Chicken and Steak Fajitas for a Crowd — Done in 20 Minutes
Two Meats. One Pan. Nobody Goes Home Hungry.
Chicken and steak fajitas are the dinner I make when I need to feed a crowd fast and still want everyone to feel like I really cooked. You get perfectly seasoned steak and chicken with caramelized peppers and onions, warm tortillas, and a full spread of toppings so everyone builds exactly what they want. My family devours this every time — and it is genuinely on the table in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
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Watch me make these chicken and steak fajitas from start to finish — or scroll down for the full printable recipe card.
Featured Tools & Ingredients
- HEALTHY CERAMIC SKILLET - Made of natural ceramic, free of PFOA, PTFE, PFAS, lead and cadmium, safe...
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• Steak across the grain, chicken into pencil-thick strips, peppers and onions the same width. Everything cuts the same size on this big bamboo board before the pan even heats up.
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- NONSLIP BASE: keeps bowls stable while in use
• Cheese in one bowl, sour cream in one bowl, salsa in one bowl, shredded lettuce in one bowl. The toppings bar is the whole identity of fajita night, and I run it out of this three-bowl set.
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Chicken and Steak Fajitas for a Crowd
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Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb top sirloin steak cut into thin strips
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
- 1 packet fajita seasoning or 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 8 Flour tortillas or whole wheat tortillas
- Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican blend or shredded cheddar cheese optional topping
- sour cream optional topping
- salsa or pico de Gallo optional topping
- guacamole optional topping
- shredded lettuce optional topping
- hot sauce optional topping
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- Wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven at 250°F to warm while you cook the fajitas.
- Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the steak strips to the pan. Season with fajita or taco seasoning. Cook for 1–2 minutes to your desired doneness, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add another drizzle of oil to the pan if needed. Add the chicken strips and season with fajita or taco seasoning.
- When the chicken is about halfway cooked, add the sliced bell peppers and onion to the pan. Stir and cook together until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers and onions are tender and slightly caramelized, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add the steak back into the pan and stir everything together for about 1 minute to warm the steak through.
- Serve immediately with warm tortillas and your choice of toppings.
Nutrition
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Tap the stars above to rate it! This helps other families find it.Why These Chicken and Steak Fajitas Work
The thing that makes this recipe different from a lot of fajita recipes is that we cook the steak and chicken separately — and in that order. The steak goes in first to get a good sear, comes out, and then the chicken goes in with the peppers and onions so they all soften and caramelize together. When you add the steak back at the end, everything is cooked perfectly and nothing is overcooked or dried out. I have made this for just our family of seven and I have made it for a crowd of twenty — it scales beautifully either way.
The other trick I swear by is warming the tortillas in the oven. Wrap a stack of soft taco flour tortillas in aluminum foil, slide them in at about 250°F while everything is cooking, and by the time the fajitas are done, your tortillas are warm and soft and ready to go. It is such a simple step and it makes such a difference in the final result. Nobody wants a cold, stiff tortilla under a pile of hot sizzling fajita filling.
One thing I love about chicken and steak fajitas is that they are completely customizable. I use top sirloin for the steak because it is tender, affordable, and holds up well to high heat. For the chicken, boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips is perfect. You can absolutely do just steak, just chicken, or — like we often do — add shrimp for a third protein option. The seasoning works equally well on all three. A packet of Old El Paso fajita seasoning or about 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning is all you need for two pounds of meat total.
A Few Things That Make Chicken and Steak Fajitas Even Easier
- Preheat the pan fully before the meat goes in. A cold pan steams the meat — a hot pan sears it. Wait until you see a wisp of smoke off the avocado oil before adding the steak, and you’ll get that caramelized crust every time.
- Slice everything thin and uniform. Steak across the grain, chicken into pencil-thick strips, peppers and onions about the same width. When everything is the same size, everything cooks at the same speed — no babying one piece while another overcooks. I do all of this on my big bamboo cutting board before the pan ever hits the burner.
- Warm the tortillas in foil while you cook. 250°F oven, wrap your stack in foil, set a timer for when the fajitas come off. You will never go back to a cold tortilla again.
- Set up the toppings bar BEFORE you start cooking. Cheese in a bowl, sour cream in a bowl, salsa in a bowl, lettuce shredded — my three-bowl mixing set runs the whole toppings line. Once the meat hits the pan, you have 15 minutes, no time to be chopping cilantro.
- Don’t crowd the pan. If you’re feeding more than 8, cook in two batches rather than dumping everything in at once. A crowded pan steams instead of sears, and that’s the difference between fajitas and stir-fry.
Chicken and Steak Fajitas FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
Do I really need to cook the steak and chicken separately for chicken and steak fajitas?
Yes — and it makes a real difference. Steak needs high heat and a fast sear to get that caramelized crust without overcooking. If you add the chicken at the same time, the pan cools down and you lose the sear. Cook the steak first over medium-high heat for a minute or two to your desired doneness, set it aside, and then cook the chicken with the peppers and onions. Add the steak back at the very end just to warm through. Everything finishes at the right texture.
What cut of steak is best for chicken and steak fajitas?
Top sirloin is my go-to — it is tender, affordable, and easy to slice into thin strips. Flank steak and skirt steak are also classic fajita choices if you can find them. The key with any cut is to slice it thin, across the grain, so every bite is tender rather than chewy. Amazon Fresh flank steak is a great option if you want to order ahead.
Can I make chicken and steak fajitas ahead of time?
You can slice all the meat and vegetables ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. I do not recommend cooking the full recipe ahead and reheating — fajitas are at their best fresh off the pan, and reheated chicken can dry out quickly. If you need to get ahead, the prep work is where to focus. Then cooking only takes about 15 minutes when you are ready.
What toppings do you recommend for chicken and steak fajitas?
Our standard spread is shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, sour cream , salsa or pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and guacamole. Hot sauce is always on the table for whoever wants it. The beauty of fajitas is that everyone builds their own, so you can put out as many or as few toppings as you like. For a crowd, I like to set everything out in small bowls so people can go down the line and load up their tortilla.
Can I add shrimp to this chicken and steak fajitas recipe?
Absolutely — shrimp works beautifully with this recipe. Cook the shrimp exactly the same way as the steak: in the pan first with oil and seasoning, just 1–2 minutes per side until pink and curled, then set aside while you cook the chicken and vegetables. Add everything back together at the end. Shrimp cooks fast, so keep a close eye on it. If you are making all three proteins for a big crowd, cook in this order: steak, shrimp, then chicken with peppers and onions.
What kind of pan should I use for chicken and steak fajitas?
You want a large, wide pan that can hold everything without crowding. A 12-inch skillet or sauté pan is ideal. I use my SENSARTE 12-inch nonstick ceramic sauté pan — it is PFOA-free, induction compatible, and distributes heat beautifully. A cast iron skillet also works wonderfully if you want that classic sizzle. Whatever you use, make sure it is fully preheated before the meat goes in — that is how you get the sear.
How many people does this chicken and steak fajitas recipe serve?
Using 1 lb steak and 1 lb chicken (2 lbs total), this recipe serves 6–8 people. My family of seven eats this comfortably with a full toppings spread. If you are feeding a larger crowd — say 12–15 people — simply double the recipe and cook in two batches rather than crowding everything into one pan. A crowded pan steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose the whole texture of a great fajita.
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Chicken and Steak Fajitas — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.