Quick and Easy Chicken Fajitas

I remember when I first started venturing in to the realm of ethnic cooking (anything aside from Asian that is), I have to admit that I was guilty of using some prepackaged seasonings like Old El Paco or shake n bake spice mixes. Yes I am still ashamed of it, especially because now that I know how easy it is to create your own mixes, not only does everything taste more flavourful and aromatic but the food itself just seems more appealing overall. Plus, now I can play around and add a bit more of certain spices or remove some that I didn’t think worked that well. It’s really opened up a whole new exploratory world for me. It also made cooking a lot more interesting being able to customize the dish.

Now that I have a good collection of different spices, it has made cooking ethnic dishes a lot easier, especially when you’re at a lost for what to put together for a quick dinner (no more Old El Paco). The following chicken fajita recipe is something that can be cooked super quickly and is easy because it doesn’t need to be marinated ahead of time, but if you did have time to prep and were able to marinate the chicken, you get a deeper level of flavour. Don’t let that stop you from cooking it though if you’re at a bind for time because it’s one of those recipes that work because the flavours really come together during the cooking process itself.

Nutritional Tidbit: Needless to say spices and herbs are known as extremely healthy foods. Paprika and cayenne has been shown to contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which can lower the risk of cancer, while coriander can help alleviate bloating and gout. Cilantro has been used to help regulate digestion and other ailments. It’s easy to incorporate spices and herbs in to every dish you’re making by either adding them right to the recipe or even sprinkling them over top your dish!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper (any color or mix them up a bit), cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne powder (or a bit more if you like it spicy)
2 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsps paprika
1 lime, juiced
8-10 chicken things, cut in to 1/2 inch strips (or 3-4 chicken breasts cut in to strips)
Salt and pepper
8-10 (6”) Corn or Flour tortillas or you can make your own using this recipe

Guacamole for serving (optional)

Salsa for serving (optional)

Sour cream for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 1 tbsp of olive or canola oil. Once hot, gently place in the onions and garlic, sautee for 2-3 mins.

Toss in the bell peppers and cook for another 2-3 mins, sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper. Remove everything from the skillet and set aside.

Meanwhile, add another 1tbsp of olive or canola oil back in to the skillet and once hot add in the chicken, add a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins.

Add in the all the spices at this time, the chili powder, cayenne, coriander, cumin and paprika. Stir the chicken so all the spices are well distributed.

Add the onion and bell pepper mixture back to the skillet, stir to combine all the ingredients and let all the flavours simmer together.

If you find that the chicken is starting to stick to the skillet, you may need to add a bit of water, 1/4 cup or so to prevent the ingredients from burning.

Continue to cook the mixture until the chicken is no longer pink or until all the liquid starts to evaporate, the less runny the mixture is the easier it will be to assemble the tortillas later on.

Add in a bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Once ready, remove from the heat and sprinkle the cilantro over top.

Heat up the tortillas, either in the oven or in the microwave for a minute or two.

Assemble the warm tortillas with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream (if using) and serve!

Serves up to 4 people

If you have time to marinate the chicken the day before, in a Ziploc bag or container add in the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, cumin, paprika, lime juice, good pinch each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Whisk together and add in the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Seal or cover the chicken and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready cook the peppers and onions as mentioned above, then cook the chicken with all the marinade and add 1/4 cup of water to prevent blackening of the spices. Continue with the recipe as stated.