Drunken Chicken Fajitas is probably the right name for this recipe. Tenderized chicken overnight in a beer based marinade which gives it a delicious flavor and juicy texture that you will come back for more.
Although the first instance of this recipe was with a Corona beer, I strongly recommend a darker beer such as red ale or brown ale which has more spice and flavor to infuse the chicken. Try to prep your chicken marinade the evening or day before you eat it, you will thank me for it.
For the condiments, although grated cheese and sour cream makes perfect sense to buy at the grocery market, I prefer to make my own salsa and guacamole even if it takes a bit more preparation. It really taste so much better! I’ve included how to whip up a quick guacamole and salsa below.
To cook the tortillas, I usually grill / char them in a cast iron pan, on the bbq or directly on a gas stove flame. It warms them up and gives that char flavor to your dish.
For those of you that remember being in a Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant and ordering fajitas which just sizzle as they come to the table and stay hot until you’ve taken your 3rd fajita, here’s the trick: use a cast iron pan or skillet to serve. Once you’ve finished cooking your chicken and pepper mixture, you put them back in your hot cast iron pan or skillet to warm through. When everything is nice and hot, you add a quarter cup of water around the pan to create that nice sizzling effect and add a bit of additional sauce at the same time! Time to serve this drunken chicken fajitas which goes great with a couple of nice cold ones!
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 2 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 dark / red beer
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Pepper mix
- 2 onions, halved and sliced thinly
- 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 orange pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 jalapeno pepper (optional for heat)
- Leftover marinade juices
Quick Guacamole
- 2 tbsp of coriander leaves and stems
- 1 lime
- 2 ripe avocados
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 tbsp of minced onion
Tomato Salsa
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tomatoes or 12 cherry tomatoes, diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 Small red onion, diced
- 1 Jalapeno, thinly sliced
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 tbsp of coriander
Condiments
- Grated cheese like cheddar or Monterey jack
- Sour Cream
- 12 flour tortillas
- 2 Limes, quartered
Instructions
- In a bowl or zip lock bag, combine the spices, beer, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and marinate for at least an hour. You can marinate for up to 24 hours for the best results.
- Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat with olive oil and brown the chicken on all sides. Don't overcrowd the skillet so do it in batches if required. Reserve the chicken and keep warm and set aside the marinade juices for later.
- While the chicken cooks, heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat and warm up your tortillas for around 30 seconds per side. They should be slightly brown or charred. Keep an eye on them as they can quickly burn! If the tortillas char too quickly, just turn off the heat while they warm up.
- Reserve the tortillas in a warm and slightly damp towel folded to keep them from drying out.
- Once the chicken is cooked, use the same skillet to cook the onion and the pepper on medium heat with some olive oil.
- Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the peppers and jalapeno and cook for another minute. Then add some of the juices of the marinade (~ 1/4 / 1/2 cup) to impart additional flavor to your vegetables as they cook.
- To serve, plate the pepper and onion mix at the bottom of a large dish and add the chicken on top. Sprinkle coriander and add quartered limes for garnish.
- If you want that restaurant feeling when you serve everything, prep all your condiments on the table with you warm tortillas in advance. Heat up your cast iron pan until it's sizzling hot and put your pepper and onion mix topped with chicken. Ensure the mix is warmed through and then add a quarter cup of water around the pan which will make the whole thing sizzle and steam right before you serve it on the table.tomatojlimi
- For the salsa, mix the tomatoes, lime, onion, and jalapeno in a small bowl.
- If the taste is too acidic, add sugar and season with salt and pepper.
- Before serving, spoon out the salsa without the remaining liquid.
- For the guacamole, cut your avocadoes lengthwise and twist both halves to open them.
- Take a knife and hit the pit to embed the knife slightly in it. You can then twist the avocado in half and the pit will come out easily.
- Scoop out the flesh of the avocadoes in a mixing bowl with a spoon.
- Mash with a fork and then mix in the lime juice and the coriander as well as the minced onion.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
Notes
You need ripe avocados or else you won't be able to get the right taste or texture with your guacamole
Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
