Chicken Fajitas

By Ali Slagle

Published March 10, 2023

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Christine Albano.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(4,724)
Comments
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You might think fajitas are too fussy for a weeknight, but this easy, foolproof version roasts on a sheet pan and can be ready in an hour. Because the ingredients are thinly sliced, everything cooks in a flash — and with little attention required. Smoked paprika, chipotle chiles and a quick stop under the broiler provide the smoky flavor that would traditionally come from the grill. This recipe is very adaptable: Chicken is called for here, but you could also use shrimp or skirt steak. For a vegetarian version, substitute fresh corn kernels, mushrooms, poblano peppers or zucchini for the meat. Cut the vegetables into sizes you’d want in a taco, coat them in the lime-chipotle marinade, roast until cooked, then broil until charred.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)

  • 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, to taste, coarsely chopped

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin or crushed cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

  • 3 bell peppers, any color or a combination

  • 1 large red onion

  • 8 flour tortillas, plus more as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

62 grams carbs; 124 milligrams cholesterol; 732 calories; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1132 milligrams sodium; 48 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons oil, the lime zest and juice, chipotle chiles, cumin and paprika with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat and set aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.

  2. Step 2

    Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and cut into ¼-inch slices. Peel and halve the onion and cut it into ¼-inch slices. On a sheet pan, toss the bell peppers and onion with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Gently shaking off excess marinade as you go, transfer the chicken to a second sheet pan. Roast the chicken and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Once the chicken is out of the oven, move an oven rack close to the broiler. Turn on the broiler and transfer the sheet pan of vegetables to the rack. Broil until charred to your liking, 2 to 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    While the vegetables are broiling, place the tortillas directly on a free oven rack until warm, about 1 minute, flipping once halfway through. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel or foil to keep them warm.

  6. Step 6

    Serve chicken and vegetables with tortillas and desired toppings.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,724 user ratings
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Comments

Bicka

This was excellent. Followed the directions but I had already chopped adobo chilis so I added about 1 tbs which turned out well. I saw one comment that you should not roast the veggies with the meat, only broil them which I think is so wrong. The roasting softens and sweetens the peppers and onion and then broiling gives them a bit of smokiness. Next time I will make more chicken to the peppers since I ended up with lots of leftover peppers but no chicken.

mj

There are easier ways to make fajitas. Cut up chicken or mushrooms, slice peppers, onions, maybe a zucchini and stirfry. Add a little taco seasoning and salsa. Put it on a tortilla and add cheese if you like. And you can heat tortillas on a dry skillet, medium heat. The next night have the leftovers with fish tacos. Tilapia or any mild flavored fish--- dredge them in taco seasoning and fry for a few minutes on each side. Add salsa and chopped cabbage if you have it.

Christy

Easy but don’t put the veggie pan in when you put chicken pan in! Directions aren’t clear. Wait and only do veggies 5 min or less under broiler

Bløtkake

My boyfriend and I currently have a long distance relationship. And after countless hours of videocalling today he finally arrived in Norway to visit me for some weeks. As you might not be aware, Mexican food, and in particular Tacos, are a vital part of Norwegian cuisine. They are typically eaten on Fridays with family („Taco Friday“) before enjoying a night of TV and boardgames. So I thought this would be the perfect dish for our long-awaited reunion (it even happens to be Friday). We added some sour cream, pickled onions and tomatoes and it was great! We both thought the chicken had fantastic flavor and absolutely loved the roasted vegetables! To Robin if you ever read this: I love you and am so grateful I get to eat dinner with you every evening for the next few weeks <3

Tina

Made this as written using chicken thighs and served with guac, salsa and greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and trader joe carb savvy tortillas. Delicious! The lime/citrus flavor really comes thru. Will definitely make again.

Dawn

I made this last night just as written. It was easy and delicious! A keeper for sure. I loved how broiling the onions and peppers gave them that char. It added to the dish, and I would not have thought of doing that. Thank you for another delicious recipe!

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