Chicken Fajitas with a Not-So-Secret Ingredient

This week I am letting you in on one of my safely guarded recipe secrets - I use seasoning envelops for some of my favorite dishes! Shhhhh...don’t tell anyone because I usually just take the credit and you can too.

This week’s dish is chicken fajitas.  In my house we love Mexican food; anything we can put sour cream and cheese on we love. We especially love chicken fajitas. With some sautéed peppers and onions, salsa and refried beans, it is one of our favorite meals. I use a seasoning envelope to marinate my chicken and it is so good. I use the marinade frequently when I BBQ or entertain because the chicken is good with or without the fajita fixings.

Once all the ingredients are in the refrigerator, putting together a fajita is quick and easy and very satisfying. It’s also so great for leftovers and other dishes like chicken on green salads, chicken salad, , or Quesadillas and Enchilada soup (a future recipe). Or do as I do with the leftovers and put all but the shell on a bed of greens, refried beans included, and top with lots of salsa, cheese and sour cream. Yum!

The secret to this dish is definitely the marinade; again I am almost embarrassed to share how I do it because it is so easy and I get so many compliments on it. But here it is - I use Casa Fiesta Fajita Seasoning Mix. I mix it with half a cup of water and let the chicken marinate for as long as I can; the longer the better.

Ingredients

2 lbs. of boneless, chicken breast

1 pkg of Casa Fiesta Fajita Seasonings

½ cup of water

Marinate the chicken at least over night, but 24 hours is better and 48 hours is the best. The chicken will be tasty and tender and 48 hours is definitely not too much.

Flour Fajita shells

2 large green, bell peppers cut into strips*

2 large onions, cut into strips*

your favorite salsa

Sour Cream

Shredded cheddar or a Mexican cheese mix

Refried beans – on the side or to put in the fajita

*To prepare your peppers and onions cut peppers and onions into strips. Put in a skillet and sauté peppers and onions on high until they are a little, but evenly browned AND there is a little burnt on the bottom of pan. Stir frequently. This flavors the pan. Then turn down to medium - medium low and let them brown but not burn. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir frequently for a total of a half hour of cooking, or until they reach your desired tenderness; a little crunchy for this dish is good. If they start sticking to the pan and burning, you can add a little olive oil, or just turn down the heat even more and let the peppers and onions cool a little – this will bring out the water in them and stop them from sticking  – and then turn the heat back on and continue to cook.

I like to grill the chicken on the outside grill. I grill it about 9 minutes per side over medium heat – I have a gas grill so medium heat is easy hold. Or you can cook the chicken under your broiler. I almost never use my broiler; I would rather use my grill even if it means I have to shovel snow to make a path to it. I use my grill year
around. Once the chicken is done, cut it into ½ inch slices.

When reheating, put the chicken in a bowl and top with the peppers and onions. The peppers and onions will help keep the chicken moist. Microwave for less than a minute at a time and check frequently so the chicken doesn’t get dried out. Then have the other ingredients handy so everyone can make their own when they finally come home.

This chicken also freezes well, so it is easy to have for a last minute dinner.