Rob Weller's Healthy Chicken Fajitas
Submitted by mpense
Healthy chicken fajitas with poached and seared chicken breast, colorful bell peppers, homemade pinto beans, and fresh tomato salsa. A complete from-scratch Tex-Mex dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThese chicken fajitas take the healthy route without sacrificing flavor. The chicken breast gets poached first with celery, onion, and peppercorns for a moist, flavorful base, then sliced and seared in olive oil until the edges just start to brown. Poaching before searing is the move that keeps the chicken from drying out the way raw-to-pan cooking often does.
Red and yellow bell peppers and red onion get a quick toss in the wok until they’re soft but still have crunch. Fresh cilantro goes in off the heat so it stays bright and fragrant. The peppers should still have some snap. Limp peppers mean you’ve gone too far.
The from-scratch pinto beans are worth the effort. Simmered low for an hour and a half until soft, then hit with chopped raw onion (which cooks from the residual heat) and a drizzle of olive oil. They add substance and protein to every tortilla. Wrap everything in warm flour tortillas with fresh tomato salsa.
Chef Tips
- Poach the chicken gently for 15 minutes, not at a rolling boil. Boiling makes it tough and stringy.
- Warm the tortillas in a zip-lock bag in the microwave. The trapped steam keeps them pliable instead of cracking.
- Watch the peppers closely in the wok. Ten minutes is the max. You want color on them, not mush.
- Add salt to the beans only after they’re fully cooked. Salting early toughens the skins.
Variations
- Use black beans instead of pinto for a different flavor and color.
- Add sliced avocado to each tortilla for creaminess.
- Grill the chicken instead of poaching and searing for a smokier version.
Ingredients
Directions
Poach chicken with celery tops, onions and peppercorns.
Cook for about 15 minutes.
Let cool and remove skin. When chicken is skinned, slice or shred, then sauté with olive oil in wok or large skillet until barely browned around the edges.
Next add red and yellow peppers and red onions.
Toss and sauté for about 10 minutes.
Watch closely so that peppers don’t go limp.
Add cilantro leaves.
Remove from heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine with beans (see below).
Place in tortillas, top with salsa and serve.
Cook beans in water for approximately 1½ hours on medium heat.
Make sure that beans are completely covered in water.
Stir occasionally.
Beans will absorb liquid and become soft. Add more water if needed.
Add salt when beans are thoroughly cooked.
Remove from heat.
Add chopped onion. (Onions will cook from the heat of the beans.) Drizzle with olive oil. Let sit.
TORTILLAS: Warm six large flour tortillas in microwave on high (in large zip lock bag to preserve moisture) for about 30 seconds.
SALSA: Two large, peeled and chopped tomatoes.
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