Smoked Chicken Fajitas

These Smoked Chicken Fajitas are a great swap for your usual Taco Tuesday recipe, plus, they are so fun to make and fun to eat! Made with smoked achiote marinated chicken with charred pineapple, peppers and onions, served on a hot skillet, skewered to be carved at the table and topped with grated cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. You can also make these with skirt steak or pork tenderloin, but I thought getting a little chicken on the menu that isn’t fried might be a good call once in a while. If you want to know how to make my Smoked Chicken Fajitas, keep reading or jump to the full recipe.

Set smoker to 300F. Butterfly the chicken breasts and place in a bowl.

Season with paprika, achiote powder, ground coriander, garlic powder, salt, hot sauce and lemon juice. Mix to coat.

Place seasoned chicken in the smoker for 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160F.

While the chicken smokes, slice the peppers and pineapple into rings. Slice half to ¾ of the onion into rings, then leave the last piece whole and place on the plancha to grill, flipping once.

In a bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream and lime juice to make the crema, and set aside. Chop the cilantro for garnish, set aside in a bowl.

Add a flat cast iron skillet to the grill. Place the peppers, onion and pineapple on the grill with oil and cook until nicely charred and softened, flipping midway. Once done, pile onto the hot skillet.

Add a small cast iron pan to the grill and add the butter, lemon juice, a sprinkle of achiote powder and a couple dashes of hot sauce, mix and let butter melt.

Remove the chicken from the smoker and place on the plancha to sear, drizzle with the melted, seasoned butter, flip and repeat on the other side.

Stack the pieces of chicken and skewer them through the top, place them onto the skillet, making sure to skewer the ¼ grilled onion, to help keep the chicken standing. Pour more of the melted butter on top of the chicken.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and grate cotija cheese on top. Build your fajitas by slicing the chicken off the skewer and placing in your flour tortillas with frill peppers, onions and pineapple. Top with the crema.

And now for the full recipe...

Smoked Chicken Fajitas

Serves 4-6 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp paprika

4 tbsp achiote powder

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp garlic powder

Salt

Hot sauce (couple dashes) 

½ cup lemon juice

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 red onion

1 pineapple, peeled and cored

3 tbsp mayo

3 tbsp sour cream

Juice from half a lime

Cilantro for garnish

¼ cup butter

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Achiote powder

Hot sauce

Cotija cheese

Flour tortillas

How to Make Smoked Chicken Fajitas

Set smoker to 300F.

Butterfly the chicken breasts and season with paprika, achiote powder, ground coriander, garlic powder, salt, hot sauce and lemon juice. Mix to coat. Place in the smoker for 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160F.

While the chicken smokes, slice the peppers and pineapple into rings. Slice half to ¾ of the onion into rings, then leave the last piece whole and place on the plancha to grill, flipping once.

In a bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream and lime juice to make the crema, and set aside. Chop the cilantro for garnish, set aside in a bowl.

Add a flat cast iron skillet to the grill. Place the peppers, onion and pineapple on the grill with oil and cook until nicely charred and softened, flipping midway. Once done, pile onto the hot skillet. Add a small cast iron pan to the grill and add the butter, lemon juice, a sprinkle of achiote powder and a couple dashes of hot sauce, mix and let butter melt.

Remove the chicken from the smoker and place on the plancha to sear, drizzle with the melted, seasoned butter, flip and repeat on the other side. Stack the pieces of chicken and skewer them through the top, place them onto the skillet, making sure to skewer the ¼ grilled onion, to help keep the chicken standing. Pour more of the melted butter on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and grate cotija cheese on top. Build your fajitas by slicing the chicken off the skewer and placing in your flour tortillas with frill peppers, onions and pineapple. Top with the crema.

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