions People Actually Ask Me (Honestly!)

Can I use frozen chicken?: Yup! I’ve done it. Just tack on an extra hour cooking time—oh and check the center, don’t want to mess with undercooked chicken.
Can I double it for a crowd?: Absolutely. Nothing really changes—just use a bigger slow cooker if you’ve got one. Or make two batches.
How spicy is it?: About as spicy as your seasoning. I tend to go mild, then add hot sauce tableside. If you’re nervous, start gentle—you can always add heat after. Learned that the hard way.
Can I make this without tomatoes?: Sure, just add a splash of chicken broth or a bit of salsa instead. I actually did this once by accident and it worked out alright.

Random aside before I wrap up—once I made these the night before a big road trip and packed them into a cooler for sandwiches on the drive. Highly recommend it (but don’t eat them while driving, sauce everywhere!). If you want more slow cooker inspo, my friend swears by Skinnytaste's crockpot section—loads of good ideas over there.

Give these a go, let me know how yours turn out. And if you tweak something and it’s amazing (or awful), I’d kind of love to hear about it!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas