Recipe: Deconstructed Chicken Fajita Salad

Chicken fajitas are one of my favourite family meals, and this easy marinade is mild enough for kids whilst still full of flavour! Cut down on the carbs with a scattering of crispy tortilla crisps instead of full tortilla wraps, the whole family will love this healthy fajita salad!

 

I created this recipe because  I LOVE fajitas! I'd go so far as to say that chicken fajitas are my all time favourite home-cooked meal.  When I was pregnant with Small Baby I craved chicken fajitas like you wouldn't believe - I think I had them at least once a week for the duration of the pregnancy, so the rest of the family probably got a bit fed up with them.  The marinade is based on my Mum's amazing recipe - I can guarantee that once you try it you'll never buy a packet marinade again!

Ingredients (serves 4):

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE
4 Chicken Breasts
3 Garlic Cloves
Bunch Fresh Coriander
1 Lime
2 Tbs Ground Cumin
1 Heaped tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

FOR THE TORTILLA CRISPS
4 Tortilla Wraps
Olive Oil

TO SERVE
Mixed Salad Leaves
4 Spring Onions
1 Red Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
Cucumber
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Salsa

Method:

Start by making the marinade.  Peel the garlic, zest and juice the lime.

Whiz the garlic up in a hand held blender or food processor.  Add the fresh coriander (leaves and stalks) and whiz until finely chopped.  Add the rest of the marinade ingredients: lime zest, lime juice, cumin, paprika, oil and vinegar, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Whiz until completely combined, adding a little more oil and vinegar to loosen if necessary.

Chop each chicken breast into 3 or 4 mini fillets.  Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour over the marinade, turning to ensure an even coating.  Cover and leave in the fridge to marinade for at least ½ hour, or overnight if making in advance.

Whilst the chicken is marinating, make the tortilla crisps.  Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4/350°F).

Take each tortilla wrap and cut it into pieces.  If you are short on time, slice them into triangles, or alternatively cut out shapes of your choice using cookie cutters.  I cut mine into hearts, because I couldn't resist the opportunity to add an extra creative touch!

Brush some baking trays with olive oil, then place the tortilla pieces on the trays, brushing them all with a little more of the oil. Working in batches, bake the crisps for around 5-8 minutes, until the shapes start to brown around the edges and are crispy.  Do keep a sharp eye on them, as they are very easily overcooked.

Leave to cool.  If making in advance, make sure they are completely cool before storing in an airtight container for up to two days.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, then fry the chicken pieces, turning occasionally until cooked through.  Serve immediately, or leave to cool if you are packing to eat later.

Prepare the salad: wash and dry the leaves (I used a mixture of watercress, rocket and baby spinach), de-seed and slice the peppers into thin strips, slice the cucumber and the spring onions.

Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.  Pile the salad onto plates or into a lunch box, then top with the chicken, serving up the tortilla crisps and dips on the side.

This meal is healthier than my standard fajita recipe because it includes more salad and less tortilla wraps than I would usually serve up (you could of course serve it up in the usual way if preferred - wrapping the chicken and salad up in tortilla wraps instead of serving them as crisps on the side).  We ate it with the dips dolloped over the salad and the general consensus was that this was even nicer than our usual fajitas.  One great thing about the marinade is that it has plenty of flavour without being at all hot, so it's perfect for the whole family.

I do hope you like the look of this recipe enough to give it a try yourself - though I say so myself it really is delicious!

Grace