Easy Perfect Chicken and Cheese Fajitas
Simple, clean flavors hit all the right notes, charred fried vegetable, the spicy seasoned charred chicken, the crunch of shredded lettuce, the tang of fresh salsa, the nuttiness of the sliced avocado and the richness of the mixture of Mexican cheese, all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla makes the perfect dish. I like serving it with Spanish Rice and Refried Beans.
Equipment
- iron skillet optional
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic - minced
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground chili
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - optional
- ½ jalapeno - seeded and minced
Fajita
- 1 to 1½ lbs. chicken thighs - skinless and boneless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 bell peppers - assorted colors, sliced into ¼" strips
- 1 large red onion - sliced lengthwise from root to tip, into ¼" strips
To Serve
- 4 - 6 flour tortillas - warmed (microwave for 15 seconds
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce - shredded (available already bagged)
- fresh salsa
- 1 large avocado - pitted and sliced
- 1 - 1½ cups cheddar or mixed Mexican cheese - shredded (see note)
- sour cream
- salsa
- dashes of hot pepper sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
To Marinate
- Add the chicken thighs into a resealable storage bag.
- In a glass bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and add them into the bag. Seal the bag pressing out the air and toss until the chicken is well coated. Set aside at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour or as long as 8 hours in the refrigerator but remove 30 minutes before cooking so the chicken can get close to room temperature.
Fajita
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and on medium-high, heat until smoking. Remove the thighs from the storage bag wiping off most of the marinade. Carefully add them to the hot skillet and sear the chicken on both sides until golden, charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Skinless, boneless thighs are on the thin side and cook rather quickly so flip them a few times to try and get a good char without over-cooking them. Keep in mind they will continue to cook even after being removed from the pan. Transfer chicken to a warm plate, loosely tent with foil and let rest.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil and reheat. Add the peppers and onions cooking them until the they are soft, and the peppers are slightly charred. Using a metal spatula scrape the browned bits of chicken that were left and toss them with the vegetable mixture.
To Serve
- Slice chicken into strips.
- Onto each warm tortilla create a bed of shredded lettuce covered with a tablespoon of salsa.
- Next add a layer of the onion/pepper mixture and then about a thigh's worth of sliced chicken.
- Top with slices of avocado, a dash or two of hot sauce (optional), the cheddar or cheese mixture and some fresh chopped cilantro (optional), wrap it up and feast!
- Serve with extra salsa and sour cream as condiments.