Labadie Recipe Database
Name Chicken Fajita Chili
Number of People 8
List of Ingredients 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed

3 T olive oil, divided

2 T lime juice

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 (1.12 oz) pkg. fajita seasoning

2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped roasted red and/or yellow bell peppers

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese & lime wedges, optional garnish
Description

1. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag; add 2 T of oil, the lime juice and the crused red pepper. Massage bag to coat, refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Heat remaining 1 T oil in large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken 8-10 minutes or until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Remove chicken. (I added the marinade from the chicken to the pot when I added the chicken. It got very wet in the pot, so I drained the chicken at about 5 minutes. When I removed the chicken and put the onions in the pot, I added a little of the juice I drained from the pot. I got a really good lime flavor by doing this.)

3. Add onions to pot; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cook 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.

4. Stir in fajita seasoning to coat onions. Return chicken to pot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cilantro; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in cilantro. (I sprinkled cilantro on top and I didn't simmer uncovered -- I simmered with the lid half-covering the pot.)
Time 3 hours (30 minutes active)
Difficulty (1-5) 2
Notes I changed the original recipe, which was as follows: 8 thighs, 3 T oil, 2 T lime juice, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 onion, 2 tsp garlic, 2 pkg seasoning, 2 cans crushed tomatoes, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 undrained can pinto beans, 1 cup pepper, 1/3 cup cilantro.

The nutritional information for the original recipe is as follows. Hopefully taking out one package of seasoning and draining the beans reduced the sodium content somewhat: per 1 1/4 cup serving 290 calories, 11.5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated), 20.5 g protein, 26.5 g carbs, 45 mg cholesterol, 1030 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

I think next time I would use less chicken and add at least one more can of beans. Maybe black beans would go well with the fajita theme.

Maybe a combination of chicken breasts and thighs would be good, too. But definitely use mostly thighs, because the texture was wonderful.
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