This cheesy chicken fajita melt was a huge hit in our house. Huge. The chicken, vegetable and cheese filling is incredibly tasty. The chicken is tender and juicy and packed with classic fajita flavor. Oh, yes, there’s cheese. And lots of it. This is one fantastic sandwich. We made it on the griddle on our grill, but you can use a countertop griddle, an outdoor griddle such as ones from Blackstone or Weber, or even a large skillet. No matter what you use, you’ll love the end result for sure!
More Seasoning Makes These More Better
Don’t be shy with the fajita seasoning when you make this cheesy chicken fajita melt. Get to shaking that bottle. You’ll be happy you did. You want the chicken to have that fajita flavor. You want the vegetables to have that fajita flavor. And yep, get some on top of the cheese too. Last thing you want to have happen is that you take a big ole bit of sandwich only to ask yourself “Where’s the fajita?”.
These are not light fare. You’re not going to the leave the table hungry after devouring these sandwiches. That’s for sure!
Cheesy Chicken Fajita Melt
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs boneless, skinless, trimmed of any excess fat
- ¼ cup fajita seasoning divided, you might use more or less
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- ½ medium sweet onion sliced
- 1 poblano pepper sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 2 loaves French bread
- 1 pound Oaxaca cheese shredded (can substitute shredded Monterey Jack), divided
- cilantro chopped, to taste
- crema to taste
Instructions
- Season the thighs with the fajita seasoning. Don't be shy with the seasoning. Let the chicken set for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over high heat. I used a large griddle on my gas grill, but a flat top griddle, Griddler or the like will work just fine. You'll want a large surface as this recipe makes a large batch.
- Also preheat your oven to 400 F. Note: Since I was using a griddle on a gas grill, I used the grill as my oven instead.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the griddle. Add the thighs and cook for 4 minutes per side until lightly charred and cooked to 165 F.
- Remove the chicken to a platter to cool slightly then cut into small cubes.
- Add remaining butter to the griddle and add the onions and peppers. Cook until lightly softened and charred, stirring often.
- Add the chicken to the vegetables. Season with more fajita seasoning and stir to combine.
- Add half of the cheese and mix until melted. Remove to a plate or bowl.
- Slice off the top of the bread loaves and remove most of the contents. You want a completely hollowed loaves, but be careful to not poke any holes in the sides or bottoms!
- Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with more fajita seasoning. Transfer to the oven (or a hot grill over indirect heat) and toast for 10 minutes or until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is melted. If you want a little color to your cheese, place the loaves under the broiler for a minute or two.
- Top with chopped fresh cilantro and Mexican crema and serve!
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
