Skinny Chicken Fajitas

Who says Mexican food has to be unhealthy? If you make your own at home you have complete control over how much salt you use, oil you pour, or spices you add. They key is to forego using the store bought packets of fajita seasoning. You can make your own spice blend easily and it is so much healthier–no MSG or excess sodium. The final product is flavorful while low in fat and high in protein. I was really pleased with the way these came out and you can easily adapt them to suit your taste!

For lighter fare, I did not serve these with rice and beans, but you certainly could if you want them to follow the typical Mexican restaurant toppings. There was a lot of flavor in the chicken, so a simple topping of salsa and cheese or sour cream was perfect for us! You can also ditch the tortilla all together if you are gluten free!

Many chicken fajita recipes call for the chicken to marinade overnight. I love that this recipe does not require that extra step of planning ahead and still yields fabulous results. To be honest, I almost don’t consider this a recipe…I eyeballed the spices knowing I would want more of the spices that add flavor (cumin, chili powder, paprika) and less of the spice that adds heat (cayenne pepper). So, the measurements are not exact, and they don’t need to be. Change them to fit your family’s preferences!

If you have a large family or want to have enough for several leftovers, scale up and use 2 lbs of chicken and as many peppers as you’d like.

Skinny Chicken Fajitas

• 1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I used tenderloins because that’s what I had on hand)
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1-2 small yellow onions, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• dash of cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder
• about 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want more heat!)

1). Pour 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a grill pan over medium heat. Slice the onions and bell peppers and add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and caramelized and peppers are tender. You can add a few tablespoons of water if they start looking like they might burn. Remove from pan and set aside.

2). Add remaining tbsp olive oil to pan, over medium heat, and arrange as many chicken strips as possible. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Depending on how much chicken you use, you might have to do these in batches.

3). Add the peppers and onions back to the pan with the chicken. Now add the spices (as little or as much as you want of each). Toss them together to ensure every bite has equal seasoning.

Servings for 2 lbs of chicken: at least 8. Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 138 Carbs: 2g Fat: 3g Protein: 26g Sugar: 1g Fiber: 1g

WW PointsPlus: 3 Old points: 3

Recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.