If you are just starting to discover the world of Mexican cuisine, this chicken fajitas recipe is for you.
The smoky flavor of chicken fajitas might seem hard to replicate if you want to reach that exact Tex-Mex restaurant version, but the dish is actually super easy to be home-made just by plain skillets.
Are Chicken Fajitas Healthy?
Our chicken fajitas recipe is healthy since it contains several nutritious ingredients.
Creamy and tasty, avocado is also a great source of vitamins C, K, potassium, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocado health benefits include lowering choresterol, protecting your eyes, and preventing cancer.
Onions, whether red, yellow, or white, are loaded with benefits. These vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin C, iron, and folate. Far from making us cry, onions can support your skin and hair health, as well as reduce depression.
1. Calories
There are 503 calories in this chicken fajitas recipe. You can have this dish with some salads or soup to reach about 750 calories, which is our recommended daily intake for a meal.
2. Carbs
Each serving of this chicken fajitas recipe contains 47 grams carbohydrates which takes up 16 percent of the total carbs that you should consume a day.
Ingredients for Chicken Fajitas
1. Chicken
For this fajitas recipe, chicken gets marinated in a special sauce of salt, pepper, chilli, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder. Then it is seared for an appealing crisp outer edge while still juicy in the inside.
A small tip is that you should cook the chicken before onions and peppers, then remove it from the skillet. The chicken will be added back to the skillet only when the vegetables are cooked through and softened. This helps to avoid over cooking your chicken.
2. Onion
This vege has a strong smell and flavor in the raw form, but with a little heat, it turns out sweet and tasty.
Any type of onion, red, white, or yellow can work well in this recipe.
3. Bell Pepper
You can use bell pepper of all kinds ranging from red, green, to yellow one. This colorful vegetable adds an extra crunchiness and a touch of natural sweetness to your fajitas.
4. Avocado
The flavor of chicken and vegetables upgrades with creamy avocado. And there is a small twist here: you can grill the avocado for an interesting smoky flavor.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas on the Stove
Step 1: In a small bowl, add chili powder, cumin powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix together.
Step 2: In a big bowl, season chicken with the spice mixture. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Heat the cast iron pan with olive oil on medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, charred and cooked right through.
Step 4: Transfer chicken to a plate, slice into strips.
Step 5: Heat the pan with olive oil, add bell pepper, onion. Stir-fry until the veggies are tender. Season with the spice blends and lime juice.
Step 6: Warm tortillas in the oven over low heat (285°F).
Step 7: Fill the tortillas with the chicken, avocado and veggies mixture above. Add more of your favourite toppings.
How to Cut Chicken for Fajitas
Pounding the chicken breasts properly to tenderize it is one thing (approximately to an even ½ inch of thickness), but keeping your chicken tender actually takes more than just careful prepping.
For any meat kind all over the world, there is always some juice built up inside during cooking. This juice will need some time to redistribute back to the meat post-cook.
So, if you wish your meat to be juicy and tender enough, then remember to never cut it out to serve right away, since its moisture will leak out and only leave you with a dry roast.
Besides, the meat will keep on cooking even after being taken out of the skillet. Its internal temperature will still continue to rise for a couple of minutes even when removed from the heat source. So that’s why it’s crucial to take your chicken out of the skillet a little bit earlier than it’s supposed to be.
When your chicken is cool down completely, you should cut across the grain, which helps to make the meat more tender. Sometimes, the grain is not straight, you might have to change the directions several times during this step.
How to Season Chicken
The season for chicken fajitas contains some herbs, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and chilli powder. All you need to do is to stir them all together, then season chicken with it and cook together with the veggies on the pan.
So basically you’ll get to completely control what goes into your spice mix. For example, you could ditch pepper or paprika if you’re a bit too heat-intolerant. Then switch it with other natural herb powders like cumin, dill or oregano to achieve the desired pungent flavor and astringent mouthfeel.
Here’s one final fact: this fajitas seasoning is not only adaptable for chicken fajitas recipe alone, but is actually fitting for any tacos, soups, stews or burritos.
Marinade for Chicken Fajitas
Our marinade for chicken fajitas recipe is a mixture of chili powder, cumin powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. This is a simple yet flavorful marinade that everyone can make at home.
Let your chicken sit in the seasoning mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes. This rest is literally the best way your meat can obtain its maximum flavor.
Larger meat pieces like standing ribs, butt roasts or whole turkeys will need a longer rest, while it’ll be shorter for smaller ones like tournedos of veal paillards.
To cook chicken quicker, you can season and marinate chicken the previous night, so it’s ready to go in the first part.
What Goes with Chicken Fajitas Recipe
We love this chicken fajitas recipe not only because it is hearty, tasty, and healthy but also easy to make and customizable. You can swap any main ingredients out and use your favorite.
1. Mushroom
If you want to twist classic fajitas to a vegetarian version, mushroom is all you need to have. Mushrooms offer a great meaty substitute for chicken or beef, and the result is still amazing.
2. Cheese
You can top fajitas with any cheese that your heart is calling for. Shredded cheese strips, dollops of sour cream or even gobs of salsa fresca sound so tasty.
3. Broccoli
These Mexican wraps are so versatile that you can use amost any types of vegetables in the filling. We sometimes have broccoli along with onion and bell peppers.
Beside adding a vibrant green color to the dish, broccoli complements the chicken and helps the fajitas liven up on the plate.
What to Serve with Chicken Fajitas
Fajitas are a simple recipe to make which can save you from a bustling weeknight dinner.
A basic chicken fajitas recipe calls for sauteed onions, bell peppers, and chicken breast. You can present them with various carb-containing ingredients.
1. Rice
Since fajitas contain meat and vegetables, you can have it with rice which gives you a comfort and filling meal.
2. Pasta
A bed of pasta covered in chicken fajitas sounds amazing and tasty! A plate of pasta and fajitas gives you enough energy until the next meal and is a delicious dinner idea that you will love.
3. Flour Tortilla
Tortilla is no stranger to many people since it always appears with chicken fajitas. With the mixture of savory chicken, charred onion, bell pepper, and creamy avocado as the filling, a tortilla wrap is a perfect accompaniment.
For those who are on a low-carb diet, choose a corn tortilla to pair with your chicken fajitas.
We recommend serving this chicken fajitas recipe with tortilla soup on the side for a hearty nutritious meal. Here are the nutrition facts of the whole meal:
If you are looking for some healthy chicken recipes, our stuffed chicken breast is a grear option.
Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
- 7 oz bell pepper 2 medium, sliced
- 8 oz onion 2 medium, thinly sliced
- 3 oz avocado 1/2 medium, thinly sliced
- 6 to flour tortillas
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Instructions
- In a small bowl, add chili powder, cumin powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix together.
- In a big bowl, season chicken with the spice mixture, about 2 teaspoons. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Heat the cast iron pan with 2 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, charred and cooked right through (about 6-8 minutes each side). Transfer chicken to a plate, slice into strips.
- Heat the pan with olive oil, add bell pepper, and onion. Stir-fry until the veggies are tender. Season with the spice blends and lime juice.
- Warm tortillas in the oven over low heat (285 F) for 3 minutes.
- Fill the tortillas with the chicken, avocado and veggies mixture above. Add more of your favourite toppings.
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Oh my god, this is so yummy. I love dit.