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Fiesta Night Chicken Fajitas and Fixings

Chef Owen and Dr. Michelle May

This simple, delicious chicken fajita recipe is perfect for a fiesta or a simple weeknight dinner. It was developed by Michelle’s grandmother, Rita, the matriarch of her parents’ restaurant, Valle Luna Mexican Food. (Michelle shares more about “Tia Rita” in this personal story, Food and Family.

(This recipe also appears in Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat along with many of our other family favorites!)

Chef Notes

How to sauté chicken:

  • Make sure your pan is hot before adding oil, then make sure the oil is hot before adding the chicken.
  • Drain the chicken to remove the excess marinade before cooking so you don’t steam it instead of sautéing it!
  • If you have a lot of chicken, cook only half at a time so each piece has plenty of room. When you overcrowd the pan, you end up steaming the chicken and it won’t cook evenly.
  • Don’t try to move the chicken around until it releases from the pan; otherwise you’ll get sticking and will lose the browning you’re after.

Since we have a vegetarian in our family, we cook and serve the vegetables and chicken separately. In that case, reserve a small amount of marinade to drizzle a over the vegetables too.

Health Notes

We created a new healthier version of guacamole, Avocado Zucchini Guacamole pictured here. It was delicious! Try the recipe. (Of course, you can simply use slices of avocado sprinkled with lemon or lime juice to keep them from turning brown.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
½ onion
2 tablespoons of canola oil, divided

Directions

1.  Prepare the marinade by mixing the first four ingredients in a non-metallic bowl.
2.  Cut chicken into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise.
3.  Place the chicken in the marinade (the longer the better, up to overnight in the refrigerator).
4.  Cut peppers and onion into 1/4 inch slices.
5.  Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil then sauté the peppers and onion until soft and slightly browned. Be sure to allow the peppers and onions to brown; this caramelizes the vegetables and brings out their natural sweetness. Set aside.
6.  Heat one tablespoon of canola oil and sauté the chicken until cooked through, approximately 8 minutes.
8.  Serve with all the fixings (see below). 

Variations: This fajita recipe is also great with lean beef, pork, shrimp, or seasonal vegetables (peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.)

Fixings

Serve the fajitas family style with all the fixings!

  • Tortillas (regular, whole wheat, or corn)
  • Fresh homemade salsa (or jarred)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Beans (whole, refried, or black)
  • Shredded cheese
  • Guacamole* or avocado slices
  • Sour cream
  • Jalapenos
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