Our Favorite Chicken Fajitas
- PREP 45min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 1hrs 10min
The fresh, bright citrus marinade makes these chicken fajitas so good. Since we use lean chicken breasts, we love adding flavor with a marinade made with orange juice, lime juice, spices, and garlic. It’s easy to throw together and makes such a difference in the flavor and juiciness of these chicken fajitas! Marinate for at least 30 minutes or go up to 6 hours (longer might be okay, but the acid in the marinade can change the texture of the chicken).
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup (80ml) fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons chili powder, try homemade chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 onions, halved and sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 jalapeño, minced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed, try homemade flour tortillas
Fajita toppings like pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, crumbled or shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce
Directions
Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, then reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and pour the rest into a resealable bag ready for marinating the chicken.
Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken into the bag with marinade. Move the chicken around to coat it well. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 6 hours). Flip the bag over from time to time to move around the marinade.
Prepare veggies: Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until they soften and begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until peppers soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, then pour in the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan up and into the vegetables. Remove vegetables from the pan and keep warm, covered in foil, while you cook the chicken.
Cook chicken: Heat the skillet used for vegetables over medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in the pan. Cook until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook, flipping over occasionally until browned on both sides, and an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees F; 10 to 15 minutes. If your chicken is thick, cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes to help cook the middle.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch thick strips.
To serve: Place the vegetables back into the skillet and, if necessary, reheat. Nestle the chicken on top, and then serve with warm tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- To warm tortillas: wrap them in foil and warm in a low oven, or wrap in a towel and warm in the microwave.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include tortillas or toppings in the calculations.