This is the kind of weeknight recipe I turn to when I want something that tastes like a fiesta but feels like comfort food. Fajita Chili combines the bright, sautéed peppers and onions of a classic fajita with the heartiness of rice and beans. It’s quick, forgiving, and very satisfying.
What I appreciate most is how straightforward the method is: sear the seasoned chicken, cook the rice in broth, then reunite everything with beans and a little more stock to make a chunky, saucy chili. There’s enough spice and texture to keep every bite interesting, but the recipe doesn’t demand advanced techniques or obscure ingredients.
I write recipes that get dinner on the table without drama, and this one fits perfectly into that philosophy. It’s great for meal prep, feeds a crowd, and holds up well as leftovers. Below you’ll find the ingredient breakdown, the exact steps to follow, and practical tips to make it your own.
The Ingredient Lineup
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts — cut into thin strips for even, quick cooking; strips mimic fajita-style pieces.
- 1 tbsp Mexican seasoning blend (sodium free) — the primary seasoning for the chicken; adds the fajita flavor profile without extra salt.
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided — used for searing the chicken and sautéing the vegetables; divided to control browning.
- 1 medium onion, divided — use half for faster cooking or split as the recipe directs; white, yellow, or sweet work fine.
- 2 red and/or green bell peppers, chopped — give the dish its fajita character and color; chop to bite-sized pieces.
- 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth, divided — used to cook the rice and finish the chili; low-sodium lets you control final saltiness.
- 1 package Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ – Spanish Rice — quick, flavorful rice that cooks in broth and soaks up the fajita juices.
- 4 cups low-sodium pinto beans and/or black beans, drained and rinsed — add fiber, creaminess, and bulk; rinsing removes excess sodium.
Fajita Chili — Do This Next
- Season the 1 lb chicken strips with 1 tbsp Mexican seasoning blend.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and the medium onion (prepared as you prefer) to the pan with the chicken and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken, peppers, and onion to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe the pan briefly if desired, then heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Pour in 2 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ – Spanish Rice to the boiling broth and prepare according to the package directions (cover and simmer for 7 minutes).
- After the rice has cooked, return the chicken, peppers, and onion to the pan. Stir in the 4 cups drained and rinsed beans and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth (you should have used 2 cups earlier and have 2 cups left from the 32 oz).
- Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and flavors are combined.
- Serve hot.
Why I Love This Recipe
It’s a brilliant mash-up: fajita flavors meet a rice-and-beans chili. That combination brings bright, crisp vegetables and savory, filling beans together in one pot. The chicken adds lean protein without drying out when cooked just until done, and the Spanish rice pulls everything together with tomato and pepper notes.
This recipe is fast but still feels homemade. The Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ shortcut keeps things simple without sacrificing flavor, and you can stretch the meal with beans so you feed more people for less. It’s dependable—crowd-pleasing and easy to adapt.
Healthier Substitutions
- Swap chicken for turkey breast strips — same lean protein, slightly different flavor.
- Use extra-lean olive oil spray or reduce oil to 1 tbsp total — lowers added fat while still allowing the chicken to brown.
- Choose black beans only — a slightly firmer texture and higher antioxidant profile compared with some other beans.
- Use a low-sodium or no-salt-added seasoning blend — if you’re watching sodium, this plus rinsing the beans keeps control of final salt levels.
Prep & Cook Tools
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven (as the recipe specifies) — big enough to cook rice and finish the chili.
- Sharp chef’s knife and cutting board — for trimming and slicing the chicken, peppers, and onion.
- Measuring spoons and a liquid measuring cup — to get the broth and seasoning amounts right.
- Can opener and colander — for opening and rinsing the beans.
- Wooden spoon or spatula — for stirring without scratching your pan.
Problems & Prevention
Here are the issues that tend to pop up and how to head them off.
Chicken overcooked and dry: don’t leave the chicken in the pan past the “cooked through” stage. The 5-minute guideline assumes thin strips; if yours are thicker, cut them thinner or check internal doneness early.
Soggy peppers and onions: cook them just long enough to soften—about 3 minutes as the recipe says—so they keep some texture and color. You can remove them slightly earlier if you prefer crunch.
Mushy rice: follow the package directions and timing carefully. If the rice looks soft and the pan has absorbed most liquid, avoid adding extra broth until after you return the chicken and beans, since further simmering will soften it more.
Too salty: start with the low-sodium broth and rinsed beans as the recipe suggests. Taste before serving and add salt only if needed.
Make It Fit Your Plan
Meal-prep friendly: this recipe stores and reheats well. Make a double batch and portion into containers for lunches or quick dinners. The flavors deepen after a day in the fridge.
To feed more people: double the ingredients, use a deeper Dutch oven, and extend simmer time by a few minutes to ensure everything heats through. If scaling up, keep the broth-to-rice ratio steady and taste as you go.
Lower-carb option: serve the finished fajita chili over a bed of sautéed cauliflower rice or leafy greens instead of the included rice; however, the recipe as written builds flavor around the Spanish rice so expect a different overall texture.
Author’s Commentary
I keep this recipe in heavy rotation because it hits three things I always want from a dinner: fast, flavorful, and flexible. The first time I made it for my friends, I doubled the peppers and left out the beans for some of them—still a hit. The Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ shortcut is an unapologetic time-saver; it preserves the tomato-pepper notes you want without making the dish fussy.
On busy nights, this is the sort of recipe I’ll rely on when I need to be in the kitchen for fifteen minutes and out. It’s forgiving, so if you’re running behind you can simmer it a little longer without wrecking the meal. That reliability is the real luxury.
How to Store & Reheat
Cool the fajita chili to room temperature (no more than two hours), then transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To freeze, portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat from the fridge: warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth to loosen the rice, stirring occasionally until heated through. For microwave reheating, cover loosely and heat in 60–90 second intervals, stirring between, until hot.
From frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop as above. If you must reheat from frozen, use a low setting and add extra liquid to prevent the rice from drying out.
Ask the Chef
Q: Can I use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken strips?
A: Yes. Toss in shredded rotisserie chicken when you return the rice, vegetables, and beans to the pan. Skip the initial searing step. Heat gently until warmed through.
Q: I don’t have Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ – Spanish Rice. What else works?
A: You can use any packaged Spanish rice that cooks in broth and follows a similar liquid-to-rice ratio, or cook 1 cup of long-grain rice separately and stir it in near the end. If you do the latter, adjust the timing so the rice doesn’t overcook in the final simmer.
Q: Can I make this vegetarian?
A: Substitute extra beans or a meat alternative for the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Sauté the peppers and onion longer to build flavor before combining with the rice and beans.
Q: My mixture looks a little thin after adding the beans—how do I thicken it?
A: Let it simmer uncovered for the full 10 minutes to reduce liquid. If needed, remove a small cup of the mixture, mash a portion of the beans, then stir the mashed beans back in to thicken naturally.
Let’s Eat
Serve your Fajita Chili hot, straight from the pan. Offer toppings like chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, diced avocado, shredded cheese, or a dollop of sour cream if you like. Corn tortillas or tortilla chips make for great scoops. A simple green salad or a side of roasted vegetables complements the meal without complicating dinner prep.
Make it once, and you’ll see why this hybrid of fajita and chili becomes a regular. It’s colorful, comforting, and built to be flexible—exactly what weeknight cooking should be.
Fajita Chili
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lbboneless skinless chicken breastscut into thin strips
- 1 tbspMexican seasoning blendsodium free
- 2 tbspolive oildivided
- 1 mediumoniondived
- 2 red and/or green bell pepperschopped
- 32 ozlow-sodium chicken brothdivided
- 1 packageKnorr® Fiesta Sides™ – Spanish Rice
- 4 cupslow-sodium pinto beansand or black beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
Instructions
- Season the 1 lb chicken strips with 1 tbsp Mexican seasoning blend.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and the medium onion (prepared as you prefer) to the pan with the chicken and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken, peppers, and onion to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe the pan briefly if desired, then heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Pour in 2 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the Knorr® Fiesta Sides™ – Spanish Rice to the boiling broth and prepare according to the package directions (cover and simmer for 7 minutes).
- After the rice has cooked, return the chicken, peppers, and onion to the pan. Stir in the 4 cups drained and rinsed beans and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth (you should have used 2 cups earlier and have 2 cups left from the 32 oz).
- Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and flavors are combined.
- Serve hot.
Equipment
- large saucepan or Dutch oven
