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Fantastic & flavorful Chicken Fajitas from scratch! All it takes is a simple marinade,crispy vegetables & seasonings to put together these amazing meal.
What is Chicken Fajita?
One of the world’s best known and well-loved Tex-Mex dishes, ever, are fajitas. Simply: fajitas are one of the most versatile, easy and enjoyable meals you can create on your own, or with family and friends. Their versatility ranges from the type of ingredients you can include to your choice of preparation, and of course, the array of vegetables and condiments you can add.
To break it down just a bit, fajitas are grilled or sautéed meats and vegetables, served with warmed corn or flour tortillas, and topped with bell pepper, avocado, pico de gallo (also known as salsa fresca) and other piquantes (hot sauce, in Spanish). Fajitas are a perfect choice for any type of social gathering or a normal meal at home. With all of that said, why wouldn’t you want to try your hand at making this wonderful dish?
Chicken Fajitas Ingredients
Chicken
As I mentioned earlier, your choice of fillings for your fajitas is your decision to make – it’s so hard to go wrong with this easy to make dish. But my all-time favorite is my delicious and mouth-watering chicken fajitas. What makes my recipe so beloved are the spices I add to marinate the chicken in before I start grilling or sautéing them.
Probably the longest process you’ll face in making chicken fajitas is the marinating time you allow them. While it’s entirely possible to serve tasty fajitas by skipping the marinating process, it’s well worth your time and the satisfaction of your appetite to plan slightly ahead.
Chicken Fajita Marinade
Marinating is a combination of oil (olive oil), acid (lemon or lime juice) and spices added to your meat, which is then set aside (in any type of closed container) to allow the flavors to become absorbed before you start grilling or sautéing.* Keep in mind, the longer your chicken has to marinate, the better.
The best cut for chicken fajitas are thighs.
There are countless ways you can spice up your version of chicken fajitas, but I usually use cumin powder and red chili flakes.
Which Vegetables to Use for Chicken Fajitas?
Chicken fajitas are served with similarly grilled or sautéed onions and bell peppers on top. There is something about this combination of vegetable that elevates your fajita like no other. Again, the type of onion or peppers you choose is up to you but make sure to be generous with your portions, and either grill them or sauté them as you would the chicken.
How to Cook Chicken Fajitas?
Chicken fajitas can be prepared all year round – which makes them perfect for grilling when the weather is just right or sautéing them in your kitchen. I’ve briefly touched on some preparation methods you want to keep in mind, such as trying to think ahead about marinating your chicken in order to experience its total goodness and getting your spices together to add to your marinade.
My chicken fajitas are always served with warm tortillas, so again, allowing them to heat gently on the grill or in a pan is key.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There isn’t anything I love more than being able to pull together a scrumptious meal for family and friends (and especially myself) that doesn’t cost a lot to create and brings total satisfaction – this recipe for chicken fajitas has never let me down, and I hope it impresses you. On that note, as they say in the Southwest of the US, or restaurants world-wide, Buen provencho – have a great meal!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FAJITAS
EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHICKEN FAJITA MARINADE
- Olive oil-2 tbsp.
- Ground cumin- 2 tsp.
- Fresh lime juice-3 tbsp.
- Salt -1 tsp.
- Red chili flakes- 1/2 tsp. or to your preference
- Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped-1 tbsp.
- Garlic cloves, chopped- 4
- FOR CHICKEN FAJITA
- Vegetable oil- 2 tbsp.
- Chicken thighs, skinless & boneless-700 gm or 1 1/2 pound
- Red onion, sliced- 1
- Bell peppers, red, green & yellow- 3, cut into strips
- Avocados, peeled, seeded & sliced-2
- Feta/ goat cheese- as needed, optional
- Black pepper & salt - as needed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients for marinade ( olive oil, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, red chili flakes, garlic cloves and fresh cilantro).
- Place the chicken thighs into the large bowl and pour the marinade over them to coat evenly, allow to marinate 15-30 minutes.
- In a large 12 inch/30 cm skillet/ pan heat vegetable oil, sear the chicken thighs until golden & cooked through over high heat, about 8 minutes per side.
- Transfer them to a large plate, cover with foil and let rest.
- Add some oil to the same skillet, saute onion until is soft.
- Put bell peppers and cook until they are cooked to your liking, then season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Cut/ slice the chicken.
- Serve with corn/ flour tortillas, avocado and lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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