Chicken Fajitas

 

Every now and then, my hubby gets a hankering to get in the kitchen with me.  Typically on a day off or a relaxing weekend, he'll start craving something and he wants to "cook" it.  He does really well in the kitchen, but it's definitely a team effort most of the time.  A few weeks ago, we decided to make some homemade chicken fajitas (one of our restaurant favs when we go out for Mexican).  So, I found this recipe on This Mommy Cooks and decided to give it a try.  It was amazing!  Definitely something we will make again, and to make it even better, both of my children LOVED the chicken.  We served our fajitas with some PW Guacamole and Pico de Gallo and beans and rice.  YUM!

Chicken Fajitas

Adapted from This Mommy Cooks

Ingredients:
Marinade:
¼ cup lime juice (about 3-4 limes or use bottled)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar (I used red wine)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke*
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder (I didn't have this, so went without)

*Note: Liquid Smoke may seem like an unnecessary, optional ingredient but it adds a good flavor and smokiness.

Fajitas:
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Begin by marinating chicken by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Either place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top or add the chicken to the bowl that you mixed the marinade in. I used a bowl covered with foil.  Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-5 hours. The longer you marinade, the better flavor you'll get.  (Mine actually marinated for about 24 hours....we had a quick change of plans and decided to cook the following night).

After marinating, take chicken out of the bag or bowl and discard the marinade.  Cook chicken over medium-high heat in a large skillet,  4-5 minutes per side.  It will cook fast since it is cut into strips. Remove from pan and tent with foil to keep warm.  You could also grill the chicken if you preferred.

Once chicken is removed from skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss cooked chicken stips with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream.


***As you can see above, this dish is so beautiful!  We absolutely loved it, and had plenty for a leftover lunch the next day.  I plan on making this again very soon.  I hope you enjoy.