Fajita Chicken Stir-Fry with Peppers and Onions
Thin strips of chicken breast cooked hard with sweet peppers and onion, then tossed with fajita spice and a splash of water for a glossy, savory coating. Pile it into warm tortillas and finish with cool sour cream and guacamole.
- Total
- 19 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 11
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Quick
- Mexican
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Slice the chicken breast across the grain into strips about 1 cm thick. Core and slice the peppers into 1 cm strips, and peel and slice the onion into 1 cm wedges. Keep the chicken and the vegetables in separate piles.
~8 min
Uniform strips cook at the same rate, so nothing overcooks or stays raw.
-
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook 2 minutes more, until the strips are browned at the edges and no longer pink, reaching 74°C/165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
~4 min
A hot pan and single layer sear the chicken instead of steaming it, building browning and flavor.
Get the skillet properly hot before the chicken goes in: a strip should sizzle the moment it touches the pan. If it steams instead, the pan is too cool and the meat will release water rather than brown.
Searing Get the pan shimmering hot and leave the chicken undisturbed for 2 minutes so a brown crust forms; moving it too early steams the meat and it sticks.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the chicken cooks, warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 30 seconds per side, and stack them in a clean towel.
~3 min
-
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the hot skillet, then the peppers and onion. Stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes, until the edges char and the onion turns translucent but still has bite.
~3 min
High heat chars the vegetables while keeping them crisp rather than turning them soft and watery.
Stir-frying Keep the heat high and keep the vegetables moving so they char at the edges without steaming; add liquid only at the end to glaze.
-
Sprinkle the fajita spice over the vegetables and stir constantly for 30 seconds to bloom it. Pour in 60 ml water and scrape up the browned bits, then return the chicken and its juices. Toss for 1 minute until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the chicken. Taste and add the remaining 0.25 tsp salt if needed.
~1 min
Blooming the spices in hot oil releases their fat-soluble flavor, and the water deglazes the browned bits into a glossy sauce.
Stir-frying Keep the heat high and keep the vegetables moving so they char at the edges without steaming; add liquid only at the end to glaze.
-
Spoon the chicken and peppers into the warm tortillas. Top each with 1 tbsp sour cream and 1 tbsp guacamole and serve right away.
~2 min