Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Fajita time! I could serve fajitas every night and I'm positive my boys would never grow tired of them. And these, my friend, are AWESOME! My best batch yet - I spiked my homemade fajita marinade with diced chipotle chilies, plus a little of the adobo sauce from the can. Holy fabulous! It made ALL the difference. The fajita glaze is smoky, salty, sweet, and delivers the absolute PERFECT amount of heat. Fajita-style chicken, peppers and onions never had it so good!

No joke, the hint of chipotle chilies turned these fajitas into something truly magical. And, it all happened with just 1 tablespoon of the minced peppers and some of the adobo sauce. In case you don't know (and forgive me if you do), chipotle chilies are dried, smoked jalapenos, and they're packaged in adobo, a tomato-based sauce with onions and other seasonings. The chilies themsleves deliver fiery heat; the red sauce is tangy-sweet. When you add them both to the fajita marinade, you get the best of both worlds. 

Plus, my fajita marinade is fabulous, delivering MUCH more fresh flavor than you'd find in a bottled sauce. Don't fret - it's made with pantry staples. I balance salty soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce with tangy vinegar and sweet honey, and then I rev up the flavor engine with chili powder, onion, garlic, and liquid smoke. Add those chipotle chilies for heat, and the adobo sauce for sweet-tang, and you'll never make fajitas any other way. 

Side note: Do you see that bottle of hot sauce in the background? Sweeney Todd? LOL Remember that movie with Johnny Depp? What a great name for a hot sauce... 

Anyway, I like to serve my fajitas with flour tortillas, fresh cilantro and lime. That's it. That said, feel free to add other fillings, including shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, and salsa. 

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas 

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 each red and green bell pepper, seeded cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut into thin strips
Corn and/or flour tortillas, warmed according to package directions 
Cilantro leaves for serving
Additional/optional fillings:
Hot sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Lime wedges
Sour cream
Avocado
Salsa

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chipotle chilies, honey, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, vinegar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the peppers and onion from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (with the marinade) and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces almost completely, stirring frequently. Return the peppers and onion to the pan and top with cilantro leaves.
Serve with warm tortillas and desired fillings.

Serves 4