Oven Fajitas Recipe

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!  Now that it's the middle of winter I am getting tired of our usual winter dinners.  Chicken noodle soup, chili, stew, and my other crock pot favorites are tasty but I've made them all and needed to switch it up this week.  I love oven made meals in the winter when the additional warmth in the winter is welcome.  I also like meals where my kids, ages 4 and 2, have control out of some aspect of it because then they tend to eat more and complain less.  So I decided to make fajitas in the oven.  I have done them before but not for awhile.  I am not a huge recipe person but I will share with you how I made them and you can personalize from there.  This recipe easily feeds the four of us with leftovers for another two helpings.

This recipe is based off a recipe I found on Pinterest.  The original recipe is here.

I wanted to have leftovers from this batch of fajitas so I made a little more than I normally would.  I used the following ingredients:
-Approximately 2lbs of chicken. You can use chicken breasts, thighs or a mix of both.  I used two breasts and 4 thighs
-3 bell peppers.  I used two red and one yellow but you can choose any combination of colors you like.
-1 onion.  I used white because that's what I had on hand but any would be fine.  Purple is a fun choice!
-Approximately 3tbsp of olive oil
-1-2tbsp of taco seasoning.  Pick your favorite or make your own.
-8 tortillas of your choice.

Other garnishes of your choice such as avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

To make fajitas in the oven you'll need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  While its heating you can slice the bell peppers and onions into strips.  You don't want them to be too thick or too thin.  Generally 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long or so is a good size.  Next slice your onion.  Do not dice it or the pieces will burn.

After you have diced the onion and peppers then it's time to slice the chicken.  Of course, you could slice the chicken first.  I just prefer not to have raw meat sitting out any longer than absolutely necessary.  You want to slice it into bite size or slightly larger pieces.  I prefer to use a mix of light and dark meat.  Chicken thighs are more forgiving in the oven and if I get busy I know that an extra couple minutes past the timer in the oven won't make them super dry.

If you are pressed for time then a frozen mix of peppers and onion is a great option.  Sometimes it's even less expensive to buy the frozen stuff than it is to buy fresh anyway.  So keep that in mind!

Once the peppers, onion, and chicken are sliced then it's time to combine them together in a baking pan.  I use a 10x13 pan but a similar size would be fine too.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle taco seasoning over the top.  Mix thoroughly and add a bit more olive oil and seasoning if you don't feel the chicken/peppers/onions aren't evenly coated.  This is something you may have to play around with.  I don't season very much because my kids prefer their foods to be more bland.  A little more than a table spoon works for us but don't be surprised if you prefer more.  I use a taco seasoning mix by Ortega but there are many brand choices available and even single serving envelopes.  

Make sure it's mixed well and put it in the oven for 40 minutes.

I'm sure you are all staring at the broken baking dish.  It was my mother's and even though it's badly chipped, I can't bear to part with it now that she is gone.  I can remember her making enchilladas, lasagna, and tuna casserole (yuck!) in it.  I remember her every time I use it.

You'll want to stir this once about half way through.  If you forget it'll probably still turn out ok.  I have forgotten and it wasn't a big deal.  After 40 minutes check the meat for doneness.  You can use a meat thermometer but I prefer to slice a piece open and check for pink.

Yum!

After the fajita mix is done then it's ready to be spooned into tortillas and garnished to your liking.  I usually buy whole grain tortillas but I shopped at a new store this week and couldn't find them.  I tried Goya flour tortillas and they were delicious!  

We ate our fajitas with sour cream and fresh salsa.  You can add cheese, guacamole, fresh squeezed lime juice, cilantro, or whatever else you like.  You can add canned corn or black beans to the mix halfway through the cook time too.  What's great about this dish is that it is easy to reheat in the oven.  I have made it ahead of time and taken it to a pot luck and everyone liked it.  I kind of feel that fajitas are the more sophisticated version of tacos, don't you? You can also serve the leftovers with rice or rice and beans, on salad, or make them into tostadas.  Leftovers that can easily be reinvented are always welcome around here.  Both my daughter and I have food allergies and this recipe is great because it is allergen friendly! I haven't had a dinner party in a awhile but I would definitely consider serving this fajitas dish.  Try it and let me know how you like it!

-Michelle

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*This recipe was not endorsed by any product or company.  The original recipe that inspired this post can be found here and the blogger does own rights to the recipe.  All photos are courtesy of the blogger.