Chicken Fajitas Indoors
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 17, 2011
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
⅓ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)6 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar 1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves Salt and ground black pepper 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to ½-inch thickness1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)
Before You Begin
The chicken and vegetables in these fajitas are only mildly spicy. For more heat, include the jalapeño seeds and ribs when mincing. Although the chicken and vegetables have enough flavor to stand on their own, accompaniments (guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and/or lime wedges) can be offered at the table. The chicken tenderloins can be reserved for another use or marinated and cooked along with the breasts.
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to remaining marinade. Place chicken in marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position (about 8 inches from heating element) and second rack to lower-middle position; heat broiler.
- Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion rounds and peppers (skin sides up) in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Wrap tortillas securely in foil in two packets, each containing half of tortillas.
- Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Swirl oil to coat skillet, then arrange chicken smooth side down in skillet in single layer; cook without moving chicken, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until second sides are well browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning chicken once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest 5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, place baking sheet with vegetables in oven on upper rack; place tortilla packets on lower rack. Broil vegetables until spottily charred and peppers are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer peppers to cutting board. Flip onion rounds and continue to broil until charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off broiler and remove vegetables, leaving tortillas in oven until needed.
- Separate onions into rings and place in medium bowl; slice bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bowl with onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in separate bowl; arrange chicken and vegetables on large platter and serve with warmed tortillas.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
⅓ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to ½-inch thickness
1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅓ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to ½-inch thickness
1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅓ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to ½-inch thickness
1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We quickly realized that the separate components of the best chicken fajita recipe would require special handling. Briefly marinating the chicken in a high-acid mixture created a bright, unadulterated tang. The chicken, peppers, and onions could be cooked simultaneously, but the chicken needed to be seared in a skillet, while the vegetables could be broiled in the oven. As for the tortillas for our chicken fajita recipe, we wrapped them in foil and simply heated them in the oven, under the tray of vegetables.
Before You Begin
The chicken and vegetables in these fajitas are only mildly spicy. For more heat, include the jalapeño seeds and ribs when mincing. Although the chicken and vegetables have enough flavor to stand on their own, accompaniments (guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and/or lime wedges) can be offered at the table. The chicken tenderloins can be reserved for another use or marinated and cooked along with the breasts.
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to remaining marinade. Place chicken in marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position (about 8 inches from heating element) and second rack to lower-middle position; heat broiler.
- Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion rounds and peppers (skin sides up) in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Wrap tortillas securely in foil in two packets, each containing half of tortillas.
- Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Swirl oil to coat skillet, then arrange chicken smooth side down in skillet in single layer; cook without moving chicken, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until second sides are well browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning chicken once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest 5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, place baking sheet with vegetables in oven on upper rack; place tortilla packets on lower rack. Broil vegetables until spottily charred and peppers are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer peppers to cutting board. Flip onion rounds and continue to broil until charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off broiler and remove vegetables, leaving tortillas in oven until needed.
- Separate onions into rings and place in medium bowl; slice bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bowl with onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in separate bowl; arrange chicken and vegetables on large platter and serve with warmed tortillas.
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