Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas
Bon Appétit, July 2005

Reviews for this recipe were very positive - 3 1/2 forks out of 4. Several suggested cooking this either in the oven or in a stove-top pan and serving it over rice rather than wrapping in tortillas. A good alternative in the winter.

Brian and I really liked this recipe because it is so flavorful. The marinade is good enough to use just for barbecuing. We did use less cilantro, 2/3 to 3/4 cup including some flowers, because I don't like a strong cilantro taste. Once cooked, the cilantro mellowed and you would not know there was that much cilantro in it. We topped ours with sour cream and jarred salsa. It could have used a little crunch from fresh green onion, tomato or lettuce, but still excellent - so flavorful, as I said.

If making just the marinade to barbecue chicken, and you want a little heat, puree in some poblano or jalapeño pepper. Poblanos are much milder than jalapeño; adjust the amount you use accordingly.

Marinade:
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (or less)
3/4 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder (we used regular chile powder)

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 large poblano chiles, seeded, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
3 large yellow bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
2 red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
12 8-inch flour tortillas
Optional toppings: fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and chopped serrano chiles

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Puree the 5 marinade ingredients in processor. Season marinade with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour 1/3 cup marinade over; turn to coat. Arrange poblanos, bell peppers, and onions on large rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup marinade over; turn to coat. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with salt and pepper. Reserve remaining marinade. [Faith: the chicken would be more flavorful if left to marinate for a few hours.]

Grill chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Grill vegetables until tender, turning frequently, about 15 minutes for onions and 12 minutes for poblanos and bell peppers. Grill tortillas until charred, about 1 minute per side.

Transfer chicken to work surface; slice crosswise into strips. Fill tortillas with chicken and vegetables; drizzle with reserved marinade. Serve with toppings.

Makes 6 servings