And if you don’t say it like Ross Geller from Friends, then you don’t get me at all.
Some days I just have no idea what to make. These are usually the days I feel the laziest, and spend more time and energy complaining to myself about not wanting to cook, than I intend to use actually cooking. This recipe is for days like this.
It’s not super creative, but it IS super easy, and can be made easier if you buy frozen pre-cut peppers and onions in lieu of the fresh ones. You can also use seasoning packets and no one will even care. I mean that too. I’m not just lying to make you feel better (We all know I wouldn’t really spare anyone’s feelings).
Here is what you need.
Ingredients:
5 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can use steak, or pork, or add black beans and keep it vegetarian. ALL will be delicious because fajitas are always delicious. Cooking times may vary).
2 Bell peppers (any color, but mix it up kids. Peppers are pretty and we eat with our eyes. I mean not literally, but looks matter. Don’t let them tell you otherwise).
2 Onions
1 Packet taco seasoning or three heaping tbsp. Homemade seasoning (it’s easy to make, and the internet is FULL of recipes but I always have packets in my house for lazy days).
1 tsp. salt (if needed. Some season packets are super salty, so it’s best to taste it once your chicken is cooked).
½ tsp. pepper
1/8 Cups taco sauce (Yes from a jar. It’s OK to take short cuts. But only if it makes us look good, thus offering us a smug sense of superiority).
Juice of one lime (No not from a jar. We like easy but we are not monsters. How hard is it to squeeze a lime really?).
Corn/flour tortillas (You can use corn or flour. My personal preference is the corn/flour hybrid. It’s the centaur of the tortilla world if you will).
Shredded cheese (This is any cheese you choose. Or no cheese… if you’re weird, or lactose intolerant).
Sour cream (This is also optional, but not really if you ask me).
Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
-Spray a sheet pan or casserole dish with non-stick spray or brush lightly with olive oil, butter, canola oil or whatever you chose (I didn’t list this as an ingredient, because I would like to think by now this is a staple in your home… if it’s not we need to have a talk… Or maybe I need to do a post about kitchen staples…hmmmm).
-Trim the fat from your 5 chicken breasts (this is super easy and can be done with a sharp knife. This is the only time fat trimming has ever been easy in my life).
-Using the same sharp knife (I’m being super trusting letting you play with sharp objects. Don’t let a girl down), slice the chicken into the thin strips about a half an inch to an inch wide (the width doesn’t have to matter initially, as long as they are all cut the same size to allow for even cooking. Remember, raw chicken = bad).
-Place the chicken in an even layer on your prepared dish.
-Core and de-seed the 2 bell peppers, and slice them into thin strips (I’m taking for granted that you know how to core and de-seed a pepper but just in case you were born yesterday, live under a rock or are simply new to cooking, slice off the top and bottom of the pepper, remove the core, the seeds and slice out the vein-like thingies).
-Place the pepper strips in the pan with the chicken.
-Slice the 2 onions into similarly sized strips, and place with the peppers (again, because I feel the need to control everything, here is how. Remove the onion skin, cut the onion in half, place each half cut-side down, slice off the frilly top part, slice the onion horizontally all the way down to the end, break apart the segments into strips. Voila! You did it! Good job team!).
-Place the onions with the other ingredients in the pan.
-Add the juice of one lime (keeping with the micromanaging theme of the post, cut the lime in half, and squeeze the hell out of said lime, directly over the pan).
-Add your packet (or 3 heaping tbsp.) fajita seasoning and mix all the ingredients together until coated.
-Place in your preheated oven (400 degrees) and bake until the chicken is cooked through (remember again, raw chicken= bad).
-While the fajitas are cooking, remove your corn/flour/cornflower, tortillas from the package. You can warm them in the oven wrapped in tin foil for about 5 minutes OR you can make them the right way and place them on the open flame of your stove burner, for a few seconds each side. This warms them and gives them a delicious charred flavor (This is how the cool kids make them. You ARE a cool kid aren’t you?).
Once the fajitas are cooked, and the tortillas are warmed (the cool way), build, top with your optional (but not really) cheese and sour cream and enjoy!
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