Fajita salads!

Chicken Fajita Salads!

Fajitas are delicious.  Meat, onions, and a mix of peppers, grilled or griddled, with lots of oil and butter, served with sour cream and a mountain of tortillas!  Not to mention the restaurant chips and salsa.  Oh, and if you're really dangerous, you get the queso!  Mmmmm, melty cheese.  Now you will have a delicious recipe for chicken fajitas at home, for a tiny fraction of the calories!  Not to mention, you can easily skip the chips, tortillas, and queso!  

This recipe is so easy, and just as delicious as a restaurant quality plate of fajitas!  Start out with the chopping.  I know, I know, lots of chopping.  On your regular veggie cutting board, slice onions and a mix of 3 different colored bell peppers.  If you're really adventurous, a jalapeno or two!  

On a different, raw meat dedicated cutting board, slice the 2 pounds of chicken in 1/4 inch slices.  I like to use one hand to get messy holding the raw chicken, and one hand to stay clean on the knife, and also to sprinkle the seasoning.  It is much easier!  Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin, and mix with the dirty hand.  Now wash your hands!

Give your cast iron pan time to heat up to medium high.  If you don't have a cast iron, no worries.  Just make sure you get it to a higher heat.  I like the cast iron for this, because the heat doesn't drop, and you get better browning.  Drop the chicken in the pan, with a spray of olive oil, and let sit for at least 5 minutes to develop a good sear, then begin to turn.

When the chicken is 3/4 of the way cooked, toss in the onions, and let them soften for about 3 minutes.  You can turn the heat to medium now.

Now for the peppers!  Toss them in, and let them cook down for about 3-5 minutes.  I like to still have a crunch, so I go for 3.  If too much liquid builds up in the bottom, push the chicken and veggies to the side for a bit, and turn the heat back up, just until it reduces. 

Just before the peppers are done, toss in half a pint of cherry tomatoes.  I just like to warm them.  I know it's not traditional to have tomatoes in fajitas, but I think it adds a nice touch!  And I love baby tomatoes when they are warmed through!  If you are using cast iron, remove from the heat now, it will cook for a few more minutes.

This is where these fajitas are great for parties.  You can choose whether to eat as a rice bowl, traditional fajitas, or a salad!  Makes a great buffet!

I like to do a salad, with sturdy greens like spinach or baby kale.  Choose a green that you don't mind wilting a bit from the warmth of the chicken and veggies.  I like my salad with a few chopped fresh tomatoes, slices of avocado, and topped with cheese and the kicker...  plain fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream!  Enjoy!