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5.0 from 219 votes

Chicken Fajitas

Recipe video above. The secret ingredient in this Fajita marinade is orange juice. It injects flavour as well as brining, and makes the chicken caramelise beautifully when cooked. It doesn’t taste like oranges at all once cooked. Use any coloured peppers you want – though seeing a kaleidoscope of colours on a platter will bring a smile to anyone’s face!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 196 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Marinade:
  • 1/4 cup / 65 ml lime juice
  • 1/4 cup / 65 ml orange juice (Note 1 for subs)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Fajitas:
  • 700g / 1.2 lb skinless chicken thighs or 2 large chicken breasts , halved horizontally (Note 2)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 capsicums / bell peppers , deseeded and sliced (red, yellow or green)
  • 1 large onion , halved and sliced thickly (brown, yellow, white or red)
To Serve:
  • 8– 12 small tortillas
  • 1 large avocado , halved and sliced
  • sour cream
  • Fresh lime wedges

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add chicken, toss well to coat. Marinade for 1 hour to 24 hours (or freeze immediately then defrost overnight).
  2. Use 2 skillets to cook the chicken and vegetables at the same time, if you can.
Vegetables:
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy based skillet over high heat until smoking. Add vegetables to cover the base of the pan in a single layer without too much overlapping (I cook in 3 batches). Spread out, leave for 45 seconds (to char it).
  2. Toss quickly then spread out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Leave 45 seconds, toss then spread out, then leave 45 seconds. Remove onto platter and repeat with remaining Vegetables.
Chicken:
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until caramelised. Turn and cook the other side for 3 – 4 minutes.
  2. Remove onto a plate, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 3 minutes then slice.
To Serve:
  1. Warm tortillas using chosen method.
  2. Pile peppers and onion onto tortilla. Top with chicken, drizzle with sour cream, squeeze over lime juice. Fold, devour and be happy.

Notes

  • Sub with pineapple, apple or mango juice. OR chicken broth + 1 tsp sugar. If you have none of these, leave it out, add 1/2 tsp each onion, garlic powder, coriander powder and paprika plus 1 tsp sugar - will compensate for loss of other flavour, though will taste a bit different.
  • If using chicken breast, use 2 large ones and cut them in half horizontally to form 2 thinner steaks (ie 4 steaks in total, 1 per person)
  • Other topping options: Avocado Sauce (skip the avo slices), Restaurant Style Salsa, Pico de Gallo, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 flour tortilla tacos per person, 1 tsp sour cream (if it’s thick, thin it so it’s like Mexican crema), ¼ avocado. This assumes only ½ the oil in the marinade is absorbed by the chicken.
  • Originally published in April 2017 using a rather generic Mexican seasoning / marinade which I no longer use - original recipe here. It's unusual for me to republish a recipe so soon after the original publish date, but the marinade in this new recipe is so much better. It’s based on either a Rick Bayless or Bobby Flay recipe, I cannot recall. 
  • Originally published in April 2017 using a rather generic Mexican seasoning / marinade which I no longer use - original recipe here. It's unusual for me to republish a recipe so soon after the original publish date, but the marinade in this new recipe is so much better. It’s based on either a Rick Bayless or Bobby Flay recipe, I cannot recall. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 110g Calories 196cal (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 196

% Daily Value*

Serving 110g
Calories 196cal 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.