These chipotle chicken tikka fajitas are great for quick and easy and flavorful weeknight dinners!
OK, so who here has tried to cook chicken breast at home, but it turned out so dry and flavorless you wanted to get some pizza instead?? Yes, I've definitely been there too!
My Solution is Marination
Whenever I make chicken that will not be stewing in a sauce, I always try to marinate the chicken before cooking.
My go-to ingredient for marinating chicken is yogurt! Are you thinking: "eww, that sounds gross!"??
Well did you know that everyone's most beloved Indian dish, chicken tikka masala, is actually grilled chicken that has been marinated in a mixture of spices and...yogurt! And you know how delicious, moist and flavorful that dish is!
Yogurt is actually really great for marinating meats, because it tenderizes meat more gently.
So I took that yogurt and spice mixture marination concept and applied to these chicken fajitas! Instead of the garam masala and turmeric, I've swapped in chipotle sauce to give this dish a distinctly smoky flavor!
Marination Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Tikka Fajitas
- Yogurt
- Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
- Cumin
- Garlic
The longer you can let the chicken marinade the better. But I'll be honest, sometimes I don't have time to marinate for hours, so even with just a quick 30 minute marinade is just fine! The trick is the prep the chicken and marinate first. Then set that aside, and work on everything else. Then just go back to the chicken and cook it!
Pair these chicken fajitas with a poblano cream sauce. It just amplifies the smoky flavor of the entire dish! You really don't need to add any other toppings, but I know its hard to eat a Mexican dish without the works: sour cream, avocado and hot sauce, so top to your hearts desires!
You might also be interested in: Honey Chipotle Chicken Pasta, Spicy Chipotle Huevos Rancheros, Shrimp Tikka Masala with Gobi Grits
Chipotle Chicken Tikka Fajitas with Poblano Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Marination for Chicken
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce I use mostly the sauce, but if you want more heat just add the peppers too
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 pound chicken tenderloin
Peppers & Onions
- 2 bell peppers sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 teaspoon taco seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
Poblano Cream Sauce
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Poblano de-seeded and cubed
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Fajitas
- flour tortillas
- avocados optional
- sour cream optional
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
Chicken Fajitas
- Wash and dry chicken, set aside to prepare marinade.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade into a large bowl. Refrigerate. Marinade for 30 minutes- 4 hours. You can also marinate up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°.
- Combine sliced bell peppers and onions with the seasonings.
- On a large greased or parchment lined sheet pan, place marinated chicken on one side of the pan and add peppers and onion mixture to the other side. Make sure the chicken pieces are not top of each other.
- Bake the chicken and pepper mixture for 20-25 minutes, Flip the chicken and peppers about halfway through.
Poblano Cream Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a small pan. Add cumin seeds, garlic, and poblano to the oil. Continue to stir and saute for about 5 mintues.
- Once the poblano has softened and the garlic has browned slightly (not burned!), remove from heat.
- Blend the poblano mixture with the sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and salt until smooth.
Assemble the fajitas
- Heat up some tortillas
- Add chicken, peppers, onions and poblano cream sauce.
- Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, hot sauce
See article below on why yogurt makes the best marinade: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/yogurt-marinating
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