Today is Mexican Independence Day, the fiesta-filled holiday when Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain in 1810. This is a day of national pride, mariachi music and lots of great food. You can bet that Fajitas will be a favorite on the menu at restaurants and at home celebrations. Fajitas refer to grilled meat or chicken served with tortillas alongside grilled peppers and onions. Fajitas are so simple to make at home. A delicious fajita starts with a great marinade. For this recipe, I’ve chosen a simple combination of ingredients, but if you prefer more heat, you can always add some red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne. For the chicken, I prefer skinless boneless chicken thighs, but chicken breasts work well too. For the meat, you’ll want something with a little bit of fat like a skirt or flank steak. With colorful peppers always available, a combination of green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers make a beautiful presentation along with a large, sweet yellow onion. To give the fajitas a real authentic flavor, you can toss your flour tortilla into a hot dry skillet or griddle for just a few seconds to give it the char marks and delicious flavor. Of course, you’ll want to top off your fajitas with all of your favorite fixings’ like avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream. Plan ahead so the protein can marinate for several hours, then fire up the skillet or grill and get cookin’ south of the border style for your Mexican Independence Day feast!
Watch my How To Video for Fajitas here!
| Servings |
- 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or 2 pounds of steak)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 yellow pepper (optional)
- 1 Pablano chile
- 1 sweet yellow onion
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 heaping teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Ingredients For the Fajitas:
For the Marinade:
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- Place Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add chicken or beef to a zippered bag. Toss well to coat. Marinade for several hours. When ready to cook, cut peppers and onion in strips. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add vegetables to skillet and cook until softened and charred. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Cook chicken or beef in the same skillet until browned. Slice chicken or beef into strips. Heat tortillas in dry skillet. Assemble fajitas with chicken or beef, peppers and onions. Finish with toppings.
