La Mansion's Chicken Fajitas

This is the kind of recipe that comes from a Tex-Mex restaurant kitchen where the fajitas are the star of the menu. Half a cup of lime juice, a full tablespoon each of chopped garlic and black pepper, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and 4 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. That’s a marinade with serious punch, and it goes on 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts for at least an hour, up to overnight.

The generous black pepper (a full tablespoon, not a pinch) is what gives these fajitas their signature bite. Combined with all that lime and garlic, the chicken develops a deeply seasoned crust when it hits the grill.

Grilling over mesquite charcoal, if you can get it, adds a distinctly Texan smoky sweetness you can’t replicate with regular charcoal or gas. But any grill works. Cook the breasts whole, then slice into bite-size strips after grilling. Whole breasts stay juicier on the grill than pre-cut pieces.

Load up warm flour tortillas with the sliced chicken and whatever toppings you want: lettuce, tomato, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream. All of them. This is not the time for restraint.

Chef Tips

• Marinate for the full overnight if you can. The lime acid tenderizes the chicken and the flavors penetrate deeper with time
• Don’t skip the olive oil in the marinade; it helps the chicken brown on the grill instead of just steaming
• Let the chicken rest 5 minutes after grilling before slicing so the juices stay in the meat, not on the cutting board
• Warm the tortillas on the grill for 15 seconds per side while the chicken rests

Variations

• Steak fajitas: Use flank steak or skirt steak with the same marinade for a beef version
• Chipotle lime: Add 1 to 2 minced chipotles in adobo to the marinade for smoky heat
• Sheet pan version: No grill? Broil the marinated chicken breasts 6 inches from the heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side