A fantastically easy Friday night (or any other night) dinner idea - these chicken fajitas make everyone happy! It amazes me to watch the kids happily scoff onions, peppers and lots of salad leaves - even though it can be a battle to get them to eat them in other dishes!! Serve these tortillas made up and line them all up on a board, or just throw all the fillings on one huge platter so that everyone can dig in and help themselves. And whilst the fajita-spiced chicken and veggies are the main event, you don’t want to skimp on the extras too.
Fajita topping ideas:
Sliced avocado (squeeze a little lemon or lime juice on to help prevent them from browning) Salsa Sour cream Grated/shredded cheese Salad leaves Sliced jalapenos Roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) Homemade Guacamole
It’s a great idea to make extra and save some for a fajita salad bowl the next day. A drizzle of sour cream and a few salad leaves and you’l have a lunch to make your colleagues jealous!
How to make it
We’re using shop-bought fajita seasoning and a little oil to flavour the chicken breast strips. That all gets mixed together first. Then heat the griddle over a high heat. Then we warm the tortillas through on the hot griddle - just for a minute or so, so those lovely griddle lines appear. You can keep them warm, wrapped in some foil. That smoking hot griddle is then brushed with oil and we add sliced onion and pepper strips. That smell of griddled veggies it so good! They’re cooked until softened and just starting to char in a few places. You can place them on a tray and cover to keep warm (or place in a low oven). Then add the chicken to the griddle. This takes 5-7 minutes until you reach that perfect slightly-charred-ness. You’ll need to turn over once or twice during cooking using some tongs. Also, now’s a good time to open a window or turn on your extractor. There will be a lot of smoke! Once the chicken is done, add to the tray with the veggies and serve with the warm tortillas plus lots of toppings (see my list above)
A cast iron griddle like this one (<– affiliate link) is really useful for this recipe - use it for grilling the flatbreads, chicken, peppers and onions to give a slightly smoky-charred flavor. If you haven’t got one, then a frying pan will still do the job nicely. If Chris and the kids have had a long day at the office or at school, I know this dinner is guaranteed to perk everyone up again. The kids won’t touch the avocado of course (what is it with kids and avocado!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a child eat one), but everything else is fair game, and the whole tray is demolished in no time.
How to make your own fajita seasoning:
I use shop-bought fajita seasoning for this but if you like you can make your own using:
1 tsp mild chilli powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp oregano ½ tsp garlic salt ½ tsp regular salt ¼ tsp black pepper
Swaps/additions:
Steak - cook in the same way as the chicken. You can also cook it alongside the chicken if you want to serve up both. Boiled rice or savoury rice makes a great addition - or you can swap it out for the tortillas to make a fajita bowl - like this Cajun Chicken and Rice Bowl Add strips of courgette (zucchini) - simple peel strips using a vegetable peeler, brush with oil and place on the griddle for 30-60 seconds (no need to turn) Crumbly cheese such a Cotija or Lancashire Mushrooms! I love griddled mushrooms! Brush thick slices with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then griddle until golden brown
The Chicken Fajita Video
Gin and Cucumber Basil Smash Pineapple Ginger Mojitos Rum and Peach Cocktail with Chilli Syrup
Dessert:
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Homemade Snow Cones Baked Churros with White Chocolate and Coconut Sauce Salted Caramel Banoffee Bites This post was first published in April 2016. Updated in January 2020 with new photos, tips and video. Tools used (fyi these are affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps me to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running x) Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
