Chicken Fajita Meat



I think everyone loves chicken fajitas and this marinade recipe creates a delicious grilled chicken for them.  If you are cutting down (or out) gluten from your diet, making a chicken fajita salad is also incredibly good.  As I have mentioned so many times in the past, the quality of the chicken that you purchase is critical.  I don't typically buy chicken breast meat because the breasts are expensive.  Also I buy whole chickens so I can make bone broth from the carcass, but I have found frozen organic chicken breasts at Costco that I am using for fajitas that I am pleased with. 

Ingredients:

2 - 3 organic, free-range chicken breasts

Marinade:

1 roasted hot green chili (peeled, deseeded, and diced fine)

3 Tbl extra virgin organic olive oil

juice of 1 small organic lemon

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Thaw frozen chicken breasts in the refrigerator (don't thaw in the microwave).  Marinade meat for two to eight hours before grilling meat.  We use one Hatch New Mexico green chili for the marinade.  I keep a bag of hot ones in the freezer that we have previously roasted.  We grew a batch of really hot peppers in the garden the year before last that have great flavor.  You can also use ones that you have purchased at the store (available in August, plan to get some next year). 

Thaw the chili and then remove the roasted skin and inner veins and seeds.  Next dice fine and place in a small glass dish. (You can substitute another type hot chili if you do not have any in your freezer, just be sure you roast it so you can remove the skin).    Place the rest of the marinade ingredients with the chili, and mix together.

I cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally (but don't cut into strips yet) because they are too thick to grill evenly, and then place them in a glass bowl.  Pour the marinade over the chicken meat and thoroughly mix it so that all the meat surfaces are coated with marinade.  Cover and place in the refrigerator.

When ready, grill the whole (thin) breast pieces as you would any chicken breast until thoroughly cooked.  Bring inside and slice into strips.  (I grilled the onion and bell pepper for the fajitas on high heat in a little olive oil inside in a heavy cast iron skillet.)

For our fajitas we use:

One whole wheat or whole grain flour tortilla (or a bed of organic lettuce if having as a salad instead)

Grilled chicken fajita meat

Grilled onion and organic bell pepper strips

Fresh avocado slices

Salsa (homemade is great but tomatoes are not in season now)

Grated white cheese (grate your own, pre-shredded has anti-caking chemicals added)