Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Marinade
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (mild American spice blend, see notes)
- 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 0.25 teaspoon chipotle chile ground
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts skinless (about 450 g total), or boneless, skinless thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking
Bell Peppers and Onion
- 2-3 large bell peppers, preferably a mix of green and red
- 1 large onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
- Salt, optional
To Serve
- 8 flour tortillas 15 cm (fajita size)
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
Procédé
Marinade
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.3 chicken breasts
- Place the chicken breasts in a container or a freezer bag.
- In a bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 cloves garlic,, 1 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 0.5 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 0.25 teaspoon chipotle chile, 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- Pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Turn the chicken to coat it well.
- Let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Preparing the Vegetables
- While the chicken marinates, remove the stems, seeds, and white membranes from the bell peppers.2-3 large bell peppers,
- Thinly slice the peppers into strips.
- Peel the onion.1 large onion
- Thinly slice the onion.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat the cast-iron skillet dry over medium-high heat for a few minutes, so that it gets very hot.
- Pour the olive oil for cooking the chicken into the hot skillet.2 tablespoons olive oil,
- Lift the chicken breasts out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off.
- Place the chicken breasts in the skillet: they should sizzle loudly as soon as they touch the bottom.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet: if yours is small, cook the chicken in batches, otherwise it will steam instead of browning.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the underside is nicely browned.
- Flip the chicken breasts.
- Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is golden and reaches 74°C in the center.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes, so that it stays juicy.
Cooking the Peppers and Onion
- Pour the olive oil for cooking the vegetables into the same skillet.1 tablespoon olive oil,
- Add the sliced peppers and onion.
- Season lightly with salt, if desired.Salt,
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened.
- While the vegetables cook, cut the chicken into strips 1 cm thick.
Assembling and Serving
- Return the chicken strips to the skillet with the vegetables.
- Toss together, if desired.
- Let everything heat for a moment to warm the chicken back up.
- Warm the tortillas.8 flour tortillas
- Serve right away with the warm tortillas and the toppings in small bowls: pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro.Pico de gallo, Guacamole, Salsa, Sour cream, Lime wedges, Fresh cilantro
Notes
Marinade: 20 to 30 minutes is enough. Don't go beyond 2 hours, as the lime juice eventually changes the texture of the chicken, which turns mushy. For a longer marinade (up to 2 hours), keep the chicken in the refrigerator and take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
Chili powder: American "chili powder" is a mild blend of dried chiles, cumin, garlic, and oregano. The ground chile sold in Europe (cayenne pepper, "chili" or "chilli") is pure chile and much hotter: don't use it in the same amount. If you can't get American chili powder, use sweet paprika instead, with no more than a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat.
Chipotle chile: this is smoked, dried jalapeño. If you can't find it, smoked paprika (pimentón) gives the smoky note, with a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want a little heat.
Skillet: a cast-iron skillet holds its heat when you add the cold chicken, and that is what gives it the golden crust. Otherwise, a skillet with a thick base (3 to 5 mm) will do. The chicken must be well drained: too much marinade in the skillet makes the meat boil instead of searing.
Chicken: boneless, skinless thighs make an excellent substitute for the breasts, and they stay juicier. You can cut the strips against the grain for more tender meat.
Vegetables: there is no set cooking time for the peppers and onion in a skillet on the stovetop. Go by how they look: they are ready when they are lightly browned and softened. For the grilled version, allow 6 to 10 minutes in a skillet set on the grill grate.
Tortillas: this recipe uses 15 cm flour tortillas, the "fajita" size. In supermarkets, you'll mostly find 20 cm flour tortillas, which work too. Sour cream: if you don't have sour cream, use thick crème fraîche or Greek yogurt.
Grilled version: grill the whole chicken breasts over high heat until they are golden on both sides and reach 74°C in the center. Toss the peppers and onion with a little olive oil and salt, put them in a skillet set on the grill grate, and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until tender.
Sheet-pan version: you can also spread the marinated chicken, peppers, and onion on a large sheet pan and roast them in the oven at 200°C for 20 to 30 minutes. You lose the well-seared crust from the cast-iron skillet, but it's simpler. Use a sheet pan large enough that nothing overlaps, otherwise everything steams.
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