It is still Panuary, lovelies, so today I wanted to build off last week’s one pan idea by bringing up my other favorite, less-mess meals. Sheet Pan Meals. This week, we are making Chicken Fajitas and it is a dish that most people don’t realize you can make with just a single sheet pan- or in a sheet pan at all.

Sheet pans are the unsung heroes of the kitchen, the all-purpose and ultimate work horse. While sheet pans have always been the standard for roasted vegies and meats, they can serve multiple purposes. Need a lid for that #14 Cast Iron that didn’t come with one? Sheet pan. Need a huge bake-and-take cake for the church potluck (when we can have them again)? Sheet pan. Need to pump out volumes of cookies like a pro? BIG sheet pan. Bain marie? Stabilizer for ramekins? Bread baker? Drip tray? Pasta tray so flour doesn’t go everywhere when you knead? You get the idea.

With all of its versatility, the sheet pan is often excluded in thoughts of prep for a full meal, myself included. Sure, we make sides and we make entrées, but rarely together. This meal will change your mind and leave everyone satisfied at the end of the meal. Who doesn’t love the kick of heat and tender meat of fajitas? Especially since it is now easier than ever!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied

Salt and pepper to taste

2/3 c House EVOO plus 2 Tbs

1/3 c lime juice

2 Tbsp Fajita Seasoning

3 Cloves of garlic, minced

16-20 small flour or corn tortillas

3 medium bell peppers, ½ inch julienne slices

2 medium white or red onions, halved and julienned

Instructions:

In a large bowl, rimmed dish, or gallon size bag, mix the EVOO, lime juice, Fajita Seasoning and garlic. Season your chicken breasts well with the salt and pepper, then submerge then in your marinade for 20 minutes to 24 hours. (You can also substitute your EVOO and lime juice with our Persian Lime EVOO- just use a cup of it.)

When you are ready to cook, make sure you have one rack in the middle of the oven and one high up. Preheat your oven to 475°F with a sheet pan (recommend covered in aluminum foil) on the top rack to heat with it.

Once the oven is preheated, pull out the hot sheet pan and lay your chicken on in a single layer, shaking off excess marinade. Return the pan to the top rack of your oven and allow to cook for 13-15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

While that cooks, lay out 2 large sheets of aluminum foil and fully encase a stack of 8-10 tortillas in each sheet. Set your tortilla packets on another baking sheet and set aside to wait. Toss your onions and peppers in the remaining 2 Tbs of EVOO and salt and pepper well, setting that aside to wait as well.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan to a cutting board, tenting a piece of foil over it, to cool and rest.

Dump the juices from the pan, then put your onion and pepper mixture on the pan, laying out in a flat layer. Set the tray of veggies back in the oven on the top rack, and slide your foil wrapped tortillas on the middle rack. Cook for 10 minutes.

After giving your chicken 5 minutes to rest, slice it against the grain into ½ inch slices. When the rest comes out of the oven, lay out your fajita bar!

I normally serve my fajitas with a plethora of sides and toppings including, Mexican rice, refried beans, guacamole, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, but you can play with those all you want. This is a super-fast and easy way to get better-than-restaurant fajitas any day of the week.