Disclaimer: This post would have happened two days ago but I experienced some technical difficulties. Meaning Link hid my laptop charger in his room and my battery died before I could post.

Life happens. But fajitas happen too.

The first time I had fajitas was at a chain restaurant. I forget which one, but they’re all the same. And they never give you enough tortillas. And you have to keep asking for more but you’re lucky if they ever come. And they make you feel bad about it, because giving you enough fajita to fill 12 tortillas is obviously your fault, not theirs.

/rant

I came to realize, as with most foods, that I can make these at home and likely do a far better job. So I did.

Many times.

I’ve made fajitas with various types of steak, shrimp, and chicken. This recipe was the latter but the marinade is versatile. I would use it on all of the above.

I use a pretty standard lineup for the marinade. Lime juice, sliced limes, chili powder, cumin, paprika, olive oil, red onion, adobo seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper. The process is the key. Let your protein of choice marinate for 24 hours in the fridge, sealed in a bag.

You can grill the meat. This time I opted to sear it in a cast iron skillet and finish it in the oven. It came out a little charred, very rich with a nice citrus kick.

Boom. Chicken is done. Not terribly adventurous for me. So where did the adventure begin? I got ambitious and decided to take a step into unfamiliar culinary territory. Salsa.

I know, you probably think salsa is easy, beneath my skills or something I’ve made a million times. I’ve actually never tried making it before. I make amazing guacamole and a multitude of other sauces, dips and marinades but I’ve never attempted salsa.

I didn’t bother looking up a recipe. I went for a mango-avocado salsa. It came out so good that Meredith made some tortilla chips with some of the extra tortillas and we polished the rest off.

I used a mango, an avocado, garlic, red onion, lots of cilantro, fresh lime juice, salt and pepper. It was sweet from the mango with that slight juniper vibe that mangoes exude. The lime juice and cilantro brightened it up like a star going super nova and the avocado brought it back down with a cool, rich creaminess. I minced up some jalapeno to add into mine after.

In true fajita fashion, I had to fry up some peppers and onions. I went with red and yellow bell peppers for their sweetness and color, and red onion for its awesomeness. Olive oil, salt, pepper.

What else is there to do at this point? Warm up your tortillas of choice (and don’t cheap out like the chain restaurants) and load them up.

Enjoy!

Recipe:

Chicken & Marinade:
– 1.5 to 2 lbs Boneless Chicken (I used thighs)
– 1/2 cup lime juice
– 1/8 cup olive oil
– 1 lime, sliced
– 1/4 of a medium red onion, diced fine
– 3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
– 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
– 1 tbsp chili powder
– 1 tbsp cumin
– 1 tbsp paprika
– 1 tsp oregano
– Salt & pepper to taste

Mango Avocado Salsa:
– 1 mango, diced
– 1 avocado, diced
– 1/4 of medium red onion, diced
– 1 garlic clove, minced fine
– Juice of 1 lime (approx. 2 tbsp)
– 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
– 1 jalapeno, diced fine (optional)
– Salt & pepper to taste

Veggies:
– 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
– 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
– 1 medium red onion, sliced
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil , onion, peppers. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often.
2. Grill chicken or sear in a skillet and finish in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes (check with a digital thermometer, safety first!)
3. For salsa, cut ingredients accordingly, mix everything together minus the avocado. When thoroughly mixed, fold in avocado.
4. Warm tortillas.
5. Construct your fajitas, load up with sour cream, hot sauce and/or cheese.
6. Enjoy!