Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the marinade:
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
3 cloves minced garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-in thick
For the vegetables:
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 large white onion, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Sour cream
Flour tortillas
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Directions: |
Directions:1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag and pour marinade all over. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible and allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook over high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through, about three to five minutes per side. Remove the from the grill and allow to rest five to ten minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch strips.
3. While the chicken is resting, toss the peppers and onion with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place a cast iron skillet directly on the hot coals in the grill, and when heated, add in the peppers and onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and nicely browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Heat the tortillas on the grill or in the oven until soft. Assemble fajitas with the vegetables, chicken, and a dollop of sour cream. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Comments:
I do fajitas at least 1-2 a month, sometimes steak, sometimes shrimp, sometimes chicken.
I roast the onions and the peppers first so that I can peel the skin off the peppers before I slice them thin and put them in a 12" cast iron skillet on the grill with the cooking meat
Fajitas
Rub:
1/4 cup paprika
2 tbls coarse salt
2 tbls pure chili powder (I use a blend of fresh ground chipotle & ancho)
2 tbls cracked black pepper
2 tbls garlic powder
2 tlbs sugar
1 tbls onion powder
1 tbls dried cilantro
1 ½ tps cumin
½ tsp ground allspice
Mix and store in sealed container.
The Fajitas
2 lbs skirt steak
2 tbls olive oil
2 to 3 tbls rub
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 bunch scallion
1 large onion, ½ inch slices
1-2 poblano pepper or green bell pepper(poblano is much better)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
18 small flour tortillas
Fixins
Salsa of your choice
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 large red onion finely diced
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped cilantro
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1. Arrange skirt steak in a glass baking dish and brush with the oil. Sprinkle the rub on both sides and pat in with your fingers. Cover and marinate meat in the refrigerators for 1 to 2 hours. Add the lime juice and let marinate for an additional 30 minutes more.
unique Jim at 8:40PM on 04/30/10
I guess no one else likes fajitas
unique Jim at 3:48PM on 05/02/10
i think it's so funny when people go through so much trouble to marinate chicken for fajitas and quesadillas. presalt thick cut chicken breast with 1 tsp kosher salt per side. wait 40 minutes, rinse, pat dry, add black pepper, sear in a hot pan with oil and finish in the oven. takes 5 minutes on the stove, 5 minutes in the oven and two basic spices. dice, add cheese and/or veg. and seal with a tortilla... done! serve with guacamole and pico de gallo and you're set. simple, easy, full of flavor.
resolutejc at 6:36PM on 05/02/10
@resolutejc--- I guarantee mine is far better than that for fajitas, unless you like Taco Bell
unique Jim at 7:11PM on 05/02/10
unique, what you're creating is actually very tex-mex and much like taco bell. you think more is better, but actually simple is the way to go. execution is key. you're doing it wrong if you don't know how to make it tasty with simple ingredients. i feel sorry for u. i feed tons of people my quesadillas and they would all kill for the recipe i just gave u. its funny because its so simple. added flavor comes from the guac/salsas.
resolutejc at 7:14PM on 05/02/10
You're right it's Tex-Mex and will taste better than salt and pepper. I make fresh guac/salsas everytime also. Try it and tell me it's no good
unique Jim at 7:43PM on 05/02/10
Make Mole with a few ingredients, then get back to me. Then do a 15 minute pizza dough. Sometimes simple is good, complex is better
unique Jim at 7:45PM on 05/02/10
we are not talking about mole, we are talking about chicken for fajitas. if you think 32 ingredients and a shitload of time, money and preparation yields practical and superior results, then keep doing it. im a chef and ive tried everything in the book. i suggest you try simple for a change. learn how to make chicken, salt, pepper, tortillas and cheese the most they can be before you leap ahead to using a plethora of dried spices.
resolutejc at 8:17PM on 05/02/10
@ resolutejc & unique Jim:
I think both of you are comparing apples to oranges here. I am willing to bet both your recipes are good. I can see the simple is better idea working if you have a really good salsa and tasty fired onions and peppers, but there is nothing wrong with a tasty marinade as well. I have copy and pasted the recipe in the article and the one Jim provided, and will be trying these in the near future. I'm also going to try the minimal approach as well. I think all of these are great ideas and and can't wait to try them.
I've pretty much only used a minimal marinade of lime juice and cilantro with a little salt and pepper. I don't marinade it for long and do so after I slice the chicken. I then cook it in a cast iron skillet with peppers and onions and it always comes out great.
Raiders757 at 1:09PM on 05/03/10
True. I don't make fajitas myself, but I make quesadillas regularly. I love skirt steak and shrimp, but most people prefer chicken. And if you're drowning the chicken in 18 different spices then that's all you taste. You have the flour tortilla = subtle flavor - the cheese (many like colby jack) = subtle flavor and the chicken... which should be properly seasoned but not to the point of overkill. The salsas and guacamole = robust flavor - help to bring everything together with the simple route.
You're doing too much if you marinate or cover the meat with spices. A quick salt cure is the best way to go. If you want to add some fresh herbs, fresh garlic and oil during the curing process, that will be fine, but remember that you're rinsing this off and patting the chicken dry before you cook it. There's no need to marinate overnight or spend copious amounts of money and time hiding the natural flavors of the fresh ingredients. If you can eat food with literally a jar of spice on them, just know that this style of cooking is NOT Mexican.
resolutejc at 1:34PM on 05/03/10
I never season the chicken for quesidillas with this rub, only fajitas which in my opinion should have some spice to them.
I'm sorry I did not mean to start an argument but when you threw out the "you're doing it wrong if you don't know how to make it tasty with simple ingredients." that was like throwing down the gauntlet to my pride and to one of my favorite dishes.
unique Jim at 3:13PM on 05/03/10
Sorry about that, didn't intend for it to be a personal thing. It's just that people ask me all the time how to make great quesadillas. They say, "Do I need to jazz the chicken up with Lawry's seasoning?" "Do I need to blacken it in a cast iron skillet with a Southwestern rub?" My answer is no, it's much more simple than that. Quesadillas in Mexico have meat and/or cheese or both... no onion, herbs, peppers, etc. - The veg. comes from the salsas. American-style fajitas may not adhere to this style, but then again fajitas are not Mexican and have nothing to do with cinco de mayo, Mexican tradition or Mexican cuisine.
resolutejc at 3:45PM on 05/03/10
The chicken is marinating in the fridge right now. Can't wait to come home tomorrow night and try this out! Thanks.
quitecurious at 1:59AM on 05/04/10
I am laughing at all the back and forth over something that was done as a simple dish with cheap ingredients.....
bgravitt at 12:26PM on 05/13/10
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This recipe for Chicken Fajitas is from