Chili-Lime Chicken Fajitas

A fast, healthy and yummy Mexican classic. A question I keep getting is "how is a fajita different from a regular taco?" Well, I looked into it and there really isn't much of a difference at all. Classic fajitas are described as being a Tex-Mex dish made from marinated, grilled skirt steak and was derived from the Spanish "faja", for "girdle" or "strip." Over time other meats became more accessible and implemented such as chicken, pork, shrimp, and all cuts of beef. I always thought that they were called "fajitas" because of the cooking method and that they were prepared with onions and bell peppers, but you learn something new every day.

Tips:

Not just flour - There is a wide variety of tortillas available in the grocery store. In the photo above I have jalapeno cheddar tortillas, but you can use tomato-basil, corn, or stick with the classic flour tortillas. Make sure to look carefully because sometimes the specially flavored wraps are located in the bread/deli section of the store or in the Hispanic cooking aisle.
Tough tortillas - Sometimes if you keep your tortillas too long, they begin to dry out; to fix this, wrap the tortillas in plastic wrap and put them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Warm tortillas taste great anyways.
"Chickensicle"- I found it a little easier to cut the chicken into strips when it was still a little bit frozen. 
Find it prepped - I know you can find grilled chicken strips or sliced vegetables in the grocery store too, so if that makes it easier for you, by all means GO FOR IT!!
Double saute'- Sometimes I see chefs sauteing the meat and vegetables together, but it makes me nervous because of the risk of cross-contamination. I saute' the vegetables first, remove them and then cook the meat just to be safe.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: 6-8, 6" fajitas 

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless and cut into 1/4" strips

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tablespoon (5-6 cloves) garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)
Fresh cilantro (garnish)
6-8, 6" tortillas or wraps

Directions: 

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, garlic, chili powder, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.  

2) Add the chicken strips into the sauce and toss. Set aside to marinate while you are sauteing vegetables.

3) In a large saute' pan over medium-high heat, heat up the Tablespoon of oil.

4) Add the vegetables into the pan and saute' them until they are heated but still crisp (4-6 minutes).

5) Remove the vegetables from the pan and transfer them into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside (the vegetables will actually soften more when you cover them).

6) Remove chicken from the marinade and reserve the sauce for later.

7) Add the chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through (7-8 minutes).

8) Pour the reserved marinade into the pan over the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

9) Serve the chicken in the tortillas and top with sauteed vegetables and cilantro.