Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g smoked paprika
- 5 g chili powder
- 3 garlic, minced
- 15 ml soy sauce
Fajita Filling
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 red onion, sliced into strips
- 3 g salt
- 2 g black pepper
Fresh Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados
- 15 ml lime juice
- 10 g cilantro, chopped
- salt
Serving
- 8 flour tortillas
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 577 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 60 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 1659 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 141 mg
- Potassium
- 724 mg
- Calcium
- 89 mg
- Iron
- 3.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 69 mg
- Phosphorus
- 403 mg
- Zinc
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 125 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 37 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 9.8 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 178 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk together 30ml of the vegetable oil, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, minced garlic, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Place the whole chicken thighs in a large bag or dish and pour the marinade over them. Massage to coat ensuring even coverage. Let sit at room temperature.
While chicken marinates, cut the avocados in half, remove pits, and scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash with 15ml lime juice, chopped cilantro, and salt until desired consistency is reached.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Add the remaining 15ml oil.
Remove chicken from marinade (discard excess liquid) and place in the hot skillet. Sear undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until deeply browned.
Flip chicken and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F. Remove chicken to a clean board to rest.
In the same hot skillet (do not wipe out), add the sliced onions and peppers. Sauté vigorously, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until vegetables are tender-crisp and charred in spots.
Slice the rested chicken against the grain into strips. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet with the vegetables. Toss briefly to combine and reheat.
Warm tortillas in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame for 10-15 seconds per side. Serve immediately with the skillet mixture and fresh guacamole.
Chef's Notes
- Slicing the chicken after cooking rather than before ensures it stays juicy and prevents it from drying out in the high heat.
- The soy sauce in the marinade is not traditional, but it adds a crucial 'umami' depth and helps the chicken brown beautifully.
- Warm tortillas are essential. Cold tortillas are brittle and unappetizing. Wrap warmed tortillas in a clean tea towel to keep them soft at the table.
- For extra smoke flavor, you can let the peppers char undisturbed for 60 seconds before tossing them.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store filling and guacamole separately. Guacamole will brown; press plastic wrap directly onto surface.
Freezer: 2 months — Chicken and peppers freeze well; do not freeze guacamole or tortillas.
Reheating: Reheat chicken and pepper mixture in a hot skillet for best texture. Warm tortillas fresh.
Troubleshooting
Vegetables are soggy instead of charred
Cause: The pan was overcrowded or the heat was too low
Fix: Remove vegetables, drain excess liquid from pan, reheat pan until smoking, and return vegetables briefly to char
Prevention: Use the largest skillet possible and keep heat on high; cook in two batches if necessary
Cultural Context
Fajitas originated in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where Mexican ranch workers were often paid partly in meat, receiving the 'fajas' or little belts (skirt steak) of the cow. While skirt steak is the traditional cut, the concept has evolved to include chicken and shrimp, becoming a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine defined by the theatrical sizzling skillet.
