Chicken Fajita Bowls

Chicken fajitas and chicken taco salad just married and had a baby. Perfectly seasoned chicken, caramelized onions, seared peppers, and savory rice, all spooned into crunchy tortilla bowls and served with all the fixins'. A marriage made in culinary heaven.

As you know (if you follow my blog), we adore  chicken fajitas in my house. What's not to love? Moist chicken, sticky with a glaze of soy, honey, smoke, and seasonings, piled into tortillas with onions and peppers. And I always serve rice on the side so my boys can spoon those tender grains into their rolled-up-tortillas-of-joy. It's a feast. So that's the fajita part of the equation.

We ALSO love taco salads: Warm and crunchy tortilla bowls, generously filled with lettuce, grilled chicken and a bunch of our favorite toppings (cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, bell peppers, black beans...). Easy, breezy, healthy weeknight meal. That's the OTHER half of the equation.

So I got to thinking... as you know I'm prone to do... I said to myself, "We love BOTH dishes, so I should combine them and make it real." Boy oh boy, is this REAL. Like slam dunk real.

I served these bowls with some soft flour tortillas on the side, just in case my concept was a fail. We NEVER touched those flour tortillas! The marriage is a hit. I think you should try it too.

Don't be daunted by the long ingredient list; 99% of the list is the fajita marinade, which I always make from scratch. If you'd rather purchase a ready-made fajita marinade, skip ALL THE WAY down to the chicken in the ingredient list. Now you need just 5 ingredients.

About the tortilla bowls: I used store-bought tostada bowls; the pre-made shells that just require a few minutes in the oven to warm.

Chicken Fajita Bowls

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
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
1 cup white or brown rice 
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 each red and green bell pepper, seeded cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut into thin strips
Corn tortilla bowls (for tostadas and taco salad), warmed according to package directions (see note above)
Suggested toppings:
Cilantro leaves 
Chopped lettuce
Salsa or picante sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
Jalapenos and/or hot peppers, fresh, pickled or relish
Hot sauce

To make the marinade (if you're making it), in a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, liquid smoke, vinegar, chili powder, cilantro, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Set aside (you can also refrigerate/marinate for up to 24 hours).
Cook the rice according to the package directions (I like to add a little garlic and onion powder to the rice for seasoning). 
Heat 2 teaspoons 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 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and marinade and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Cook until the liquid reduces almost completely (I like to leave a little sauce for drizzling into the tortillas). Return the peppers and onion to the pan and cook for 1 minute to heat through. 
Spoon the rice into the warmed tortilla bowls and top with the chicken and desired toppings
Serves 4