Story and images provided by Karyl Henry, KarylsKulinaryKrusade.com
I very rarely, if ever, ate Mexican food growing up. I lived in a very culturally diverse city, with ethnic restaurants everywhere. But for some reason Mexican restaurants were never our choice. I also refused to eat avocados as a kid…well, really until about 12 years ago. I don’t remember exactly why, but I’m guessing it was the texture. I’m all about texture when it comes to food.
Within days of moving to Oklahoma I learned that Mexican food is life for many of my friends. My first week on the job was also the Big 12 basketball tournament in OKC, and we ate Mexican at least 3 times that weekend. That summer we had a work retreat at Boone Pickens’ ranch in East Texas, and the first evening we had a social that included passed appetizers. I finally decided to give the guacamole a try. Not only did I love it, but I ate as much as I possibly could. Now I always have avocados in the house and try to eat some every day.
Fajitas are definitely one of my favorite types of Mexican food, and food in general. The best sound in the world is the sizzling meat and vegetables as they come to your table. I haven’t been able to quite duplicate that level of sizzle at home, but as long as I get the flavors, that’s good enough for me. I’m not good at self-control when there’s a pile of fajitas in front of me. And let’s face it, fajitas can sometimes be messy. So I created a Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap.
This Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap combines all of the wonderful flavors of fajitas, and it’s perfect for an on-the-go meal. I’m a 100% dark meat girl when it comes to chicken, so I use chicken thighs for this Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap. I also make my own fajita seasoning. It’s much simpler than I originally thought, and I know exactly what’s in it.
WRAPPING THE CRISPY CHICKEN FAJITA WRAP
One of the hardest things for me with this Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap was getting the burrito wrapped properly! On my first attempt the tortillas were too small, and the fillings busted through. Then I used the larger tortillas, but I couldn’t get the sides to fold in properly so it was like a taco…stuff fell out on every bite. It took a few more times of practice, plus finding a video online, but I finally got it down. Yes, I followed an online video. Nope, no shame in my game!
- Use an extra-large tortilla and soften it slightly in a pan over low heat or wrapped in paper towels in a microwave. That makes the tortilla more pliable and less likely to burst.
- Don’t overfill the tortilla. With an extra-large tortilla, use about ¼ cup of filling.
- Place the filling a little off center of the tortilla. This helps it roll properly.
- Wrap the tortilla tightly, so the filling doesn’t spill out.
I use a combination of onion, plus red and green bell peppers, for my Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap. Either yellow or red onion works, whichever you prefer. You can also use whatever color bell peppers you have on hand. I do sauté my onions and peppers in a little bit of butter. It adds more flavor than oil, and helps the onions get a beautiful golden color. Sometimes I add the guacamole in the wrap, other times I have it as a side.
Yes, you can eat the Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap as soon as it is filled and rolled, but what’s the fun in that?! I lightly spray a Grill Pan with Cooking Spray, heat to medium, and lay the Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap seam-side down in the grill pan. I press down semi-firmly, and grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Be careful when you turn the Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap because it will be screaming hot! When I turn it the first time I can usually use my hands. But I always use a Spatula to remove it from the grill pan.
I love making Chicken Fajita Wraps crispy, because it adds another layer of texture, and a nice crunch in every bite. I use chicken, but I’ll definitely mix it up with steak, shrimp, or just loads of veggies.
Crispy Chicken Fajita Wrap from KarylsKulinaryKrusade.com
Ingredients
- 2 extra large flour tortillas
- 2 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, diced into 3/4″ pieces
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
FAJITA SEASONING (makes 1/2 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
OPTIONAL ITEMS
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 cup light sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
Combine all seasonings for fajita seasoning mix and set aside. REMINDER: this will make a 1/2 cup. You will ONLY need a very small amount for this recipe!- Melt 1/2 Tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes until onions are golden. Add red and green bell peppers and cook, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove mixture and set aside.
- Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, turn heat to medium-high and cook, tossing occasionally, for about 7 minutes until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Return pepper and onion mixture to skillet, and season with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of fajita seasoning. Taste, and add a little more if necessary.
- Spray a grill pan with cooking spray. Turn heat to medium-low. Warm tortillas for about 30 seconds per side. Remove and set aside.
- Lay tortilla on a flat surface. Add about 1/4 cup of chicken/onion/pepper mixture to the tortilla, and roll the wrap (see below).
- Heat grill pan to medium and place tortilla in grill pan, seam-side down. Press down semi-firmly. Grill for about 3 minutes per side, until you get the golden brown grill marks.
HOW TO ROLL THE WRAP
- Make sure the filling is a little off-center, towards you. Top with diced avocado, plus shredded cheese, if desired.
- Fold in the sides of tortilla that line up with filling. Roll tortilla from the end closest to you, and roll over the filling. You may have to push escaping filling under the roll.
- Continue to roll tightly, pulling the tortilla slightly towards you as you roll, until the wrap is sealed.
- Remove wrap from grill pan, and cut in half. Serve with additional avocado/guacamole and/or sour cream, if desired.
