I made these chicken fajitas for dinner last night. This is a relatively quick dinner to get on the table as long as you leave enough time to marinate the chicken. I would suggest at least a couple of hours, and up to 24 for those who really plan ahead.
The nice thing about making this dish in the summer is that there is no need to heat up the kitchen since you can do it all on the outside grill. I did use a skillet on the stovetop for warming the tortillas.
There are many variations of fajitas, but a simple marinade, some lightly charred veggies, grilled chicken or beef and some tortillas are all you need to pull together this tasty and healthy fajita dinner.
Add some home made or store bought guacamole and salsa, along with some sour cream and any other toppings you like for serving.
Chicken Fajitas (adapted from CHOW.com)
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 2 medium limes
5 tablespoons olive or canola oil (or a combination of)
1 and ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 )
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 (8-inch) tortillas (corn, white flour, or whole wheat)
2 medium bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), cored and sliced into ½-inch strips
1 large red onion, halved and sliced into ½-inch pieces
Guacamole, for serving (see my recipe below)
Salsa, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
Olives and diced tomatoes (optional)
1. Place the cilantro, garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, lime juice, and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a shallow baking dish and whisk to combine.
Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or not more that 24.
2. Place the peppers and onions in a bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Heat the grill to medium-medium high. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until well browned on the bottom and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Turn over, season the second side with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until well browned on the bottom and cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
4. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest while you grill the veggies in a single layer on a grill pan or veggie basket on the grill. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the veggies to a serving dish.
5. Warm the tortillas by heating a medium skillet over high heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Place a tortilla in the dry pan and heat, turning once, until warmed on both sides. Wrap the tortilla in a clean dishtowel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
6. Slice the chicken into ½-inch-thick pieces and place in the serving dish with the vegetables.
To serve, fill a warm tortilla with chicken and vegetables and top with the guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
Guacamole
2 avocados
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 medium lime
4-5 drops of Tabasco sauce or to your taste
Kosher salt to taste
Place the peeled and pitted avocados in a bowl. With 2 dinner knives cut the avocados until the mixture forms a chunky consistency. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper.
Blend well.