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Monday, May 23, 2011

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Some of you might be thinking chicken fajitas aren't necessarily recipe worthy and I see what you mean. Fajitas were one of the few things I could handle early in my cooking career and they didn't really necessitate a recipe. However, there are two noteworthy reasons I wanted to share these chicken fajitas with you:

1. The marinade for this chicken is fantastic. Don't limit yourself to fajitas--you could marinate the chicken, grill it, and serve as is. We were all impressed by the taste and the juiciness of the chicken itself!

2. This was my first expedition into the grilling world. I rule the kitchen, but I've always let Ryan man the grill...to the point where I couldn't even tell you how to turn it on! That may still be true, but the day we made these, Ryan was cramming for a final between work and class and I had no choice but to try my hand at grilling. Julia and I tag-teamed it, taking turns checking on it and flipping as needed...and I have to say, I was pretty proud to take that chicken off the grill and slice it (never mind the fact that one piece had to spend a little extra time in the skillet after Ryan inspected...there's always room for improvement!).

Tell me, what's one challenge you'd love to tackle in the kitchen (or the grill!)?

One Year Ago: Quinoa Salad with Cucumber, Shrimp, Mango, and Mint


Grilled Chicken Fajitas
slightly adapted from Annie's Eats


Ingredients
-1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
-6 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
-1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
-1 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed, and diced
-1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
-1 tsp salt
-3/4 tsp pepper
-2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (6 halves total)--about 1 1/2 lbs
-1 large onion, sliced
-2-3 large bell peppers, sliced
-8-12 flour tortillas

Directions:
1. Whisk together the lime juice, 4 tbsp of oil, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade and pour the rest over the chicken, sitting in a separate bowl. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. While chicken is marinating, slice bell peppers and onions. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent.
3. Heat grill as required. Place chicken on grill and cook, flipping halfway through, until chicken is no longer pink inside and center reads 160F.
4. When chicken is done, place on a cutting board and slice into strips. Place in a bowl or on a serving platter and top with remaining marinade.
5. Top tortillas with chicken, peppers, and onions. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, salsa, or guacamole.