I am always looking for new and tasty recipe options. Especially those involving fresh ingredients and chicken. I do eat a lot of chicken. Fajitas are one of my favorite healthy meals to make and this recipe is so simple and easy I wanted to share it and save it.
Basic Chicken Fajitas Recipe
By CHOW Food Team
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins | Makes: About 8 fajitas
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 medium lime
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 (6-inch) tortillas (corn or flour)
1 medium bell pepper (any color), cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
Guacamole for serving (optional)
Salsa for serving (optional)
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the cilantro, garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a shallow baking dish and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Set the chicken aside for at least 10 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Heat a grill pan to medium. Once hot, add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until well browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Flip, season the second side with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until well browned on the bottom and cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Set the grill pan aside.
Warm the tortillas by heating a medium cast iron or frying pan over high heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Place a tortilla in the dry pan and heat, flipping once, until warmed on both sides. Wrap the tortilla in a clean dishtowel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Place the bell pepper and onion in a medium bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Return the grill pan to medium heat and add the vegetables in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a serving dish.
Slice the chicken into 1/2-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 guacamole, salsa, and sour cream (if using).
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Sometimes you just want something simple and zippy. This seems to fit that bill quite well. I am all about the flavor.
Rajas Quesadillas RecipeBy Kate Ramos
Total Time: 40 mins | Active Time: 35 mins | Makes: 3 quesadillas
Rajas, a sauté of chiles and onions that is common in Mexican cooking, acts as a killer quesadilla filling combined with gooey cheese and a little cilantro.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add peppers and onion and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, stir in cilantro, and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Combine cheeses in a medium bowl and set aside. When pepper mixture is cool enough to handle, scatter 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture over 1 tortilla and spread 1/3 of the pepper mixture over the cheese. Cover peppers with another 1/2 cup cheese and top with a second tortilla. Repeat to make 3 quesadillas.
Wipe out the pan and return it to the stove over medium heat. When it’s heated, add 1 quesadilla and cook until the cheese melts and the bottom tortilla gets a few golden brown spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Let rest 5 minutes, then cut each quesadilla into 8 pieces and serve.
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| Total Time: 50 mins | Active Time: 40 mins | Makes: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, small dice
3 cups spinach, tough stems removed, washed thoroughly and dried (about 3 ounces)
Dash nutmeg
2 (10-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and sauté until wilted and water evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add nutmeg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove mixture from the pan and transfer to a bowl to cool. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Using a mallet or the bottom of a pan, pound chicken pieces to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch thick. Season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir feta into cooled spinach mixture. Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board so the narrowest ends face you. Place 1/4 of the spinach mixture halfway up each chicken piece. Fold the bottom of the chicken up over the filling to enclose it, then roll into a tight cylinder. Use toothpicks or butcher’s twine to secure the rolls. Repeat with remaining chicken and filling.
Return the frying pan to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, place chicken breasts in the pan and cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Turn breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the filling is hot and the interior of the chicken rolls is white but still juicy, about 8 minutes.
Variations: Stir in 1/4 cup of either pine nuts, currants, or a combination when adding the feta to the spinach mixture.
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These are just good tasty fun. I love them, kids love them. And so much better than the ones you get at a drive through.
By Kate Ramos
Total Time: 25 mins | Active Time: 10 mins | Makes: 2 to 4 servings
Baked instead of fried and coated in whole-wheat cracker crumbs, these tender chicken strips are a much healthier alternative to chicken nuggets. Serve them hot out of the oven with a kid-friendly dipping sauce like honey-mustard, barbecue, orherbed buttermilk, or let cool and pack them in tomorrow’s school lunch.
What to buy: Wheatsworth crackers make a crunchy, flavorful coating and can be found in the cracker aisle of most supermarkets.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups finely crushed whole-wheat crackers, such as Wheatsworth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 5-by-1-1/2-inch pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and set aside.
Combine cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and stir until incorporated. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish until smooth. Dip chicken pieces in the egg wash, allowing any excess to drip off, then dip in the cracker mixture, patting to adhere. Place on the prepared rack.
Bake until the chicken is opaque throughout and registers 170°F to 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Serve with desired dipping sauce.
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