Super Quick Weeknight Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

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I always have onions and butter.  Always.  So when 4:30 came around and and I went to the kitchen to start making the jambalaya I had planned, I was kind of put out to find neither.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s found myself in this situation.

These chicken fajitas are one of the quickest recipes I keep in my ‘back-pocket’ to pull out on nights like this one.

I have to say, to even call this a recipe is a stretch.  It’s so simple!

Chipotle Peppers

If you haven’t cooked with chipotle peppers before, you have got to try them!   You’ll find them in the Hispanic foods section at your grocery.  Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers that are packed in a tangy, spicy-sweet sauce called adobo.

They come in a small can, and chances are you will not use the whole can in one recipe (unless you have a pretty incredible tolerance for heat, or no taste buds).  Most recipes call for just one or two peppers.

What to do with the rest of the can?

This is the greatest tip ever:  store them in the freezer!  Whenever I open a can, I take out what I want to use and dump the rest of it into a Ziploc bag, being sure to scrape out ever bit of adobo goodness.   Keep it in your freezer until you need some, and then just break off a hunk of your frozen chipotle ‘log’.

They chop really easily when they’re frozen too.  And you’ll want to chop them fairly finely, because they’re pretty spicy.

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

So what makes these fajitas so quick and easy?  Because there’s hardly any actual cooking that goes on here.  It’s really just getting everything out and setting it on the counter.  Sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cheese, tortillas…and you’re almost there.

Chop up some boneless skinless chicken breasts (thighs would work fine too, I’d think).   If they’re frozen, like mine were, just partially thaw them in the microwave, and slice them up.  Thin slices cook quickly.

I cook mine in a big cast iron skillet with just a little vegetable oil on high heat.  I also drain out any liquid that accumulates.  After all, we don’t want the chicken to boil.

Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Then, after it’s fully cooked, stir in your chopped chipotle peppers (I used 2).

Really…that’s the only seasoning.

In the meantime, it’s peppers and onions time.  Ahhh, you’re thinking, “But Susan, you said you didn’t have any onions.”  And I didn’t.  But what I did have was a lovely bag of grilled peppers and onions all prepped and ready to go by my friend, Trader Joe.

Absolutely, you could make this by slicing up fresh peppers and onions.  And I do sometimes…but not today.  Whichever you start with, just add them to a skillet with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil and cook on high.

Heat up your tortillas, put out your spread, and it is time to eat.

Ole.

What is one of your super quick go-to recipes to pull out when you’re in a dinner bind?

Here’s the recipe for mine: