Grilled Chicken Fajitas Served with Mango Salad
When it comes to Mexican food, nothing tastes as good as a fajita, although a great taco does come in at a close second. My personal favorite is fish fajitas, but this chicken fajita recipe sure does come in a close and is quickly becoming my second favorite.
A great way to make a boring chicken breast taste yummy. And if you want to add a lot more flavor, trade out the breasts for legs, there is just so much more taste in a chicken leg than the breast. But of course eat what your diet allows.
Quick and super easy to make, you can have a great tasting dinner on the table, with sides, all in less than a half hour. And if you’re in the mood for a great taco recipe, try these, just as good but they’re made with beef rather than chicken.
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Course: DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes10
minutes300
kcal30
minutesIngredients
- Equipment
Aluminum foil
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Sheet pan
Wooden spoons
Zester or Microplane
- Ingredients
3 avocados
1 lemon, preferably organic
1 lime, preferably organic
1 head crisp lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine)
2 large, ripe mangoes
2 scallions
inch fresh ginger
1 jalapeno or other hot chile
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg sesame seeds
2 cups sour cream
12 really good flour tortillas
Garlic
Hot paprika
Sea salt
Directions
- Game Plan
- Don’t refrigerate the chicken
- Preheat the grill or the broiler, adjust the rack
- If you’ll use the broiler, line a baking sheet with foil
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open a beer – put the rest in the refrigerator
- Prep
- Put a chicken breast on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Cover it with another piece, and pound it until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with all the chicken breasts.
- Cut the avocados in half, remove the peel and the seed, and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl.
- Squeeze half a lemon over them, through your fingers, toss gently, and forget about this for now – it’s a garnish.
- Zest the lime.
- Measure out ½ cup sesame seeds.
- Rinse the lettuce and spin it dry. Stack the leaves and cut into thin strips. Put them in a bowl in the fridge.
- Cut the mangos into 1/4 inch pieces, and put them in a medium-sized bowl.
- Trim the root and about half the green from the scallions, and cut what’s left into very thin rounds.
- Peel the ginger, and mince enough to get 1 tsp.
- Trim the stem end from the chile, and remove the seeds and the white pith (that’s where lots of the heat is). Mince the chili. Wash your hands!
- Peel and mince 1 garlic clove.
- Start Cooking
- Sprinkle the flour tortillas lightly with a little bit of water, then wrap them in foil and put them on the grill away from the heat source, or in the oven on the bottom rack.
- Press sesame seeds all over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle them all over with salt and hot paprika.
- To make the mango salad, add the scallions, the lime zest, the minced garlic, ginger and as much of the chile as you think your palate can stand, to the mango and toss.
- Squeeze the lime and measure out 2 tbsps. juice. Pour this over the mango salad, and toss. Salt the salad to your taste, and put it on the table, with the avocado.
- In fact, set the table now. Put out extra napkins.
- Put the chicken on the grill. If you’re broiling, put the chicken on the foil-lined sheet and put it under the broiler. The chicken will take about 2 minutes per side to cook.
- Put the sour cream in a bowl, and put it on the table with the lettuce and the beer.
- Turn the chicken and cut into one breast – if its no longer pink, take all the chicken from the grill.
- Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch strips, and put them in a dish. Get the tortillas from the oven and put them in a basket – leave them wrapped in foil.
- When you’re sitting at the table with everyone, show them how to make a fajita – you put some chicken in the center of the tortilla, and cover it with everything else (including the mango salad if you want to), then you do your best to get your mouth around it! Yum!
What is a Fajita?
A fajita is a Tex-Mex dish that typically consists of grilled meat, vegetables, and a tortilla. The word “fajita” is derived from the Spanish word for skirt, which is the cut of beef traditionally used in the dish.
Fajitas are now popular with chicken, pork, shrimp, and even tofu as the main ingredient. The meat and vegetables are usually served on a hot plate with the tortilla, and diners can build their own fajitas by adding condiments such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
Fajitas can be made in a ton of different ways, and even Mexican stewed tomatoes are used.
What are Flour Tortillas?
A flour tortilla is a type of soft, thin flatbread made from finely milled wheat flour. It is a staple in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, where it is used to make burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and other dishes. Flour tortillas are also popular in the Southwestern United States as well as parts of Central America.