These easy chicken fajitas with tomatillo guacamole are great for a weeknight dinner dilemma. They’re full of flavor, come together in less than an hour and can be prepped ahead.
If there’s a deal to be had, I’m down. When I first graduated from college and was on a serious budget, I came across an article where Jaques Pepin talked about how he would walk into a grocery store and only cook from the items that were on sale.
I looooved that idea so I started to do that, too. At first I thought it was going to be super difficult, but having things narrowed down actually ends up being oddly helpful.
A few weeks ago I visited ALDI in Arcadia and pretty much did the same exact thing, except everything is practically on sale.
How to Make Chicken Fajitas:
- Marinate! To make the chicken fajita marinade just add the chicken to a zip-top bag with the lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, and spices! If I’m going to have a busy day I like to do this in the morning so it’s ready to go for dinner.
- Prep the veggies. Just slice up the bell peppers and onions while the chicken marinates. I also like to prep this the morning of to make less work for dinner.
- Grill. When you’re ready to make the fajitas, just heat up a grill pan so it’s fairly hot and add everything at once to cook so all the flavors come together. Once the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are cooked the fajitas are ready!
How to Season Chicken Fajitas:
- It’s actually a pretty simple list! If you just have some chili powder and cumin that would get the job done, but I like the addition of coriander and some cayenne in my chicken fajita seasoning for a kick. The lime juice and vinegar adds a brightness to the dish and actually helps the flavors shine.
What to Serve Chicken Fajitas With:
- I love to serve my fajitas with the classic flour tortilla
- Topped with sliced radish and guacamole.
- Then finished with cheese.
Tips and Tricks:
- Make fajita bowls! If you don’t have flour tortillas just serve the fajitas over rice with lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa.
- Eat leftovers in quesadillas!
- Like I mentioned above, prepare everything the morning of, or even the day before with the vegetables. Don’t go any longer than the morning of for the chicken though because it might make it tough.
One thing that I really love about ALDI is the large amount of organic produce and other grocery items they have. I actually never talk about organic anything on this blog, mainly because it comes down to economics for a lot of people. Some people simply can’t afford it and, for me, this blog and food in general is all about inclusivity. But at ALDI the organic prices are incredible; they make good quality food affordable for everyone.
I bought everything from organic flour to organic eggs and even meats (including chicken!). The produce department was awesome, giving me life were these tomatillos, so I thought that maybe I would start there. I started adding more and more to my cart and before I knew it I had all of the things I need in life to bake everything AND enough things to make fajitas. Dinner was done!
ALDI stores are opening up all over Southern California (click here to find a store near you!).
Chicken Fajita Recipe
Ingredients
For Fajitas:Â
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into strips
- Juice from 1 lime
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon champagne or red wine vinegarÂ
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or less if you don’t like heat!Â
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 white onion peeled and sliced
For Tomatillo Guacamole:Â
- 1/2 white onion quartered
- 1 jalapeno halved
- 6 tomatillos husked removed
- 3 hass avocados halved and pitted
- Juice from 1/2 lime
For Serving:Â
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
- 2 to 3 radishes thinly sliced
- 2 ounces Ranchero Queso Fresco or Pueblo Lindo Cotija crumbledÂ
- 2 limes quarteredÂ
Instructions
To Make the Fajitas
- In a sealable plastic bag, place the chicken, lime, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, chile powder, salt, ground cumin, coriander; seal the bag and shake to toss. Transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. To a medium skillet or cast iron skillet, heat a teaspoon of olive oil (you shouldn’t need much because the chicken has a bit of oil on it). When hot, add the chicken, sliced red bell pepper, green bell pepper and onion. Sauté until cooked, tossing everything together every so often, about 10 to 12 minutes. Give the chicken a taste and adjust the salt to taste.
To Make the Tomatillo Guacamole:
- Preheat the broiler. To a quarter baking sheet or baking dish, add the white onion, jalapeño and tomatillos. Transfer it under the broiler for 10 to 12 minutes, turning everything at the 5 minute mark, until charred. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before handling. Core and chop up the tomatillos, jalapeño and onion. Transfer to a blender, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pulse until smooth.Â
- To a bowl, add the avocados and smash with a fork until nearly smooth. Add the tomatillo mixture and lime juice; mix until combined. Give it a taste and adjust salt according to taste.Â
To Serve:
- Divide the chicken amongst the tortillas and top with a dollop of tomatillo guacamole, few slices of radishes and a small handful of queso fresco.Â
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
(This post is sponsored by ALDI. You can find them on the internets: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy kitchen cozy.)
Yep, I’m going to be a freshman in college this year AND I am so nervous about eating on a budget! It will be super hard staying healthy while studying and having to manage how much you spend on cooking and everything!
girlfriend I know this struggle. Eating healthy + staying on a budget is super hard! Bad food is SO cheap. Hopefully this helps! xo
yummm this sounds amazing
I love tomatillos! Last week for Cinco de Mayo, I made a chicken avocado quinoa salad with a tomatillo dressing and it was divine. I cannot wait to try them in my guac!!
Oh my, these look and sound delicious! I love salsa verde, so I’m thinking I’m going to also love tomatillo guacamole – yum!