Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Whenever we eat out at a Mexican place, Charles always gets fajitas. He's not fond of sauce-covered enchiladas or burritos like I am. This recipe is different because you put the meat and veggies in the oven to cook instead of standing over a stove or grill. And everyone liked it!

I started by marinating the chicken in the freezer. Yes, that's right. I bought chicken on sale, then sliced some up and froze it in a freezer bag with the marinade. After thawing in the fridge, the meat was infused with the Southwestern flavors and was delicious! I used the same marinade found in my Southwest Pepper Steak.

So here's what you need for the marinade:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 TBSP lime juice
1 teas each cumin, garlic powder and dried oregano
1/2 teas chili powder
1/2 teas sea salt

I mixed all these ingredients up in a freezer bag, then placed the chicken strips in. I kneaded the bag with my hands to get all the pieces coated, then sealed it and put it in the freezer. To thaw, I simply put it in the fridge the night before and it was perfectly marinated by the time I needed it!

If you don't want to freeze the chicken, just mix up all the marinade ingredients and let the chicken marinate for a few hours.

Now for the rest of the fajitas you need:

2 peppers, thinly sliced (I used one red, one green)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6-8 tortillas, depending on how big the tortillas are
Any additional toppings you want like cheese or sour cream

After the chicken has thawed, place it in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Dump the marinade in with it. Place the peppers, onions and tomatoes in the pan. Stir to combine and coat with the marinade.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Season with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Wrap in tortillas and top with any additional toppings you like.

I especially liked this recipe because the peppers and onions stayed crisp-tender. The chicken was moist and flavorful from the marinade and the tomatoes. Definitely a winner in my house!