Chicken Fajitas
One of the best dinners out there! This easy recipe is made with deliciously seasoned, marinated and pan seared chicken, a trio of fresh bell peppers and tender crisp onions. Easy to make and unbelievably delicious!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs trimmed chicken thighs or chicken breasts*
- 5 Tbsp light olive oil divided
- 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
- 3 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided
- 2 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
- 2 tsp ground cumin, divided
- 1 jalapeno, seeded for less heat if desired, minced
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium bell peppers (preferably 1 red, yellow and green), seeded and sliced
- 1 medium red onion or yellow onion, sliced
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 (7-inch) flour tortillas, warmed, homemade are best if time allows
- Optional toppings, see notes
Instructions
- In a medium non-reactive mixing bowl (such as glass or stainless steel), whisk together 3 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp garlic, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, jalapeno, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken and toss well then submerge down into marinade. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
- Preheat a 12-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil then place chicken in skillet leaving space between pieces and cook until well browned of first side about 4 to 6 minutes (chicken thighs take near greater time).
- Flip chicken and continue to cook until chicken registers 160 - 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer in center, about 4 to 6 minutes longer (chicken thighs take near greater time). If you find chicken is browning too quickly before cooking through you can reduce burner temperature slightly.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, scrape up excess burnt bits from the skillet with a metal spatula if needed (you want some of those browned bits but not a lot of burnt black bits especially if you used thighs and had to cook longer). Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil to same cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Add bell peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute about 4 minutes, only tossing occasionally and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan.
- Add remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp garlic and saute until just tender crisp, about 2 minutes longer.** Pour in remaining 1 Tbsp lime juice and toss.
- Return chicken to pan, toss in cilantro and serve warm over tortillas with optional toppings.
Notes
- *For chicken breasts you can use 4 (6 oz each) portions or 2 (12 oz each) portions halved through their thickness. Pound thicker areas of chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet to even their thickness. For chicken thighs I recommend using about 4 oz. pieces, just trim the fat no flattening necessary.
- **If you still have stubborn browned bits at the bottom of the pan you can help release them by pouring in a splash of chicken broth or water, these bits adds lots of flavor to the dish.
- Nutrition estimate: based on two fajitas per person, using store-bought tortillas (homemade tortillas are about 50 calories extra each), and optional toppings not included.
- To make them healthier use corn tortillas instead of flour. I like to warm corn tortillas in skillet in a teaspoon of olive oil until lightly golden brown spots appear on each side.