Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls with Chicken Sausage

This post is in collaboration with al fresco, thank you so much for supporting all the brands that we adore! 

If you’re looking for a healthy, fast, flavorful dinner, look no further than Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls with Chicken Sausage. These hearty bowls are packed with chewy brown rice, crispy al fresco chicken sausage, sweet peppers, and served with smashed avocado and Greek yogurt. Perfect for busy weeknights! 

Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls with Chicken Sausage

Pretty sure there’s nothing better than a dinner that comes together in 30 minutes or less, is delicious, AND healthy. Oh, and did I mention everything cooked on one pan? 

If you haven’t guessed, Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls encompass all of the above points, and it’s what we’re having for dinner tonight. Well, we had it last week, but hopefully it’s what YOU’RE having for dinner tonight. Pay attention, because after you lust after the photos, read out what’s happening here, you’re going to want to run to your nearest grocery store to pick up all the ingredients. 

We’ve got: 

• chili and cumin dusted bell peppers and onions roasted until soft and sweet
• the tastiest All Natural Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago Chicken Sausage from al fresco 
• sticky (instant!) brown rice to sop up all the juice from the veggies and sausage
• the easiest makeshift guacamole on the planet
• creamy, tangy Greek yogurt for a touch of a cool bite and contrast to all that flavor

Basically we have all the most wonderful parts of a classic fajita, in the prettiest, most delicious presentation, and we’re bringing it to the table in a jiffy. Because we’re using fully cooked al fresco chicken sausage, we get to skip the part of marinating the meat of choice for the fajitas, cooking the meat of choice for the fajitas, and just get to get down to business. 

Ingredients in Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls

The sheet pan fajitas

Bell Peppers. A fajita is not a fajita without a bevy of bell peppers. I prefer to use combination of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers not only because they’re beautiful, but because to me, they’re a little bit sweeter than a plain green bell pepper. 

Olive oil. We just need a touch of olive oil to roast the veggies and help ease them into softening up a bit. 

Spices. Chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder and salt. My kiddos can’t tolerate a lot of heat, so I kept the spices pretty mild. If you want a little extra kick of spice, I’d sprinkle in a little bit of cayenne pepper into the spice mix. 

Onions. One large onion, sliced, is more than enough. 

Al fresco Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago Sausage. I’ve been using al fresco chicken sausage for ages. I love that it’s pre-cooked, so it cuts the preparation for dinner time down considerably. I love that all the flavors are super healthy. And I love that they’re delicious. Any of the flavors would be a great ingredient to have on hand to whip up a healthy meal in a short amount of time. 

Today we’re using their roasted red pepper and asiago flavor, which I thought would compliment the red pepper in the fajita bowls perfectly. And they did! The roasted red pepper flavor is subtle, but slightly sweet, with the faintest hint of heat and smoke. Basically, all you have to do to prep it, is slice it, and that’s it. All the flavor is already innately in the sausage, so it doesn’t really need to be doused in any of the seasoning we use on the peppers and onions. 

Everything else

Avocado. Choose an avocado that has a little bit of give, but isn’t super soft. 

Garlic. I like just a hint of grated garlic in my guacamole, so that’s what I used here. Use a microplane to grate it, so it gets evenly distributed throughout the smashed avocado. 

Jalapeño. The amount you add depends totally on your taste buds. Since I have two little boys, I try to keep the spice to a minimum and use about 1/4 of a jalapeño (seeds and membranes removed). If you like a lot of spice, add a little bit more. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take any away. 

Limes. A punch of citrus is absolutely necessary in any guacamole recipe. I like to use two teaspoons, but I also like my guacamole on citrusy side, stick with one at first, and then taste. If you feel like it needs more, add another teaspoon. 

Cilantro. People either love or hate cilantro. I happen to love it, so I throw in quite a bit here. About a tablespoon of chopped cilantro. 

Greek yogurt. To keep fat and calories down, I like to swap out sour cream for non-fat plain Greek yogurt. It has the same tang to it sour cream has, and for me, it’s just as creamy. 

Brown Rice. I love to buy the frozen pre-cooked brown rice from the grocery store’s freezer section. It takes about three minutes to heat up, and you’re ready to go. Plus, I just love the chewy taste of brown rice over white rice. 

How to Make Sheet Pan Fajitas

Season the veggies. Add the sliced peppers and onions to a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. Once they’re all evenly coated, add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Toss until evenly coated. Spread the peppers out on half of the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 7-10 minutes. 

Cook everything. Pull the sheet pan out of the oven. Add the sliced sausage to the other half of the baking sheet. Make sure the sausage is spread out so it browns a bit in the oven. Cook another 20 minutes until the sausage is brown and the veggies are soft. When everything is done cooking, toss the peppers and onions together. 

Make the smashed avocado. While the sausage and peppers cook, add avocado, cumin, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt to a small bowl. Use a fork to mash everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Assemble. Spoon a little bit of brown rice in the bottom of a bowl. Top with the sausage and pepper. Spoon a little bit of guacamole in each bowl as well as a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Feel free to swap out the Greek yogurt for sour cream
• If you don’t want to make your own guacamole, just buy store-bought! No shame! 
• Use whatever variety of peppers you’d like. 
• White rice, quinoa, or even faro would be great substitutes for brown rice. 

Other great sheet pan meals

• This sheet pan chicken is one of our favorite crispy chicken recipes, and the kiddos LOVE it. 
• This goat cheese and lemon stuffed chicken is a little bit more involved, but still pretty easy. It’s great to serve guests since everything can be prepared ahead of time.