I keep an eye on my smoke detectors when I cook these fajitas, but they’re worth a little unexpected excitement if you’re having friends over for dinner. Chicken marinated in lime and seared on the stovetop until juicy and delicious perfectly rounds out tortillas filled with shredded cheese and grilled peppers and onions.
To speed things up you can sauté the peppers first, while the chicken is marinating. They’ll have a little less chicken-y goodness, but if you’re hungry, you won’t miss it.
We make these fajitas all the time at home, but the pinnacle was grilling the chicken over a wood fire on our last vacation with friends to Big Bend National Park. I’ve never been so proud of a meal.
Serve with charro beans.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbs. oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 large red or orange bell peppers, cut into strips
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- Flour tortillas
- Additional chopped cilantro
- 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
- Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Directions
In a large shallow bowl, combine lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt, chili and cilantro; mix together. Add the chicken thighs and If time allows, let marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat a large skillet or pan on medium-high heat until smoking. Add a drizzle of olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, charred and cooked right through (about 8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets). Flip them a couple of times while cooking so they get a nice even char.
Transfer chicken to a warm plate, loosely tent with foil and let rest.
Add the peppers and onions to the skillet (drizzle with a little extra oil only if needed), and cook until the onion is soft and the peppers are slightly charred and cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice chicken into strips.
Serve with warmed tortillas, chopped cilantro, and sliced avocado (plus your desired fillings).
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