Chicken Fajita Pasta | Gluten Free

Chicken Fajita Pasta combines the best of both words by mixing together your favorite Mexican food with gluten free pasta to form a healthy and easy pasta dinner recipe!  This chicken fajita pasta recipe is full of taco spices, is gluten free and can easily be made dairy-free, too.

Chicken Fajita Pasta for those Indecisive Nights!

You know those nights.

The ones where you and your spouse go back and forth trying to decide.

Do you want Mexican food?  Italian food?  Seafood?  Indian?

Deciding on one specific cuisine can be downright exhausting.  Not to mention the debate that might ensue if you and your sweetheart do not agree!

Fajita Pasta Fusion Cooking

So the solution?  It’s something that we here in Austin like to call “fusion cooking.”

OK.  Really it’s just combining your two favorite cuisines into one amazingly flavorful dish… like in this chicken fajita pasta recipe!

All of the Mexican flavors that you know and love in chicken fajitas are combined with linguine pasta to form a fajita pasta that will make your taste buds dance.

One of my favorite aspects of this chicken fajita pasta recipe is that the veggie : pasta : chicken ratio is pretty equal.

And the best part?  You can adjust it to your preference!

Want more bell peppers and onions?  Or maybe a bit of mushrooms in this fajita pasta?  Toss ’em in!

Only have spaghetti noodles and no linguine?  Not a problem!

This chicken fajita pasta is completely versatile to make your crazy weeknight just a little bit less hectic.

What Type of Pasta is in this Chicken Fajita Pasta Recipe?

First off, is pasta gluten free?

No, pasta is definitely not naturally gluten free, but luckily, there are some incredible gluten free pasta brands in the market now!

One of the best gluten free pastas to use is Ancient Harvest… and especially their supergrain pastas!

This gluten free pasta is made from just a few ingredients (the linguine only has quinoa flour and corn flour!), holds its shape, and still tastes amazing.

I have found Ancient Harvest Supergrain pasta in my local grocery store as well as online through Amazon.

Gluten Free Pasta Tips

Gluten free pasta can be a bit finicky, so I have gathered together a few of the things I have learned to do and not to do:

• Err on the side of cooking your gluten free pasta a little al dente.
  • This is especially true in this chicken fajita pasta recipe.  Gluten free pasta tends to break apart quickly if overcooked.
• Dont want to eat all of the pasta in the same sitting?
  • Only cook as much pasta as you want to eat right then.  Reheating gluten free pasta has a tendency to make it break apart more easily.
• Uh oh!  You cooked your pasta before the veggies and fajita chicken were done cooking!
  • Not a problem!  Simply toss them with a bit of the salsa that will be used to prevent the noodles from sticking.
• Your pasta is all stuck together?
  • Make sure to add your gluten free pasta to the boiling water and give it a good stir.
  • If you are still having trouble with your pasta sticking together, try adding a bit of olive oil to the water while it is cooking to keep your noodles separated.

Chicken Fajita Pasta Ingredients

So you have your gluten free pasta cooking away, what other ingredients go into making this chicken fajita pasta recipe?

• Lots of seasonings – in the recipe below you will see all of the spices are what you will normally find in a simple taco seasoning.  You can also make a batch of this taco seasoning recipe and use 3 tablespoons of it instead of the spices listed below
• Honey – this gives the chicken fajita marinade a touch of sweetness.
• Soy sauce – you can also use gluten free Tamari sauce or liquid coconut aminos.
• Lime juice – try to use fresh, if you can.
• Salsa – we’ll talk about this ingredient below!
• Cheddar cheese – opt for a dairy-free cheese or leave it out completely if you are dairy-free.

What Type of Salsa is in this Fajita Pasta Recipe?

I have made this recipe quite a few times and have used various salsas with great results.

However, there are a few things I would advise when selecting your salsa:

• If you have kids you may want to get a salsa that is less chunky so they do not see the chunks of tomatoes.
• Select a mild salsa if you want your pasta at a 2-3 spice level out of 10.
  • A medium salsa will put the spice level up to a 5-6!
• Pick a salsa that you love the taste of all by itself.

5 from 2 votes

Print

Chicken Fajita Pasta | Gluten-Free

Chicken Fajita Pasta combines the best of both words by mixing together your favorite Mexican food with gluten free pasta to form a healthy and easy pasta dinner recipe!

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian, Mexican

Keyword chicken fajita pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 467 kcal

Ingredients

• 8 ounces linguine gluten-free
• 1 pound chicken breasts cut into thin slices
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 bell peppers thinly sliced
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups salsa mild
• ¾ cup cheddar cheese shredded, optional

Chicken Fajita Marinade:

• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce gluten-free
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ Tbsp. cumin
• 1 ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

Toppings:

• 1 avocado cut into cubes, optional
• Cilantro optional
• See this recipe in Meal Plan #6

Instructions

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. Whisk together chicken fajita marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add sliced chicken and marinade to a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Marinade chicken for 10-15 minutes.
3. Saute peppers, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt in olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
4. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet and add chicken with marinade. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Add linguine, cheese, and salsa. Stir until combined and heat up for 2 minutes over medium heat.

6. Serve with cilantro and avocado. Enjoy!  See this recipe in Meal Plan #6.

Recipe Notes

*Nutrition facts calculated without optional toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Fajita Pasta | Gluten-Free

Amount Per Serving

Calories 467 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 75mg25%

Sodium 1728mg75%

Potassium 902mg26%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 3075IU62%

Vitamin C 66.9mg81%

Calcium 213mg21%

Iron 5.1mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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