Fajitas two ways

Tonight's Menu

• beef & chicken fajitas
  

I had never made chicken fajitas until a couple of weeks ago when my grandpa was in town. I wanted to make him a quintessentially Texan meal, and fajitas are pretty much it. I usually make beef fajitas since DH is allergic to poultry, but grandpa doesn't eat beef! So I made both beef and chicken, and the kids and I loved the chicken version so much that I decided I'd make both from now on.

Instructions for the beef fajitas are here.

The chicken fajitas are pretty darn similar. I buy boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you could do breasts, but the thighs have WAY more flavor), lay them between two pieces of wax paper, and pound the heck out of them with the edge of a small plate. I know, it sounds weird, but it manages to tenderize and flatten the thighs so that they'll take the marinade a little better and also cook really fast. Then I sprinkle them with a pre-made chicken fajita seasoning blend (I use HEB's store brand spice mixes for both the chicken and the beef fajitas, for those of you in HEB country) and press it in a bit just to make sure it sticks. Then I mix the juice of one lime and about half an orange with some EVOO, pop the thighs into a zipper bag, and pour the juice/oil mixture over top. Press the air out of the bag and seal it, then stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours. To grill, just pop them over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side or until done (if you haven't pounded them pretty flat, it'll take a little longer). Then just slice them into strips and serve 'em up with warm flour tortillas, grilled onions & bell peppers, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream and hot sauce!