Taken from Kenji’s Fried Skirt Steak Fajitas recipe – with rich and flavorful lime, soy sauce and cumin marinade – this version has redesigned the recipe to use chicken thighs instead of steak, and the cooking technology has been changed so that everything you need is is an oven and baking sheet with one baking sheet. Because it’s all cooked in a large pan that takes up half a baking sheet, it’s perfect for feeding a large group, and cooking and cleanup is kept to a minimum.
While you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe (we tested it; it works), our preferred option is chicken thighs. Dark meats are less prone to drying out on high heat, giving you more time to properly broil your chicken without worrying too much about overcooking.
The recipe also calls for the use of a preheated baking dish or stone to brown the chicken at the same time from the bottom (a baking sheet, even a preheated one, is too thin to brown the chicken on its own and therefore needs the help of the mass of the baking dish or stone). if you don’t have them, but instead you can just flip the chicken over to fry it on the other side until it’s browned. (Don’t be alarmed if your baking sheet buckles on hot steel or stone; in our experience, a good aluminum-rimmed baking sheet will always spring back to its normal shape on its own.)
As with all baking sheet recipes, it’s important to know your oven well and set it up accordingly. Some broilers don’t have enough power, in which case you may be better off using only a preheated baking dish or a baking stone with the oven at maximum power. Others may be unusually firm, in which case you may need to lower the oven rack slightly (if you are using a baking tray with the rack in the highest position, you may not have enough clearance to insert the tray under the broiler; in this case, lower the oven rack oven as needed).
Ingredients
For the fajita marinade:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lime juice , 6 to 8 limes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or other neutral oil
- 1/4 cup (55 g) packaged light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (see notes)
- garlic 3 medium cloves , finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs
For the fajitas:
- red bell pepper 1 large , stemless, seedless and cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper , stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 large green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 white or yellow onion , sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 12 to 16 hot tortillas made from fresh flour or corn (see notes)
- guacamole recipe 1 , for serving, optional
- pico de gallo recipe 1 , for serving, optional
- Sour cream , grated cheese and salsa for serving, optional
Directions
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For the fajita marinade: Combine soy sauce, lime juice, oil, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, chilli powder, and garlic in a medium bowl and beat together. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the marinade into a separate bowl and set aside.
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For the chicken: Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag and pour over the remaining marinade. Close the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage the bag until the meat is completely covered with the marinade. Refrigerate, turning every couple of hours, for at least 3 hours and up to 10 hours.
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For the fajitas: When they are ready to cook, preheat the grill and place on the grate at the highest position. If you have a steel or stone baking dish, place it
on the top rack and let it heat up. If you are using a steel/stone baking dish, place a rimmed baking sheet on it to heat it up as well; otherwise, leave the baking sheet at room temperature. -
Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Lay the chicken in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, without turning, until the chicken is browned on the top, about 5 minutes. Broiler strength and oven design vary greatly, so cooking times will also vary; keep a close eye on this. If your broiler oven heats up unevenly, you may need to move the pan for more even browning. Flip the chicken over and cook until the other side is also browned, about 4 minutes longer (chicken cooked with the pan/stone will already be browned on the bottom, so you can flip it over and continue cooking to make sure it’s cooked through). Remove from oven and transfer chicken to a plate to rest.
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Switch oven from Roast to 450°F (230°C). Arrange red, yellow, and green bell peppers and onions on a baking sheet. Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup marinade and stir until evenly coated; Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the baking sheet. Spread the peppers and onions in an even layer to cover the baking sheet from edge to edge, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and browned, about 25 minutes (if your oven is top-heated, it is best to cook the vegetables on the middle rack to avoid overcooking. burning and scalding). If you are using a baking dish/stone, you can cook vegetables on it, but be careful as they may burn underneath; if this starts to happen, move the baking sheet to another rack.
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Cut the chicken into thin strips, then place back on the baking sheet along with any juices. Return to oven to warm up.
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Serve immediately with hot tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo and other seasonings of your choice.
