School’s back in session. We’re back with the kids. The learning, excitement, hope, fun, and exhaustion are in full swing. Simple, healthy weeknight meals are more needed than ever, especially ones that make for excellent leftovers I can pack for lunch. Enter these easy chicken fajita bowls.
When times get busy, like many of you, I can fall back on the same ol’ favorites. Routine makes life easier, but it can also mean your meals all kind of start to taste the same after a while. And let’s be real–sometimes dinner is scrambled eggs and toast, sometimes it’s popcorn and an apple, it’s cheese, crackers, hummus, and cut up veggies. Girl dinner (A term I actually don’t love because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a snack plate of cheese, cracker, hummus, and veg. Fiber, protein, and carbs. It’s solid.) But yep, it happens to food bloggers, too.
Looking for more easy, healthy, flavorful weeknight meals? I’ve got you!
cucumber, avocado, feta salad (perfect alongside a piece of salmon or chicken)
late summer gnocchi with zucchini, tomatoes, & basil
chicken, turkey, or pork larb bowls
sheet pan pierogies, sausage, and vegetables
These easy chicken fajita bowls are everything the name promises and everything you want them to be. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but I promise it all comes together in a snap. Drop the chicken in the marinade, which you can make ahead of time and keep in the fridge, and get your evening tasks started. Start the rice, then get to work on the other components. Honestly, you could have the peppers and onions sauteéd already and reheat them the night you make this. When life is busy, I’m all about bringing in some lazy genius strategies. If I can do it ahead of time so my future self will thank me, I’m all about it. Especially when it means my future self gets to tuck into some easy chicken fajita goodness.
Add some zing to your weeknight meal rotation with these healthy, flavorful, easy chicken fajita bowls.
Easy Chicken Fajita Bowls
slightly adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts
- 2 TBSP lime juice
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
For the vegetables:
- 1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced (Anaheim chiles can be a sub if you can’t find poblano.)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
For the bowls:
- 3 c. cooked white rice
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 c. charred corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 c. chopped tomatoes
- guacamole OR sliced avocado and additional minced red onion
- fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- lime wedges
Directions:
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Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2-in. thick strips. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
- Reminder! Start the rice if you haven’t already.
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Heat a large skillet over high heat (cast iron, if you have it). Add a tablespoon of olive oil then add the chicken mixture, marinade included. Sauté until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the vegetables. Sauté until tender and charred. Add the chicken back into the skillet and toss to combine.
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To serve, build bowls with rice, black beans, charred corn, chopped tomatoes, guacamole or avocado, minced red onion, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
yield: 6 servings
