Recipe for Chicken Fajitas on the Grill
This is the authentic chicken fajitas grill recipe - fajitas de pollo Mexicanas. It has natural flavors that meld together perfectly. You'll serve it either as a main course or on a tortilla as a sandwich.
Equipment
1 Perforated Grilling Pan Optionally used for chicken (only needed if you made chicken strips). You can cook vegetables in this or in a regular pan.
Ingredients
Chicken Fajitas MARINADE Recipe
- ⅔ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic Alternate option: ½ this qty if using garlic powder.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs Chicken Breasts, boneless
- 2 medium Bell Peppers Cut into at least 8 strips each. Discard inner contents and seeds.
- 1½ large sweet onions Cut into 1-inch wide ring sections; then halved.
- 10 small Tortillas, white flour small 6-7-inch. These are the white flour, soft ones.
OPTIONAL COMMON ADD-ONS per Tortilla
- 1 Tbsp Guacamole
- 2 Tbsp Pico de Gallo
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- PREPARING Meat, Vegetables, and MarinadeChoose only 1 of the following methods (method 2 is the easiest and quickest):Method 1: With the whole chicken breast, cut 3-4 deep cross-sectional slits (halfway deep) on each piece. Method 2: Cut the chicken breast(s) into long strips about ¼-inch thick all around (like French fries).2 lbs Chicken Breasts, boneless
- Add the chicken, bell pepper, and onion pieces into a bowl or plastic food bag.2 medium Bell Peppers, 1½ large sweet onions
- Add the marinade ingredients to the meat and vegetables. After all are added, mix well together to combine everything.⅔ cup lime juice, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- Cover the bowl or seal the bag closed and place it in the refrigerator. Let it set for 45 minutes to overnight. If cooking soon, go ahead and consider when to start to preheat the grill.
- GRILLING the Meat and VegetablesDiscard the marinade.Place the chicken pieces on direct heat of the preheated grill. If you had cut the raw chicken into strips, you'll need a perforated grilling pan. Flip it over once after about ½ to 1-minute each side to sear it. It might flame up initially due to the oil. Move meat to indirect heat and finish cooking (well done) with a closed grill cover. It usually takes about 15-35 more minutes (strips vs whole meat). Grill temp can be about 375-450°F. If less, it may take longer to cook.
- When the chicken is done (165°F), set it aside for about 10 minutes before carving.
- While the meat is set aside, you can now cook the marinated vegetables. Cook the vegetables for about 5-ish minutes on direct heat at a medium high temperature. It will flame up temporarily. Consider using a perforated grill pan (or cook them on a burner in a regular fry pan or skillet).
- When done cooking, bring in the chicken and vegetables. If you cooked whole breasts, slice the meat into strips about ¼-inch thick each. Cut long-wise this time. Because of the previous cross-sectional cuts, some strips will be short or fall apart, which is expected.
- If having sandwiches, the soft tortillas should be slightly warmed (consider 30-45 seconds for all in microwave) Fajitas are now ready for serving! Choose one of the following 2 methods.
- SERVING METHOD 1: Build the Fajitas as SandwichesHere's the recommended sequence of items to go onto each tortilla. All add-ons are optional.- guacamole and sour cream are spread across the center of a tortilla.- 1 or 2 full-length (equivalent pieces) chicken strips- Pico de Gallo mixture- Vegetables (onions, 2 bell pepper strips)- Shredded Cheddar CheeseThen, fold (or roll up like a burrito) and enjoy!2 lbs Chicken Breasts, boneless, 2 medium Bell Peppers, 1½ large sweet onions, 10 small Tortillas, white flour, 1 Tbsp Guacamole, 2 Tbsp Pico de Gallo, 1 Tbsp sour cream, 1 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
- SERVING METHOD 2: Serve Fajitas as self-serve Main CourseIn this serving method, you will serve the chicken mixed in with the grilled peppers and onions. Also, add in the Pico de Gallo (1¼ cups per 2 lbs chicken) all mixed together from a large salad serving bowl. Everyone makes their own from out of this bowl and the side dishes described next.These bulk self-serve side items are as follows:.- Sour cream (is thinned with cream, half-and-half, or milk to make it as a sauce consistency)- Guacamole (as an optional ingredient or topper for individuals)- Shredded cheddar cheese (as an optional topper for individuals)- Tortilla chips- Salsa as a chip dip- Warmed flour Tortillas (for those who choose to make a sandwich).2 lbs Chicken Breasts, boneless, 2 medium Bell Peppers, 1½ large sweet onions, 1 Tbsp Guacamole, 2 Tbsp Pico de Gallo, 1 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH FAJITASServe tortilla chips with salsa as a side. Also Mexican rice, black beans, refried beans, and black bean soup are very good optional sides.
Notes
To make sour cream easier to use for guests, you can optionally place some in a separate serving dish and add in some half-and-half or milk to make it like a thick sauce (or dressing). Actually, there's a traditional cream sauce called "Mexican crema" and this was a way to achieve that.
Nutrition Facts
Recipe for Chicken Fajitas on the Grill
Amount per Serving
Calories
297
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
60
mg
20
%
Sodium
366
mg
16
%
Potassium
548
mg
16
%
Carbohydrates
26
g
9
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
23
g
46
%
Vitamin A
1176
IU
24
%
Vitamin C
40
mg
48
%
Calcium
79
mg
8
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Reference
DarnGoodRecipes.com™