Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

Everything you love about chicken fajitas comes together in this easy pressure cooker recipe that combines zesty flavors and ingredients into a low-carb meal that’s healthy and delicious. The directions will work for a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot to create a tasty low-carb chicken fajita bowl that will take its rightful place in your chicken dinner rotation.

This chicken fajita bowl is considered comfort food in my family. From the spicy chicken to the pepper and onions that accompany it, to tasty toppings that are piled on to make it even more irresistible, this pressure-cooked version is always a winner at the dinner table.

Here, I’ll show you how to make it in your Ninja Food or Instant Pot for succulent and tender chicken. You can either cut the chicken into strips, like traditional fajitas or because it’s so tender, go ahead and shred the chicken using two forks. I also like to keep this recipe low carb, so I substitute riced cauliflower instead of using traditional rice.

Oh, and this recipe is great for meal prep! So, if you love a spicy chicken recipe that’s easy, healthy, and nutritious, then this recipe is for you!

Ingredients Needed

For The Chicken Fajitas

Skinless Chicken Breasts – can be cut into strips or shredded, once cooked

Taco Seasoning – for seasoning the chicken

Chicken Broth – for deglazing and cooking the fajita mixture

Bell Peppers – red and green, cut into strips

Sweet Onion – cut into strips

Olive Oil – for sautéeing the chicken, peppers, and onions

Salt And Pepper – seasoning

For The Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Riced Cauliflower – pre-packed or freshly riced

Lime Juice – for seasoning

Cilantro – herbal seasoning, freshly chopped

Olive Oil – for sautéeing the cauliflower in a skillet

How To Make Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

Note: This is a summary of the recipe steps. For complete instructions, see the recipe card down below.

1. Brown the seasoned chicken breasts in the pressure cooker on the sauté setting of your Ninja Foodie or Instant Pot.
2. Remove the chicken and deglaze the inner pot with chicken broth.
3. Add the chicken back in and pressure cook in the chicken broth for 8 minutes before releasing pressure.
4. Remove the chicken and cut or shred.
5. If using a Ninja Foodi, return the chicken to the pot and place bell peppers and onions on top of the chicken. Cover with the air fryer lid and set to broil for 5 minutes to cook the veggies.
6. If using an Instant Pot, do not add the chicken back in; instead, add a little more olive oil and add the peppers and onions. Sauté them until tender.
7. To cook the riced cauliflower, sauté it in a little olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop until heated through. Season with lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper before serving.

Why Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower is a great low-carb substitute for regular rice. You can easily “rice” cauliflower with a food processor, pulsing it in a high-speed blender, or even shred/rice it with a hand grater. My favorite hack, though, is to purchase a bag of already riced cauliflower in the freezer section of the grocery store. That’s right – you can buy it already riced – brilliant! I usually have a few bags stashed in the freezer for easy meals like this one.

How To Build Your Bowl

Get a deep bowl ready because you’re going to fill it with these healthy ingredients that will keep you full and satisfied.

Pile in your cilantro-riced cauliflower and top it with the zesty shredded or chunked chicken plus the peppers and onions.

From there, you’ll no doubt want to add some other delicious items. Here’s a list of ideas to top your fajita bowl with:

• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Guacamole or sliced avocado
• Salsa or pico de gallo
• Roasted pepitas
• Lime slices

Other Ways To Serve Chicken Fajita Bowls

• Low Carb Tortillas – If you have a favorite low-carb tortilla, go old school and serve the fajitas with that. Again, if you’re not on a low-carb diet, use your favorite classic flour tortilla.
• Lettuce – You can always serve these chicken fajitas on a bed of lettuce in a bowl, or use larger lettuce leaves such as Romaine and serve this dish in lettuce wraps.
• White or Brown Rice – If you’re not worried about being low carb, use your favorite rice, white or brown instead of cauliflower rice.

Meal Prepping Tips

This is a great meal-prepping recipe. If you know you’ll be eating it on the regular throughout the week, double or triple up on the recipe so you can save some for later.

Note: I keep every item in a separate container to keep the textures of each intact.

Chicken – as mentioned earlier, you can cook the chicken and cut it into thin strips or, because it’s so tender from pressure cooking, shred it. I like to shred it when I’m saving it for meal prep. I keep it in a glass container, tightly sealed in the fridge, and just take out the portion I need to reheat. I usually pop it in the microwave for a quick reheat.

Peppers and Onions – this tip is if you’re making the recipe for future meals, and it’s this: undercook the peppers and onion! The reason here is that they become mushy the longer they hang out in the fridge and will be even more so once you reheat them. To avoid this, I just undercook them knowing they’ll be just right when I go to reheat them. You can reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.

Cauliflower Rice – You can keep riced cauliflower in the freezer or fridge and just heat it quickly in a skillet on the stovetop, following the directions in the recipe card.

How To Store And Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in separate containers, for up to five days.

Freezer: Store the cooked and cooled chicken and vegetables, separately, in airtight containers, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheating: Chicken and veggies can be reheated in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. Riced cauliflower should be heated in a skillet on the stovetop.

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