Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Bold take: If quesadillas and boring weeknight pasta had a love child, it would still not be as life-affirming as these Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas — and yes, I will fight you on the merits of slow-cooked tomatoes in a crockpot (they’re soulful, okay?). I believe in big flavors, lazy afternoons, and the absolute rightness of shredding chicken with two forks while pretending I’m auditioning for a dramatic food commercial. Also, if you’re here for simple dinner wins, you might want to also peek at my my easy grilled chicken avocado rice bowl because chicken is my neutral ground and I have opinions.

A kitchen meltdown that taught me too much (and made great fajitas later)

There was a year — let’s call it Thanksgiving of Trials — when I tried to brine a turkey, set a smoke alarm record in my dorm, and simultaneously invent a new way to ruin cranberries. The neighbors still bring it up, like it’s a quaint small-town festival of failure. The crockpot was not involved in that disaster (thankfully), but it was the hero in the recovery months after, quietly healing my reputation with slow-simmered dignity.

I once used a skillet and very bad timing to attempt “fajitas for the in-laws,” which resulted in charred peppers, rubbery chicken, and Aunt Linda looking at me like I had committed a culinary felony. That memory is tender now because it taught me to surrender to slow cooking. Also: Trader Joe’s frozen peppers? Not the villain. I was.

Okay, let’s actually make fajitas and stop emotionally narrating the entire Midwest food timeline

ANYWAY, before I relive every cranberry catastrophe — here’s the glorious pivot to actual cooking. This recipe is a 30-second assembly, a melodramatic simmering period (hours), and then the shredding climax. It’s the sort of meal that waves a little flag and says: “You deserve this.” Also, if you enjoy tropical takes as much as I do, the slow cooker can be weirdly versatile — don’t sleep on a sweet twist like the Hawaiian crockpot chicken when you’re feeling saucy.

Thing-you-actually-need: Ingredients (yes I listed them; no you may not skip the tomatoes)

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 packet fajita seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (14.5 oz)
• Tortillas for serving
• Optional toppings: sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro

Mini-rant: Yes, you can absolutely splurge on artisanal tortillas and small-batch fajita seasoning if you’re dramatic and wealthy — I love you for it — but a no-name packet and the basic flour tortillas from Aldi are weekday angels. Trader Joe’s often has a fantastic salsa to toss on top (I will fight for their corn chips), but keep it simple: the tomatoes with green chilies are the unsung hero here.

Cooking Unit Converter — because some of us still convert cups to chaos

Quick conversion: if your heart operates in grams and teaspoons, use the converter below to avoid dramatic measuring mishaps.

How I actually do this — the sloppy, sensory technique breakdown

Listen: this isn’t a fancy sauté ballet. It’s a dump, a nap, and a triumphant shredding. Here’s what I learned the hard way — layering matters (yes, the peppers go on top), and don’t overthink the tomatoes; they will make the sauce sing. When it’s cooking, the house fills with that warm, tomato-ey steam that smells like Thanksgiving leftovers you’d want to reheat (but better), and the peppers soften into buttery ribbons that whisper, “You did good.”

1. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Top with sliced bell pepper and onion.
3. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over the top.
4. Pour diced tomatoes with green chilies over everything.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
6. Once cooked, shred the chicken with two forks and mix well with the vegetables and sauce.
7. Serve in tortillas with your choice of toppings.

Also: if you ever want a reminder that the slow cooker can do assembly-line magic, try putting fajita leftovers into bowls inspired by other recipes — and yes, I sometimes remix this into a riff on my crockpot Mississippi chicken energy for a crazy-weeknight mashup. It’s chaotic but delicious.

Why I care so much about this kind of cooking (and why you probably should too)

Cooking is where my family stories live, scribbled into recipe cards with grease stains and a laugh in the margin. It’s how we celebrate small wins (got the kid to eat vegetables! voilà) and mourn big ones (RIP the lemon bars of 2021 — don’t ask). This fajita recipe connects me to that messy comfort—holiday leftovers of the best kind, weekday rescue missions, and the idea that meals can be both humble and heroic.

Micro-anecdote: the tortilla folding incident

I once folded a tortilla so ambitiously that it split open like a soap opera. My partner still calls it “the scandal.” We ate it anyway, mopped up sauce like champs, and now it’s a legend.

Frequently Asked Questions — chaotic but helpful, promise

Okay, I’ll stop narrating my life like a streaming docuseries. This is dinner, it solves problems, it makes your house smell like you definitely know what you’re doing, and it will make everyone ask you for the recipe while you accept compliments with theatrical humility.

Daily Calorie Needs Calculator — because sometimes we want numbers with our nachos

Use this tool to estimate how this meal fits into your daily needs based on activity and goals.