Just before our family left town for Spring Break, I made my first recipe from the New Mexico cook book.
Chicken Fajitas.
Now, I make fajitas all the time. And I get fabulous reviews.
After making these, I realize I didn't know squat about making a good chicken fajita.
Let me tell you a few things about why these chicken fajitas are so much different than what I made before.
First of all, you pound out the chicken. Never thought of doing that before, and I don't know why. I do it for stuffed chicken, just never occurred to me to do it with fajita chicken. I think the pounding it down makes the chicken more likely to absorb the marinade.
That was the other thing. I'd never marinated my fajita chicken before, either.
And the marinade was what made it.
The fresh ground ginger not only made the marinade fabulous, it made my house and my fingers smell fabulous for the rest of the day.
The marinade also included some fresh citrus juice and soy sauce. (I did think the soy sauce was a little strong, so I might use less next time)
It also had me grill the chicken a little before adding it to the veggies.
I grill all the time. But for some reason, always did my fajitas on the stove.
Never again.
These were fabulous.Kids loved them.
Husband loved them.
And the friend from church who just brought her brand new baby home- (I was asked to take a meal in to her and her family, and I was thrilled to do it!) she loved it, too! (Phew!)
And, I have permission from Clyde Casey to post recipes, so long as I give him the credit. See my previous post to find out about getting a recipe book. Thank you Clyde!
Here is the recipe:
2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large white onions, sliced
1-1/2 green bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
1-1/2 red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
salt to taste
12 flour tortillas, warmed
Side Dishes
1/2 cup refried beans
1 cup guacamole
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup dairy sour cream
Salsa or chili sauce
1. Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on a cutting board. Place each chicken breast on top and cover with another piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap. With a mallet, flatten chicken breasts to 1/8 inch thick. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, and honey. Add chicken; refrigerate in marinade for 3 to 6 hours.
3. About 10 minutes before cooking, drain chicken and pat dry. Grill or broil. Cook until no longer pink, but still moist, about 1-1/2 minutes per side. Remove from grill or broiler; slice cross grain into 1-1/4 inch strips; cover and set aside.
4. In a deep non-stick skillet, heat oil until very hot. Add onions and peppers; saute. Add chicken strips and toss together. Season with salt to taste. Serve on a very hot plate, preferably a metal sizzle platter.
5. Serve with Tortillas and side dishes.
Refried bean, guacamole, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, salsa or sauce should be prepared ahead of cooking chicken and be served as side dishes. Tortillas should be served hot in covered container.
To assemble fajitas, place a portion of hot chicken mixture in center of the tortilla and top with the side dishes to taste. Fold tortilla, closing one end. Eat as hand food.
