Tequila-lime chicken fajitas

This past weekend, we had our good friends over for a movie/dinner night. The weather has been beautiful lately, so I thought grilling out would be just perfect. But, I didn’t want to grill the usual barbecue chicken or boring burger. I wanted to make something a little more adventurous, a little more bold and spicy, because, after all, we were continuing our marathon of the Fast and Furious movies, and these movies are nothing less than nail-biting, thrill-seeking, speed-junkie action. Thankfully, my husband and our friends share my corny love for the movie franchise, so I get to indulge my inner speed demon. Yes, my husband and I are that couple who goes to the midnight opening of the Fast and Furious movies…at least we have gone to each one since we started dating, and will continue to do so until the producers have exhausted themselves at Fast 20.

So, what kind of meal is suitable for such feisty movies? Tequila-lime chicken fajitas! And of course all the accoutrements that go along. All of my recipes here call for lots of lime, cilantro, and scallions, so be sure to pick up plenty of all these ingredients at the grocery store.

I marinated the chicken a few hours ahead of time, but overnight would have been ideal. Among all the ingredients for the marinade, the tequila, of course, is the most important. We’re not talking top shelf Milagro or Patron here; that would just be silly to marinate meat in your best booze. Save the top shelf bottles for margaritas. Something more along the lines of Jose Cuervo Silver is more appropriate (that’s what we used), and it marries very nicely with fresh lime juice. You don’t really want to use gold tequila in this recipe, as the aged flavor has a tendency to overpower the other spices and herbs in the marinade. We grilled the chicken outside on the grill, which gave it a nice char and smoky aroma.

And what would fajitas be without the peppers and onions?! For these, I sautéed the veggies on the stove in a little olive oil and salt. Plain and simple. The chicken is the star of the show here, so the peppers and onions don’t need to be super fancy; they’re wrapped into the fajitas for simple sweetness and crunch.

I also made a killer black bean and corn salad. This side dish can get a little more dressed up than the peppers and onions, since it is not wrapped up inside the fajita. I used my favorite fire-roasted corn from Trader Joe’s – it’s sweet and smoky and perfect for any dish that calls for corn. It comes frozen, so I just defrosted it and tossed it with a couple cans of black beans and lots of fresh lime juice. Refreshingly delicious!

Finally, to complete our feast, I served steamed brown rice (a nice Spanish rice pilaf would be an excellent addition as well) and homemade guacamole. I make my guacamole a little differently each time, depending on what ingredients are readily available, but always, always, always, fresh lime juice is key. I don’t like my guac too oniony or spicy, so I just used a ¼ of a jalapeno pepper and ½ of a scallion. And of course, chips and salsa are a must-have for any Mexican meal. I haven’t gotten around to making my own salsa yet, but that’s a challenge I’ll take on another day. I love Late July multi grain tortilla chips with Newman’s Own mild organic salsa.

Tequila-lime chicken fajitas

1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup silver tequila, such as Jose Cuervo
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, finely sliced
½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Juice and zest of 2 limes
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Peppers and onions:
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced
Salt to taste
2 -3 Tbsp. olive oil

Serve with:
Soft corn and flour tortillas
Lime wedges
More cilantro
Steamed brown rice
Chips and salsa

Black bean and corn salad

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups fire roasted corn
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. freshly ground cumin seed
1 scallion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Homemade guacamole

3 large ripe avocados
Juice and zest of 1 lime
½ large Roma tomato, finely diced
Salt to taste
½ scallion, thinly sliced
¼ jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Marinate the chicken: place the chicken in a large bowl or marinating container, and season well with salt and black pepper. Add in the tequila, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, scallion, cilantro, and olive oil. Using your hands or tongs, mix all the ingredients together so the chicken is well-coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the black bean salad. In a large bowl, mix the black beans, fire roasted corn, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, scallions, ground cumin, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Saute the peppers and onions in olive oil and salt to taste in a large pan on the stove. This will take a few batches, so don’t overcrowd the pan. When the veggies are done, set aside.

To grill the chicken, fire up your outdoor grill. Grill chicken on each side for 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick the breasts are (or until the internal temperature is 165 F). When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest while you prepare the guacamole.

Mash the avocados in a bowl with the lime zest, lime juice, salt, jalapenos, scallions, cilantro, and tomato. Mix until desired consistency (I like mine on the chunky side, as opposed to the smooth side).

When you are ready to eat, slice the chicken thinly on a diagonal. Serve with the peppers and onions, black bean and corn salad, guacamole, tortillas, chips and salsa, and any other toppings you like.