Chicken Fajitas — with Peppers and Onions from One Pan
Marinate chicken strips 15 minutes in oil, lime juice, paprika, cumin and garlic. Sear pepper and onion strips in a very hot pan for 5 minutes until charred at the edges, remove, fry the chicken 5 minutes, mix everything. In tortillas with guacamole, soured cream and salsa. The pan must smoke — that is the flavour.
Fajitas are tacos for people who prefer chicken to mince — and the dish where the pan is allowed to still sizzle at the table. The flavour comes from heat: the peppers and onions must char at the edges, the chicken brown outside and juicy inside. One pan, one marinade, 30 minutes, and everyone rolls their own.
Ingredients
- 600 g Chicken breast (in strips)
Marinade
- 3 tbsp Rapeseed oil
- 1 piece Lime (juice)
- 2 tsp Paprika (smoked)
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 pieces Garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 pieces Bell peppers (red, yellow, green)
- 2 pieces Onions
- 8 pieces Tortillas (medium)
- 200 g Soured cream
- 2 pieces Avocados
- ½ bunch Coriander
- 1 piece Lime (in wedges)
Method
- 1
Marinate
Mix the oil, lime juice, paprika, cumin, oregano, crushed garlic and salt. Toss the chicken strips in it and let stand 15 minutes — longer and the acid softens the chicken too much.
- 2
Cut the vegetables
Cut the peppers into finger-wide strips, the onions into wedges. Mash the avocados with a fork, mix with lime juice and salt for a quick guacamole.
- 3
Char the vegetables
Heat a large dry pan until very hot. Fry the peppers and onions with 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes, stirring little, until charred at the edges and still crisp. Remove.
- 4
Cook the chicken
Chicken and marinade into the pan in one layer, do not move for 2 minutes, then turn and cook 3 more minutes. Vegetables back in, toss 1 minute.
- 5
Serve
Warm the tortillas briefly in a second pan. Pan onto the table with the guacamole, soured cream, coriander and lime wedges. Everyone fills and rolls their own.
Tips
- The pan must be hot and not overcrowded — otherwise the vegetables boil in their own juice instead of charring. For four people, two batches or two pans.
- Leftovers next day in a bowl with rice, beans and sweetcorn — or folded in a tortilla with cheese and fried in the pan as a quesadilla.
- On the barbecue: marinate the chicken whole, grill 6 minutes a side, slice into strips. Peppers and onions in a grill tray alongside.
What can I substitute?
Beef only 2 minutes a side — the Texan original. Prawns 2 minutes. Halloumi 3 minutes a side is the vegetarian version.
Yoghurt is lighter and tangier, crème fraîche richer.
No smoke, but a little heat. For children leave out the chilli.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fajitas and tacos?
Fajitas are grilled strips of meat with peppers and onions rolled in flour tortillas — the meat is the star. Tacos are smaller corn tortillas with any filling, often mince, and are folded, not rolled.
How long should chicken marinate for fajitas?
15 to 30 minutes is enough. Longer than two hours and the lime acid turns the meat soft and stringy on the outside. Without acid — just oil and spices — it can marinate overnight.
Why do my vegetables go soft instead of charred?
Too little heat or too full a pan. The pan must smoke before the vegetables go in, and there must be only one layer. Stir little — the edges need contact with the pan to char.
How much does fajita night cost per person?
About 5 CHF per person with Swiss chicken breast, peppers, tortillas and avocado. With boneless thigh instead of breast, about 4 CHF — and juicier.
How you collect recipes
Paste a link
Copy the address of any recipe page — including this one. Ingredients, amounts and steps are recognised automatically.
Photograph a cookbook
Take a photo of a page from your cookbook. Even handwritten recipes from your grandmother get read.
Pull from Cookidoo
Got a Thermomix? Your Cookidoo recipes come into your collection with one click.
