These chicken fajitas with lettuce cups combine chicken strips, colorful peppers and onion with cumin and paprika. Crisp lettuce leaves make an easy way to scoop up the filling. Cut the chicken evenly and give the vegetables room so they brown instead of steaming.
Tips for chicken fajitas with lettuce cups
Choose sturdy butter or leaf lettuce and use two overlapping leaves if one tears. Keep the leaves dry and separate from hot filling until serving. Chili powder can replace paprika for more heat, but check salt in blends. Rice, tortillas, sour cream and cheese are optional extras and are not included in the nutrition.
Helpful equipment: a large nonstick skillet. Check the size and features for your kitchen before buying.
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Makes 4 servings. One serving: 3 lettuce cups with one-quarter of all chicken, peppers, onions and pan juices. Prep 15 minutes; cook 25 minutes; total elapsed time 40 minutes.
Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Lettuce Cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast raw
- 3 medium bell peppers about 1 lb trimmed and sliced
- 1 medium onion about 5 oz sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 12 large lettuce leaves about 6 oz
Instructions
- Slice chicken across the grain into strips about 1/2 inch thick. Wash and dry lettuce. Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from the lettuce and cooked food.
- Mix cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss chicken with half the seasoning. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in two batches, turning, 6–8 minutes total per batch until each thickest strip reaches 165°F. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Add remaining oil, peppers, onion and remaining seasoning. Cook 7–9 minutes, stirring, until tender with browned edges. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.
- Return chicken and juices, add lemon juice and toss until hot. Divide all filling among 12 lettuce leaves. Serve three cups per person; add the hot filling just before eating.
Storage and meal prep
Refrigerate chicken and vegetables in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below for 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. Store washed, dried lettuce separately and add freshly reheated filling at serving time.
More practical ideas
Try chicken burrito bowls for another option. See our meal prep guide for more help.
About the nutrition
Estimated nutrition includes every listed ingredient divided into 4 equal servings. Brand substitutions and extra sides change the result. This development draft has not been kitchen-tested.