Whenever we go out to dinner with the kids, we try to ask them where they want to go to give them a bit of choice. Since we don’t go out often, we like to make it a special experience when we do. Each time, my son Inevitably shouts out the name of one of his favorite places, a Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood, and when we get there, he always proudly orders for himself. Generally, he chooses one of his favorites, fajitas.
As with most kids, when my son gets the chance to build his dinner the way he likes it, he’s totally game to eat!
But as much as we enjoy fajitas in a restaurant, they’re a really easy dish to recreate at home. And, in my never ending quest to turn one meal into three, I can make a double batch of the chicken and turn it into new recipes over the next couple of days (tune in tomorrow and Wednesday to see how!).
Nothing cracks me up more than watching the care with which my kids take in building their perfect fajita_ the time they take picking what will go into it, the careful folding of the tortilla and then navigating that first great big bite. When a recipe is this healthy, delicious and a so much fun to make and eat, could there be a better reason to stay home for dinner?
*This is a 3-in-1 Meal_
*Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
*Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
Photos by Gerry Speirs
Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided
- 2 Bell Peppers, sliced
- 2 Onions, sliced
- 2 Tsp Fajita Seasoning or 1 Tbsp for extra spice
- 1 Tsp salt, divided
- 1 1/2 Lb Chicken Breast, cut into 2-inch strips
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 Cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Toss in onions and bell peppers and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until they start to soften.
- Remove onions and bell peppers from the pan onto a dish, and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil, chicken, 1 tsp of fajita seasoning and 1/2 tsp of salt and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add onions, bell peppers, remaining 1 tsp of fajita seasoning and 1/2 tsp of salt back into the pan and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add the lime juice and cilantro to the pan and stir to combine.
- Serve with tortillas and desired accompaniments.
These all look so good — am looking to bake a whole chicken.
There is something so satisfying as a mom when you make dinner and everyone eats it and enjoys it! Thank you:)
I cannot believe it…my 16 month old ate these..sort of…I just diced up some of the veggies and chicken and put it in a quesedilla…my husband and I loved these fajitas too 🙂
Ok I know this may sound silly but is the chicken already cooked before putting in the pan….or is that when you actually cook it. Thanks
You can also use t he leftovers with some black beans & extra cheese on some tortillas and make fajita nachos which are delicious.
Thanks for a good story!
Another option for the fajita seasoning–I used DL Jardine’s Fajita marinade, which I bought at Whole Foods…all natural ingredients, no added sugar, and turned out delicious!
My family loved these! My 4 year old said “PLEASE make these everyday. They are delicious!” We ended up using the entire package of fajita mix (bought at Whole Foods) and it was sooo delicious! The cilantro and lime give it that extra punch. Next time we will add 1 more bell pepper though, per hubby’s request – he loves peppers!! 🙂 Thank you for this amazingly delicious recipe! We will have the fajita quesadillas this week too.
You can even make a 4th night out of this by taking the sliced chicken, peppers and onions and topping with some mexican or provolone cheese. Broil until hot and bubbly and scoop onto hoagies for a mexican-inspired chicken cheese-steak 🙂
Marinating chicken in a little bit of orange juice and soy sauce makes it taste amazing (worked at a mexican restaurant and that was their secret) 🙂
here’s a fajita seasoning recipe with NO msg….
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/158541/fajita-seasoning
Looks so cute for little ones. I make fajita’s but with carrots and peppers,my kids don’t like onions.
I like to use simply organic fajita mix:
website; http://www.simplyorganicfoods.com/products.php?ct=sosouth&cn=Fajita+Seasoning
Quick And Easy Chicken Dinners…
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Yes, please tell me how to make fajita seasoning? I don’t like to buy the premade packets because the majority of them have MSG
Can you let us know how to make fajita seasoning (so we can use what we have in the house)? This looks delish and I’m super excited to see how you make the chicken from this one dish stretch out over the next 2 night’s meals.
Chicken fajitas was the first thing I learned how to cook. That means it’s easy! 🙂 Such a fun family dinner.