Authentic Chicken Fajita Marinade
This authentic chicken fajitas recipe results in juicy and flavorful chicken and charred vegetables with minimal effort. Make it easy on yourself and buy the pico de gallo and guacamole from your favorite local taco shop to bring the whole meal together.
Servings 6
Calories 162kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless-skinless chicken breasts (24 oz/ 680 g)
Chicken Fajita Marinade
- 1 medium onion, sliced into ¼ inch rounds (6 oz/ 170 g)
- ½ cup of roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup lemon juice (2 oz/ 56 ml)
- ¼ cup oil of choice (2 oz/ 56 ml)
- ¼ cup water (2 oz/ 56 ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Vegetables
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips (6 oz / 170 g)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips (6 oz / 170g)
- 6 oz sliced onion reserved from the marinade*** (see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
Instructions
- Preparation: Slice the bell peppers and refrigerate.
- Slice the onions and place in a large zip-loc bag. Add the rest of the ingredients for the marinade and squish around to distribute. Place the bag into a 9x9 inch baking dish (or something similar) and add the chicken, making sure to distribute the ingredients so they are dispersed evenly. I use my fingers and toss a few onions around and move a few clumps of cilantro so each piece of chicken has some of each. Refrigerate over-night.
- Chicken: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, remove from the marinade. Grill the chicken and let it rest while you cook the vegetables.
- Charred Vegetables: Remove the onions from the marinade and add them to the sliced bell peppers. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and toss to coat. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and turn on the ventilation. When the skillet begins to smoke, add half of the onions and peppers. Stir occasionally and remove when charred in parts and the onions are cooked through. You may need to lower the heat on the pan to reduce smoking. Add the remaining vegetables and repeat. If you opted for more veggies, you may need to do three batches so that the vegetables char and don't steam.
- Serve: Cut the chicken into strips and serve alongside the vegetables. If using tortillas, place a few pieces of the vegetables and a few pieces of chicken in each tortilla. I like to add pico de gallo and guacamole, too. Enjoy!
- ***NOTE: The onions from the marinade are cooked at a high temperature until cooked through and there shouldn't be a problem with cross-contamination. If you are worried about it, discard the onions from the marinade and cut a new onion to cook with the peppers.
Notes
The nutrition is for the chicken and vegetables only and does not take in to account the nutritional information from any tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, or salsa.
Nutrition Facts
Authentic Chicken Fajita Marinade
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 22g44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition
Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Fiber: 1g