Real Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas
Chicken fajitas recipe using a two-stage brine and pineapple soy marinade for maximum flavor and juiciness, served with restaurant-style caramelized onions and a foamy mantequilla de ajo garlic butter sauce. Adapted from Pappasito's in Houston and Ford Fry's Tex-Mex cookbook.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 545kcal
Equipment
- 1 Made In 4 Qt. Saucepan with Lid For the brine
- 1 Le Creuset Dutch Oven Optional, for cooking onions
- 1 Fajita Comal For serving/sizzle presentation
- 1 Meat Mallet For pounding chicken to ¾ inch
- 1 Hand Mixer For whipping garlic butter sauce
- 1 Anchor Glass Ramekins For melting and serving garlic butter
- 1 Butane Burner Optional, for tabletop sizzle presentation
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast Tenderloin removed, thick part pounded to ¾-1 inch
Chicken Fajita Brine
- 2 liters water
- ½ cup kosher salt 67g by weight. For Morton's Kosher use 4 tablespoon + 2 tsp. For Morton's table salt use 3 tablespoon + 2¼ tsp. Or weigh 67g of any salt.
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon Mexican oregano Regular oregano works as a substitute
- 2 teaspoon black peppercorns
Pineapple Soy Marinade
- 3 parts pineapple juice Canned (Dole). Pasteurized to reduce bromelain enzyme.
- 2 Japanese soy sauce Use Kikkoman brand specifically
- 1 part water
Fajita Seasoning Spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
Basic Buttered Fajita Onions
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ lbs white or yellow onions Sliced with the grain into ½-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Knorr Caldo de Pollo chicken bouillon
Caramelized Fajita Onions
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ lbs white or yellow onions Sliced with the grain into ¼-inch pieces
- ¼ cup sherry cooking wine
- ¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Knorr Caldo de Pollo chicken bouillon
Mantequilla de Ajo (Garlic Butter Sauce)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter Must be softened to room temperature.
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Knorr Caldo de Pollo chicken bouillon Or ½ Knorr chicken bouillon cube, crushed (6g)
- 2 teaspoon fresh garlic Grated. Or substitute ½ teaspoon granulated garlic.
- ¼ cup white wine Preferably Chardonnay
For Cooking
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Remove the tenderloin from the bottom of each chicken breast and set aside.
- Flip the breast over and cut crossways roughly halfway through, separating the thinner side from the thicker side.
- Butterfly or pound the thicker piece until it's about ¾ inch to 1 inch in thickness for even cooking.
Make the Brine
- Add all brine ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and let the brine cool to room temperature before using.
Brine the Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in the cooled brine and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and wash under cold running water to remove any herbs and spices.
Marinade the Chicken
- Mix pineapple juice, soy sauce, and water until well combined.
- Place the brined chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
Basic Buttered Fajita Onions
- Slice onions with the grain into ½-inch pieces.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium to medium-high heat.
- Add onions, salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon. Stir until butter and spices evenly coat the onions.
- Cook for several minutes until the edges of the onions are lightly browned.
- Remove from heat and use immediately or reserve. Can be made several days ahead.
Caramelized Fajita Onions
- Whisk together sherry cooking wine, soy sauce, granulated garlic, cumin, black pepper, sugar, salt, and chicken bouillon in a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice onions with the grain into ¼-inch pieces.
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and sweat for several minutes until translucent.
- Add the sauce mixture and stir into the onions.
- Cook until all the sauce mixture has evaporated and the onions are sticking to the bottom with a deep brown color, about 5-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use immediately or reserve. Can be made several days ahead.
Mantequilla de Ajo (Garlic Butter Sauce)
- Let butter sit at room temperature for several hours until completely softened.
- Add chicken bouillon, garlic, and wine to the bowl with the butter.
- Beat with a hand mixer until the wine is completely incorporated and you see very little liquid remaining.
- Refrigerate in ramekins. To serve, microwave in 15-30 second bursts until the butter is melted and foamy.
Cook the Fajitas
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Mix together all fajita seasoning spice ingredients.
- Heat neutral oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the fajita seasoning spice.
- Cook the chicken until well browned on both sides.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Carryover will bring it to 165°F (74°C).
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the chicken across the grain into roughly ½-inch pieces.
- Serve with fajita onions and foamy garlic butter. For the restaurant sizzle effect, heat a comal, layer onions and chicken on top, and splash the edges with water, broth, or lime juice right before serving.
Video
Notes
Salt Conversions for Brine: ½ cup Diamond Brand Kosher Salt = 67g. For Morton's Kosher Salt use 4 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon (67g). For Morton's Table Salt use 3 tablespoon + 2¼ teaspoon (67g). Or weigh 67 grams of any salt.
Garlic Butter Microwave Shortcut: If you don't have a hand mixer, melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave (covered with plastic wrap). Whisk in ¾ teaspoon chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, and 2 tablespoon white wine. The flavor is better with the hand-mixer method.
Big Batch Garlic Butter: Double the recipe (4 sticks butter, 2½ teaspoon bouillon, 1 tablespoon garlic, ½ cup wine). Portion and freeze for up to 3-6 months.
Pineapple Juice: Use canned, pasteurized pineapple juice (Dole recommended). Fresh pineapple juice contains too much bromelain and can turn the chicken mushy.
Onions: Both types of fajita onions can be made several days ahead. Reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal