Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread
This savory Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread includes a combination of biscuits, juicy chicken, onions, peppers and cheese. It makes for a fantastic gameday snack!
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We recently went over to our neighbor’s house for an afternoon of football and snacks. We thought we were just going over for an hour or two, but we somehow managed to stay until late in the evening. It’s the kind of party where appetizers become dinner. Good friends and good food tends to make that happen, right?
For this gathering, we wanted to bring some sort of fun gameday food. Slow cooker ribs, meatball sandwiches and cheesy dips all came to mind immediately. However, we ended up going a different direction. We channeled all of the delicious flavors in chicken fajitas into a monkey bread.
Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread
This Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread is very similar to the classic monkey bread that lots of folks make during the holidays. That sweet version calls for cinnamon, sugar, biscuits and a lot of butter. Instead of sweet, this version goes savory and uses marinated chicken, onions, peppers and cheese. Who says pull apart breads always have to be sweet??
For this recipe, I started with this copycat recipe for Chili’s Chicken Fajitas – it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes on this blog! The chicken gets marinated overnight which leads to juicy, delicious bites of chicken. When we’re making fajitas, we cook the chicken breasts on the grill, but for this monkey bread I just chopped the chicken into bite-sized pieces and cooked ’em on the stovetop.
Right next to that skillet with the chicken was a larger skillet full of peppers and onions. The peppers and onions cook for a bit until they’re nice and soft – but here’s the secret: a vegetable finishing sauce. I’m not sure what else to call it. A simple combination of soy sauce, lime juice, pepper and salt takes these veggies from plain to amazing. Don’t skip the sauce!
Once all of the components for this Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread are ready, they go into a big mixing bowl with chopped up biscuit dough, shredded cheese, green onions and olive oil. For sweet monkey bread, butter is the way to go, but I felt like olive oil would work better in this savory monkey bread.
For the cheese, I went with Cabot’s Pepper Jack. I do love a good sharp cheddar cheese, but I didn’t want the flavor of the cheese to overpower the chicken and veggies. That pepper jack cheese melts well, and it’s packed with flavor – it’s a great combo of smooth and spicy. Perfect for fajitas!
All of those ingredients get mixed together and then dumped into a Bundt or tube pan. Into the oven for a bit, and you’re all set for some delicious gameday food! There was only a tiny bit of this Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread left at the end of the party. We just kept walking by pulling off a piece…and then another piece…and then another.
How to Store Leftover Monkey Bread
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the bread in a small baking dish and cover lightly with foil. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until heated through. The microwave also does a great job reheating this dish!
If you’re looking for a tasty recipe for gameday entertaining, then go with a savory monkey bread. They’re fun to serve, and finger food like this is always a big hit at parties. Cheers!
Did you make this Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1” pieces
For the Veggies
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 bell peppers sliced into ½” strips
- 1 large white onion sliced into ½” strips
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ water
For the Monkey Bread
- 2 16-oz. cans jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
- 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese I used Cabot Pepper Jack, can substitute with mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salsa for dipping
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Using a medium bowl, add all of the marinade ingredients except for chicken; whisk together until fully combined. Place the chopped chicken in a glass baking dish, pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Drain and discard excess marinade.
- Place chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and set aside.
For the Veggies
- Meanwhile, using a separate skillet, add olive oil and sliced bell peppers. Placed over medium heat and sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onions; continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 more minutes or until onions and peppers are soft.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, pepper, salt and water.
- Reduce heat to low and add the soy sauce mixture. Stir well and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
For the Monkey Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Open biscuit cans and cut each biscuit into 4 quarters.
- Using a large bowl, add dough pieces along with cooked chicken and sauteed veggies.
- Add cheeses, green onions and olive oil; toss until well combined.
- Spray a Bundt pan or tube pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer biscuit mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. (The top should be golden brown at this point.) Tent the pan with foil (to prevent burning) and continue baking for 25-30 more minutes.
- Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with salsa for dipping.
Looking for more savory monkey bread recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu i never had chicken fajita monkey bread before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I think tofu could work here, Ramya – just make sure to season it well! I hope you enjoy this recipe…it’s a tasty one!!
Wow! What a fun spin on monkey bread! I am simply loving your savory version!
I totally underStand how a quick gathering can turn into half a day when good friends are involved- we had a wine tasting at our place and I thought it would go from 4-6.. but it lasted until 9.30.. next time I am making some of this monkey bread, cos this would pair so well, not to mention, sop up some of that booze 😉
Haha – when the wine, beer and other alcohol (ahem – bourbon for us – ahem) comes out, the quick gathering just turns into a whole event! That’s where yummy comfort food like this savory monkey bread plays a role. It’s delicious…and it balances out that alcohol, too!
You’re so creative, David! Love this fun savory take on monkey bread, with all those delicious chicken fajita flavors!
Thank you so much, Michelle! Just like everything can be turned into a taco, I say that everything can also be turned into monkey bread. 🙂
You are the king of Monkey Bread, David (although this title may sound a bit funny). Every time you post a new recipe for monkey bread (or pull apart bread), I think there’s no way you could surprise me more. And yet you did it again – amazing flavours here! How are you going to surprise me next time? 🙂
Haha – hey, I’ll gladly accept the term ‘king’ no matter the topic! I do love monkey bread, and this savory version is just a mash-up with some of our favorite fajita flavors!
not sure if we have monkey bread here but it sounds delicious. Love those flavours. It looks very enticing too! All that glistening sauteed onion and capsicum … what could be better? have a great weekend.
You need to go on a mission to bring monkey breads to the Down Under, Sherry! They’re great party food. You can make the dough from scratch (and I’ve done that on occasion), but canned dough is certainly more common (and easier). I think you’ve said in the past that canned dough is not a thing down there, though. Where there’s a will there’s a way…. 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend, too!
TIL what monkey bread is! Actually I’d seen it around but didn’t know the name.. Anyway, since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I’d go for your savory version every time.
Monkey bread is always a fun party food! Normally you see it in a sweet dessert/breakfast form, but this savory version turned out really well. Thanks, Frank!
A very interesting dish. I wish there were some preparation photos. You just layer dough, chicken, and veggies?
Yup! You just combine all of the individual elements in a large bowl and toss until well combined. (No real need to layer it all…just mix it up.) Then send it off to the Bundt pan for baking. It’s a fun recipe!
Well this certainly isn’t your typical dips and chips or wings. I’m sure everyone enjoyed it, I know I would.
We love all kinds of appetizers around here, and the traditional ones do make regular appearances. But every once in a while it’s fun to mix things up – literally! This savory monkey bread was a great party food for sure!
This is such a deliciously creative idea – savory monkey bread! I love it. Definitely putting this on the list of things to make for our next get together.
Awesome – I hope you enjoy this recipe, Marissa! It didn’t last long around here! 🙂
Your Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread is pure genius! It’s such a creative twist on the classic sweet monkey bread, and the flavors are undoubtedly mouthwatering.
I’m a big fan of savory monkey breads! (I’m also a big fan of sweet monkey breads…haha.) The flavors in this one turned out well, and this was great party food. Thanks, Raymund!