Saturday, May 5, 2012

Chicken Fajitas

It's Cinco De Mayo!!! And of course I'm celebrating with a simple, one pot meal that satisfies the belly. I wasn't 100% sure what to call this, but fajitas came to mind, so I'm going with it. When it comes to Mexican food, I find a lot of people use pre-packaged taco seasoning packets to flavor their meals. Well in this recipe you don't have to. The combination of the spices used here are pretty much what come in those packet, minus the chemicals, preservatives, excessive salt and added sugars. These are pretty basic spices that most people have in their pantry, so there is no need to spend the extra money on a seasoning packet. Also you can control how much spice, salt, and smokiness you prefer. 

I am a lover of anything spicy, so I included hot sauce in this recipe but if you aren't a fan, just omit it. Same goes for topping the fajita, if you dairy-free, then using cheese alternatives or no cheese as at all is perfectly fine. If you are on a gluten-free diet, then instead of the flour tortilla, try corn tortilla. Clean Eaters and the like - just omit the tortilla and enjoy the fajita mixture. This dish is flavorful enough to be eaten without toppings. Also I love being able to customize a dish to my liking (extra lime please!). A majority of this fajita mixture is veggies, so if you are trying to be a sneaky chef, this is your recipe! 



Chicken Fajitas
Cook Time: < 30 mins
Prep Time: < 10 mins
Serves: 4


Ingredients:
  • 1 tsp of canola oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 green or red pepper, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tbsp of cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp of chili powder
  • 1 tsp of dried oregano
  • 1/2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
  • 1 14.5oz can of organic diced tomatoes (drain some of the liquid)
  • 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces
  • 1 lime
  • 3 Tbsp of fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup shredded organic Mexican blend cheese (optional)
  • 8-10 flour or corn tortillas (taco-sized) (optional)


Heat the oil in a large skillet to med-high heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the spices and in corporate well. Now add the tomato and the chicken, stir in well. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes. 


Now remove the lid and bring the heat up to med-high. Let cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cook thoroughly (about 10 minutes). Right before serving, squeeze the 1/2 lime over the top of the chicken mixture. 


Optional: Serve in a warmed flour or corn tortilla, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cheese and top with fresh cilantro. Feel free to incorporate your favorite toppings as well. I reserve the other half lime to anyone who may want to add more lime to theirs. This recipe makes about 2 fajitas per person. 


Nutritional Info for 1/4 of the chicken mixture(not including optional ingredients):
Calories: 165 ; Fat: 2g ; Carbohydrate: 8g ; Fiber: 2g ; Sugar: 3g ; Protein: 27g 

2 comments:

  1. I haven't had fajitas in forever, I'm going to have to make your recipe. I can't stand those prepared packets! I'm like you, I miss my own spices. I think that it takes so much better that way.

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  2. I agree with you, nothing better than using your own spices. I love spicy food as well so I add hot sauce whenever I can. Thanks for sharing

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