Southwestern Chicken Thighs
with cauliflower and bell pepper saute
An easy spice mix adds flavor to both the chicken and vegetables in this quick and easy weeknight meal that is a paleo-friendly twist on classic fajitas.
Ingredients
- Cumin - 2 tsp
- Coriander, dried - 2 tsp
- Chili powder - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 1 1/2 lbs
- Cilantro - 1/4 cup, leaves torn
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Jalapenos - 1, chopped
- Bell peppers, red - 1, sliced
- Bell peppers, green - 1, sliced
- Onions, medium - 1/2, sliced
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Cauliflower florets, frozen - 12 oz
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Jalapenos / Bell peppers / Onions / Garlic - Prep as directed. Bell peppers and onions can be stored together. Keep jalapenos and garlic separate. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Season chicken - Mix together cumin, coriander, chili powder and salt. Rub spices on chicken thighs and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Cilantro - Tear leaves.
- Cauliflower - Defrost cauliflower florets in the microwave.
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Make
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil (the portion for the chicken) and then chicken to heated oil. Sear for ~3 minutes, flip and lower heat to medium. Cover with a lid and cook for another 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature is 165F / 74C).
- Set chicken aside and cover to keep warm.
- Return skillet to burner and increase heat to medium-high. It should still have some flavoring from the spice mix in it, which will add flavor to the veggies. Add oil (the portion for the saute) and then onions with a pinch of salt. Saute until softened, ~3 minutes. Next add bell peppers and cauliflower. Saute until peppers are tender but still crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add jalapenos and garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant, ~1 minute.
- Remove skillet from heat and squeeze lime juice over top. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken with veggie saute on the side. Top both with cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
15 reviews
Didn't have tomato paste, so we used ketchup. Added a splash of beer to balance the added sweetness from the ketchup. Instead of rice on the side, we added it in to make burritos. Delicious!
The Mexican rice was delicious but the tofu had zero flavor, even after marinating for a full 24 hours. (Used tomato paste concentrate for the rice, which is 2x.)
First time having tofu and I didn't hate it. I made a store bought rice side instead of the recipe. The marinade was a paste as directed, so I thinned it with oil and water. I also didn't squeeze all the water out of the tofu as directed, and will try that next time to avoid some of the mushiness. I would make this again, though.
Rice was flavorless and bland and all the salt in the world wouldn't have helped it. Needed more, and stronger, veggies to kick it up and. honestly, some real tomatoes rather than paste. First time trying tofu and not a fan. Marinade was a paste when prepared as directed so had to thin it with additional oil and some water and even then the tofu ended up dry on the outside after cooking and mushy inside (extra firm was used). Nothing against the fajitas themselves though I'd probably use a bit of chili powder next time to boost the flavor and _definitely_ using chicken in the future.