Chicken Fajitas

Ohhhh!  I forgot how much I LOVE fajitas. I love ordering them in restaurants where they come sizzling to the table in their own personal skillets, warm tortillas on the side.  Then topping them with a healthy dose of guac and sour cream, maybe even some fresh pico de gallo.  MMM! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

Fajitas can be pretty versatile and generic, so getting the marinade right is key.  The marinade for these fajitas is delicious and bursting with flavor!  I got the recipe from my sister ages ago and our families just love them.


Chicken Fajitas
for the marinade:
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
pinch of onion powder

for the fajitas:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (about 2-3), butterflied
1 small onion, julienned
3 colored peppers, julienned
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. soy sauce
juice of half a lime
salt & pepper
6-8 8-inch flour tortillas

Garnishes:
sliced avocado
guacamole
sour cream
diced tomatoes

In a mixing bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients.  Pour into shallow baking dish, add chicken and cover with plastic wrap or place marinade and chicken in a zip top bag, pushing out the air as you seal it.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 2-3 hours.

When you're ready to prepare the fajitas, chop and gather veggies and preheat either indoor grill pan or outdoor grill.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on the grill*. Cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. Slice.

While chicken is cooking, heat a large saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add onions and mushrooms and saute about 4-5 minutes, then add peppers and soy sauce and continue cooking until peppers are crisp tender.  Remove from heat, squeeze lime juice over the top and salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, place chicken and veggies in a warm tortilla and top with garnishes of choice.

*Alternately you can slice the chicken before it's cooked and marinate it, then saute it in a frying pan before you cook the veggies.