ByDavid
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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
This savory Chicken Fajita Monkey Bread includes a combination of biscuits, juicy chicken, onions, peppers and cheese. It makes for a fantastic gameday snack!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Marinating Time: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 9 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 287kcal
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:
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