Recipe of the Week: Chicken Fajitas

Here's a fast and delicious recipe for chicken fajitas, guaranteed to rival your favorite Mexican restaurant's.

CHICKEN FAJITAS

2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced widthwise into ½" thick strips
4 flour tortilla shells
1 white or Spanish onion, julienne
½ green bell pepper, julienne
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. kosher salt (more to taste)
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil to cook

Condiments:
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped
1 cup sour cream
Taco sauce to taste

Note: When cooking, you want to be sure to season every layer of ingredients as you add them. Therefore, you don't need to add all of your salt, pepper, etc., all at once. The amounts included in my recipes indicate the total, but you should always season with fractions of those amounts as you add ingredients until you reach the total. 

1. Bring non-stick frying pan to medium high heat, add about 1 tbsp. olive oil, and add chicken. Season with half of your salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute for about 5 minutes, turning once, or until chicken begins to brown on each side.

2. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season this layer with remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and add cumin, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce (I would add some hot sauce at this point to kick it up a little more, even though it's not listed in the recipe). Turn heat to low, stir or toss ingredients together, and let simmer uncovered for a few minutes.

3. After chicken, onions, and peppers are nicely combined, cover and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. This will allow the ingredients to steam, as moisture from the onions and peppers will be released and contained within the pan.

Hint: An easy way to cover the pan if you're not using one that comes with a lid is to flip a same-sized pan upside down over top.

4. Once chicken is fully cooked, taste for additional seasonings (you don't want to do this while chicken is still raw, as you'll risk salmonella poisoning). When everything is finished cooking, it should look like this:

5. Transfer chicken, onions, and peppers to a serving bowl. At this point, steam fajita shells in the microwave for 1 minute (you can leave them right in the plastic bag (slightly opened), or place them on a plate between two moistened paper towels). This will soften them, which will allow them to be folded into fajitas.

6. Gather your chicken, fajita shells, and condiments and arrange them on countertop. Add fillings as you like to individual fajita shells and wrap.

Serves 4.