Easy Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Easy Grilled or Roasted Chicken Fajitas
Perfect blend of marinated chicken breasts and zesty, fresh vegetables grilled to make a quick dinner! Piled it high on a tortilla and dinner is served ... packed with meal appeal too!
Easy Grilled or Roasted Chicken Fajitas
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 - 4 Boneless, skin less chicken breasts, ~ 1 pound
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 fresh bell peppers, yellow, orange or red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (or 2 medium tomatoes)
3 tablespoons favorite Taco seasoning or Homemade recipe below
Optional: 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Homemade Taco Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish: Fresh jalapeño peppers, sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro, salsa
Equipment needed:
Cutting board
Chef knife
Measuring spoons
Ziploc baggie, gallon-sized
Medium mixing bowl
Grill (or large grill pan/skillet)
Grill pan or Grill mat
Tongs or bent-edged spatula
Nothing better than fresh fajitas on a hot summer day... or any day! Such a colorful combination of peppers, onions and tomatoes with tangy marinated chicken. Super easy too! When teaching my Foods 3 class, my students used to prepare this dish in the meat unit using beef, as it was quick and could be prepared, eaten and cleaned up in under an hour! We marinated a tougher cut of steak the day ahead... inexpensive and time saving option. Everyone loves Mexican food, so no complaints from the students. I prefer this recipe with chicken... healthier, lower fat option. The marinating can be made earlier in the day for dinner or at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Want to give the meat the chance to absorb all that luscious flavor... You will love it!
Basically, this recipe is prepared in three steps! Chicken marinating, vegetable slicing and grilling! Begin by slicing the chicken breasts into 1 – 1 1/2” diagonal strips and placing them into a Ziploc baggie along with the seasonings and lime juice. Seal bag well, removing as much air as possible, and massage the ingredients until well mixed and chicken appears coated. Set on a plate and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I often marinate the meat for most of the day. (If using skirt or a tougher cut of steak, I marinate with the same ingredients...sometimes overnight)
When ready to make dinner, cut the peppers in half and remove seeds and white veins inside. Slice thinly across each pepper and cut each slice in half. Repeat with the large onion. You can leave the onions and pepper slices long if you wish, but I think eating is easier if sliced slightly smaller. Place the peppers in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with the taco seasoning. I didn’t start making my own taco seasoning until one time I didn’t have any in the cabinet. I adapted a recipe I found in Spendwithpennies.com, which I can keep in a jar for later too!
Time to fire up the grill! I started using a copper grill sheet and love it! Food cooks well and cleanup is super easy... Keeps my grill clean too. You can use a grill pan too if you prefer. I often make this dish in the kitchen during the winter in a large skillet or roast in the oven.
**To Grill…
Start with grilling the chicken until no longer pink, about 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Using tongs, flip chicken over and remove to a platter while you cook the veggies. I dislike over cooked, dry chicken and the chicken will be added back for further cooking later. Grill the seasoned peppers and onions for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should be a bit crisp when finished cooking. Add the tomatoes last as they cook quickly and juice up the mixture. If using fresh cilantro, sprinkle it over the grilling vegetables and grill for about 3 - 5 minutes or until nicely browned and bubbly. Add the chicken back into the mixture and heat through for another couple minutes.
** To Roast….
Spread veggies over parchment paper lined sheet pan. Place marinated chicken on top & toss together. Sprinkle pan with taco seasoning. Toss with fingers to coat with seasoning. Place in 375 F oven for 30 minutes.
Dinner is ready!! Serve with salads for summer or beans for winter… or both for any season!!
By now the smell is heavenly and the color spectacular! Platter the fajita mixture up and sprinkle a bit of fresh cilantro on top... serve over warmed flour or corn tortillas with your choice of garnishes... Enjoy!!
**My recipe for Creamy Cole Slaw makes a great side dish too! Added a bit of fresh kale...