Tacos and fajitas. Akin to Cheeseburgers and pizza, I can't much conjure up four more kid-friendly meals. That said, if you're a mom or dad attempting to get your kids to eat more vegetables, it goes without saying, fajitas are an argument-free way way to get the job done. If you're a mom or dad trying to cut some fat out of your life, chicken fajitas will accomplish that too. There's more. If you've got a big family to feed or the need to feed a crowd, simply do the math and double the quantities. In about the same amount of time, voila: the hungry mob is fed.
Savory, succulent, in one skillet & ready to eat in 30-40 minutes:
For the chicken & seasonings:
6 large (about 2 1/2-3 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, lightly-pounded into paillards
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fajita seasoning, my blend, your blend, or, a favorite store-bought seasoning mix, about 3 tablespoons (1, 1-ounce envelope store-bought)
a sprinkling of ground cumin
a very-light sprinkling of ground jalapeño pepper
a very-light sprinkling of freshly-ground sea salt
For the vegetables & seasonings:
3 cups 1/4"-thick sliced yellow or sweet onion, slices cut into half-moon shapes
1 1/2 cups each, julienne of: green, red, orange and yellow bell pepper
3 tablespoons fajita seasoning, my blend, your blend, or a favorite store-bought seasoning mix (1, 1-ounce envelope store-bought)
a sprinkling of ground cumin
a very-light sprinkling of ground jalapeño pepper
a very-light sprinkling of freshly-ground sea salt
~Step 1. To season and cook chicken on first side, heat the oil in a 16" electric skillet over low heat. Add the chicken paillards to the skillet. Liberally season the top side with half of the fajita seasoning (1 1/2 tablespoons), followed by a moderate sprinkling of ground cumin, followed by a very-light sprinkling of jalapeño pepper and sea salt. Increase skillet temperature to 225°. Sauté the chicken until nicely-golden on the bottom, about 6-7 minutes.
~Step 2. Using a fork or a spatula, flip the chicken over. To season and cook the chicken on the second side, repeat the seasoning process on the second side, and, sauté until golden on the bottom, another 6-7 minutes. Flip the chicken over one more time and cook for 1 additional minute. Turn the heat off. Remove the chicken from the skillet (leaving all of the flavorful pan drippings in the bottom. Slice the chicken into very thin strips and set aside.
~Step 3. Add all of the onions and bell peppers to the chicken drippings in the skillet, spreading them out across the surface of the bottom of pan. Season the vegetables by sprinkling them with all of the fajita seasoning, a moderate sprinkling of ground cumin, and, a very-light sprinkling of jalapeño pepper and sea salt. Using two large slotted spoons, give the mixture a thorough stir. Adjust the heat to 225° and sauté the vegetables until crunch-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add all of the chicken strips, give the mixture a thorough stir and continue to cook until chicken is just heated through, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off. Transfer chicken/veggie mixture to a large bowl. Serve immediately.
Serve immediately w/warm flour tortillas & lime wedges:
Kid-friendly, adult-friendly, crowd-friendly goodness:
Kids-Stuff One-Skillet Tex-Mex Chicken-Fajita Filling: Recipe yields 6 cups fajita filling/enough to fill 24, 5 1/2"-round flour tortillas.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; flat-sided meat mallet; 16" electric skillet w/lid; fork; large spatula; 2 large slotted spoons
Cook's Note: Fajitas were originally named tacos-al-carbon and were served ready-to-eat-with-the-hands, by wrapping strips of unpretentious skirt steak that had been cooked over a campfire or on a grill, in a warm corn tortilla, meaning they were served taco-style. "Faja" is the Spanish word for "strip, band, sash or belt", and, with "ita" added to the end, it means "a little strip, band, sash or belt", meaning the ingredients for fajitas are always cut into strips. Try some of my ~ Tex-Mex Skinny Chicken-Fajita Corn-Tortilla Tacos ~ too.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021)
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