Super Easy Fajitas

 

I rarely go out for mexican food and when I do I always get fajitas.  Well I've made them at home using little seasoning packets, and using super yummy spices that have to marinate for a day or more but sometimes you want a quick and easy recipe that's not in a packet.  After browsing some recipes online and getting a feel for what to use in a home-made marinade we experimented at making up our own recipe and it was a success!  I don't think I'll ever go back to those little packets with a zillion ingredients that I do not recognize.    

Ingredients

1.5 - 2 pounds of chicken or steak sliced in thin strips

4 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon freeze dried or 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (optional)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, add based on how spicy you like it

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 bell peppers (green, red or yellow) in strips

1 small onion in strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

tortillas

Toppings of your choice - avocado mashed with lime and salsa, hot sauce, salsa, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce are our favorites.

Recipe

1. Combine ingredients chicken through lime juice in large ziplock bag.  Shake it up and let meat marinate for at least an hour.  You can shake and rotate bag a few times.
2. Using a large pan or griddle heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.  Add the peppers and onions to the griddle and cook until a little blackening caramelization occurs.  Let everything sit on the griddle for a few minutes, don't turn too often.  You want these to have have flavor, soften slightly but still have some crunch.  Remove from pan and set aside when done.
3. Add meat to the pan.  Cook on one side for a few minutes.  It will get a nice sear if you're good and don't flip too soon or try to stir too often.  Flip the meat and cook the other side.  
4. Be sure the meat is cooked through and then add the peppers and onions back to the pan.  Stir everything together and heat through.
5. Serve mixture on a warm tortilla with toppings of your choice

Recaito Spiced Fajitas

Michael saw recaito spiced chicken on Food Versus Man and was obsessed with trying it out.  Since we had peppers we decided to make fajitas with chicken marinated in recaito for two days.  The result was so good, tender and different from anything I've tried.  We served the fajitas with recaito spiced rice.  You just add as much of the recaito as you like, taste as you go.  I really love that my kitchen experiments are spreading to my whole family.  Now if we see something that sounds good we make it!

Recaito Recipe Modifications

• Our usual produce market did not have culantro so we used all cilantro as the recipe directed

Recaito Ingredients

1 medium Spanish onion, cut into big chunks
8 garlic cloves, peeled
6 ajies dulces, hot peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into chunks or 1 cubanelle pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into chunks
4 leaves culantro (if you can't find culantro, increase the amount of cilantro by half)
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, stems and all, coarsely chopped

Fajita Ingredients

recaito marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts, marinate chicken in recaito for 8 hrs to 2 days

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 small white onion
sharp cheddar cheese shredded
tortillas
salsa, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce - to top if desired

Fajita Recipe

1. Grill chicken until done.  Do not overcook, you want it tender!
2. While chicken is grilling saute onion and peppers over medium heat in oil until they soften some and onions are slightly brown.  Stir occasionally
3. Cut chicken after letting it sit for a few minutes.  This will retain those juices and keep it more moist.
4. Heat tortillas according to package directions.  Top with chicken, peppers, onions, cheese and other desired toppings.  Eat and enjoy!

Recaito Recipe

This recipe comes Food.com

Click Here for Recipe