Chicken Fajitas with Cilantro-Lime Rice

I’m a sucker for Mexican food. I spent the last two years in Western Massachusetts where good Mexican, or even decent Tex-Mex, was hard to come by. If only I had found this recipe sooner! I’ve made fajitas many times, but frequently the overall flavor is too mild. This marinade is exactly what my fajitas have needed.

For the marinade, you’ll need:

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender, food processor, or, if you’re using an immersion blender, a large bowl.

This is an immersion blender:

Pretty handy for puréeing hot soups, the occasional milkshake, or even a marinade. Basically, this guy can do anything your standard food processor can, but it’s more fun.

Purée until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Onto the chicken!

Directions
Trim any excess fat off your chicken breasts or cutlets. Place in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

In a medium bowl, add your onions, peppers, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain the marinade and add your chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes per side (a little less if you’re using cutlets).

Remove chicken and let rest on a cutting board.

In the same pan, add your sliced onions and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies have softened a bit. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Remove from the pan and place in a serving bowl. Go back to your chicken, slice diagonally into strips, and place on a plate.

We weren’t sure whether we wanted to eat our fajitas with tortillas or with rice. I found this recipe for cilantro-lime rice (YUM!) a la Chipotle on Annie’s Eats, and I am so glad I decided to make it.

*I made this before I began cooking the chicken and just reheated it before serving.

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, water, and salt (sometimes I add a tablespoon of olive oil to the rice, as well). Bring to a boil and stir. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy, about 16-18 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, combine the remaining ingredients (cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and water) in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

When rice is cooked, add the cilantro-lime sauce and stir to combine.

Take a bite. Isn’t that amazing? Who knew you could make plain white rice this flavorful by adding a little cilantro and lime? I’m currently trying to figure out why I originally did not like Chipotle, because I simply love this rice. This will be appearing alongside all other Mexican or Spanish dishes that I make. Just giving you a heads up.

Here’s the final product:

I attempted to make a fajita burrito, but in the end we both agreed that the tortillas weren’t necessary (we try to save calories where we can). Top with sour cream, guacamole, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, fresh cilantro… whatever you like!

This marinade was absolutely delicious. The chipotles were spicy, but the citrus really helped to brighten the flavors. I wish there were more leftovers.