Chicken strips seasoned with fajita spices and seared in a skillet with bell peppers and onion, served over red rice seasoned with tomato paste and cumin. A complete bowl originally designed for weekly meal prep — it divides into four containers ready for lunch.
The original is the "Chicken Fajita Meal Prep" from the Feel Good Foodie blog, and its clever addition to the usual fajitas is a red rice sautéed with tomato paste and cumin before cooking, turning it into a dish in its own right rather than a filling waiting for bread.
We kept the build as it is — seasoned rice, then chicken marinated in oil, spices, and lime, then peppers and onion in the same skillet — and cut the salt to its minimum, relying on the fajita seasoning as the only spice source.
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and sauté the chopped onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the rice, tomato paste, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper and stir until the grains are coated and take on a red tint.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil uncovered, with one stir to distribute the grains, then cover and reduce the heat to its lowest for 15 minutes without lifting the lid until the liquid is absorbed. Take it off the heat, leave it covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork, grain by grain.
In a bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the oil with the 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning and the lime juice, toss the chicken strips in it until coated, and leave them 10 minutes to absorb the marinade.
Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat until properly hot, lay the strips out without crowding, and sear for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and nearly cooked through, then set them aside. Crowding steams the chicken, so cook in two batches if the skillet is tight.
In the same skillet, add the sliced onion with the 2 teaspoons of fajita seasoning and stir for 2 minutes, then add the bell peppers, return the chicken, and toss for 2 minutes until the peppers soften while keeping their crunch, everything is hot, and the chicken finishes cooking at 74°C.
Divide the red rice among four airtight containers and arrange the fajita mixture evenly on top, then let them cool uncovered before sealing. Fresh toppings like avocado and lime wedges are added at mealtime, not before.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl, and how to fix them:
The skillet was not hot enough or was crowded. Heat it until it is almost smoking, sear in two batches, and leave the strips two minutes without moving before the first turn.
The tomato paste was added after the water and never distributed, or the lid was lifted during cooking. Stir the paste into the dry rice first until coated, and hold to 15 covered minutes on the lowest heat.
They were cooked too long. The peppers need only 2 minutes over high heat at the very end — especially for meal prep, since they soften further with reheating.
It was reheated on high power for too long. Reheat on medium power for 2 to 3 minutes, and a squeeze of fresh lime after reheating brings the dish back to life.
The sealed containers keep for up to 5 days — the tested shelf life of the original meal prep — cooling each meal uncovered before sealing so steam does not condense.
Freeze the containers for up to 2 months and move them to the refrigerator overnight before reheating. The peppers soften after freezing — that is expected.
In the microwave on medium power for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through to the center — medium power keeps the chicken from drying out.
Do not leave the containers at room temperature for more than 2 hours; refrigerate them as soon as they cool.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | Lean beef strips | Same weight, 680 g | The other classic fajita choice — sear it a little more briefly so it does not toughen. |
| White rice | Brown rice | Same amount, with the water increased to 2 cups and 40 minutes of cooking | More fiber and slower digestion, and it holds up well in weekly containers. |
| Store-bought fajita seasoning | A homemade mix of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and oregano | 1 teaspoon of each | Full control over the salt and free of additives, with a nearly identical flavor. |
| Jalapeño pepper | Leave it out | — | Makes the rice fully mild for children; its flavor still comes from the tomato paste and cumin. |
| Servings | Chicken | Rice | Water | Mixed bell peppers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 servings | 340 g | 95 g | 190 ml | 180 g |
| 4 servings | 680 g | 185 g | 375 ml | 360 g |
| 8 servings | 1360 g | 370 g | 750 ml | 720 g |
Taste the fajita seasoning before buying if possible, or read its label — some ready-made blends are half salt — and choose one that lists its spices plainly, or mix your own from cumin, paprika, garlic, and oregano. And remove the jalapeño seeds completely unless you love heat.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
