Grill skirt steak (faja in Spanish) over the campfire, wrap in a tortilla, and you’ve got the beginning of a Rio Grande region tradition. The fajita is thought to have come off the range and into popular culture when a certain Sonny Falcon began operating fajita taco stands at outdoor events and rodeos in Texas beginning in 1969.
It wasn’t long before the dish was making its way onto menus in the Lone Star State and spreading with its beloved array of condiments – grilled onions and green pepper, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and sour cream – across the country. Don’t forget the Altoids.
A fajita, in Tex-Mex cuisine, is any stripped grilled meat, optionally served with stripped peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish.
Nutrition Facts of Fajitas
Amount Per: 100 grams
Calories: 135
Total Fat 6 g 9% % Daily Value
Saturated fat 1.6 g 8%
Cholesterol 88 mg 29%
Sodium 799 mg 33%
Potassium 284 mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 2.2 g 0%
Dietary fiber 0 g 0%
Sugar 0 g
Protein 19 g 38%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%
Iron 5%
Vitamin B6 20%
Cobalamin 8%
Magnesium 5%
Ingredients of Fajitas
- 2 chicken breasts, finely sliced
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
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For the marinade
- smoked paprika
- 1tbsp ground coriander
- ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- Tabasco
To serve
- 8 tortillas
- mixed salad
- 230g fresh salsa.
Method
- STEP 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and wrap 8 medium tortillas in foil.
- STEP 2 Mix 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ground coriander, a pinch of ground cumin, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and 4-5 drops Tabasco together in a bowl with a big pinch each of salt and pepper.
- STEP 3 Stir 2 finely sliced chicken breasts, 1 finely sliced red onion, 1 sliced red pepper and 1 finely sliced red chilli, if using, into the marinade.
- STEP 4 Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot and add the chicken and marinade to the pan.
- STEP 5 Keep everything moving over a high heat for about 5 mins using tongs until you get a nice charred effect. If your griddle pan is small you may need to do this in two batches.
- STEP 6 To check the chicken is cooked, find the thickest part and tear in half – if any part is still raw cook until done.
- STEP 7 Put the tortillas in the oven to heat up and serve with the cooked chicken, a bag of mixed salad and one 230g tub of fresh salsa.
