therecipestack-chicken-fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

A quick and delicious classic that combines a marinade full of flavor and quick sear into easy homemade chicken fajitas. 

Fast, easy and delicious! What’s not to like about chicken fajitas? This method involves some quick searing for the chicken, peppers and onions, and of course flour tortillas. 

Customize your Chicken Fajitas

If you are feeling adventurous, you can customize your fajitas with a multitude of other ingredients. From a dash of sour cream to avocado slices to cheese, fajitas are a great customizable dish. Other toppings can include sweetcorn and a popular favourite, guacamole!

You can also get creative and skip the tortillas and mix the fajitas leftover with some leafy greens, sweet corn, beans and avocado for an easy fajita salad.

Where does the “Fajita” term come from?

The word “fajita” comes from Spanish (Mexico) and it is a diminutive for small strips of meat cut from the beef skirt, which was the original meat for this dish. Nowadays you can make the fajitas with chicken and even shrimp, without anyone batting an eye. 

Best Chicken for Fajitas

Fresh always beats frozen when it comes to flavor and this time is no different. In terms of the best cut, the chicken breast will be a bit drier but easier to cook, while the chicken thighs will be much juicier, but take a bit longer to cook. Most go with the chicken breast option, but the chicken thighs are definitely worth trying out!

Seasoning, Marinating and Cooking

The strips of meat should be marinated for a minimum of 30 min and a maximum of 24 hours, after which the chicken will start to “cook” due to the acid in the lime juice. The longer you marinate the meat the better. 

To cook, use a cast iron pan or a hot grill for both the meat and vegetables.

Chicken Fajitas

Recipe by therecipestack
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Marinating

30

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

A quick and delicious classic that combines a marinade full of flavor and quick sear into easy homemade chicken fajitas. 

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or the equivalent in chicken thighs

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive. canola, safflower or peanut oil

  • 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise (root to tip)

  • 3 sliced bell peppers of various colors for added flavor

  • For the marinade:
  • 1 minced garlic clove

  • 1/2 seeded and minced jalapeño

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • For serving:
  • 8 to 12 flour tortillas

  • Salsa

  • Sliced avocado

  • Sour cream

  • Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

method

  • Prepare the chicken:
    Cut the chicken breast or thighs in strips that are 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.
  • Marinate:
    Mix the marinade ingredients in a glass or plastic container and add the chicken to the mixture. Make sure the meat is well coated and leave to marinate for the desired time
  • Cook the chicken on high heat:
    Heat oil in a large cast-iron frying pan on high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, place the chicken pieces in the pan let it cook for 2-4 minutes. Then turn them over and cook again on the other side. When cooked, remove the chicken strips and place them in a bowl – you can cover it with aluminum foil to keep the meat warm while you cook the rest.  
  • Sauté the onions and peppers:
    Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onions and peppers once the oil is hot. Stir to coat the onions and peppers with the oil and leftover brown bits from the chicken and let them cook for a few minutes. When they start to slowly blacken they are ready. 
  • Wrap it up:
    Warm the tortillas a little bit in a hot pan without any oil and place them on a flat surface. Add small quantities of chicken, onions, peppers and iceberg lettuce, and top up with some slices of avocado, salsa, sour cream and even some shredded cheese. And now for the fun part, wrap it all up!
  • Enjoy!

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