Steffi and Christoph's chicken fajita wraps

Skillet method

1. Keep raw chicken and its board and knife separate from the cold toppings. Mix the chicken with the Tex-Mex seasoning, half the salt, and 10 ml oil. Prepare every cold topping before cooking and keep it refrigerated.
2. Heat a 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat. If using mushrooms, brown them alone until their liquid has evaporated, then transfer them to a plate.
3. Sear the chicken in a single layer in two batches until almost cooked, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer it to the mushroom plate. It will finish cooking later.
4. Add the remaining oil, onion, and peppers. Cook 5 to 7 minutes until tender-crisp and lightly browned. Add the well-drained corn and green chiles for 2 minutes.
5. Return chicken and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook until the thickest chicken strip reaches 74°C and no watery liquid remains. Stir in lime juice and the remaining salt as needed. Rest 5 minutes.
6. Warm the tortillas. Fill each with hot chicken and vegetables, then add cold sour cream or yogurt, lettuce, tomato, and avocado or guacamole only at the table.

Grill method

1. Leave the chicken in large, even pieces. Season it with the Tex-Mex seasoning, half the salt, and 10 ml oil. Grill over medium-high direct heat, turning as needed, until the thickest part reaches 74°C.
2. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain. Meanwhile, cook the onion, peppers, optional mushrooms, drained corn, and green chiles in a grill basket with the remaining oil. Return everything to the basket only long enough to combine.
3. Warm tortillas briefly on the grill and assemble with the same cold toppings. Never mix lettuce, tomato, dairy, avocado, or guacamole into the hot basket.

Ingredient substitutions

• Canned green chiles give mild pepper flavor without excess prep. In Germany combine 40 g drained pickled jalapeños with 40 g diced mild green pepper, or use imported canned green chiles. In Canada canned mild green chiles are often sold with Mexican ingredients. Pickled jalapeños are sharper and more acidic.
• Use boneless chicken thighs for the juiciest result or breast for a leaner result. Keep the same 600 g weight and always cook to 74°C.
• Schmand is richer and thicker than Canadian sour cream. Greek yogurt is tangier and lighter. Any of the three works, but keep the amount cold and separate.
• The household occasionally uses Creole seasoning instead of Tex-Mex seasoning. It is a deliberate flavor change, not an equivalent substitution; begin with 18 g because salt and heat vary by blend.

Notes

• A 30 cm skillet needs two chicken batches. For more than 1.5 times the recipe, use two skillets or cook additional batches so the meat browns rather than steams.
• Chill cooked filling and cold toppings in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Refrigerate at 4°C or below and use chicken filling within 3 days. Reheat filling to 74°C; warm only the tortillas needed and add fresh cold toppings afterward.
• Freeze only the cooled chicken and vegetable filling for up to 2 months. Lettuce, tomato, dairy, avocado, guacamole, and assembled wraps do not freeze well.

Sources consulted

• Maple Lodge Farms: One Pan Chicken Fajitas
• USDA FSIS: Chicken from Farm to Table

Good with

• Fresh guacamole
• Homemade Creole seasoning
• Homemade Tex-Mex seasoning

From Christoph Mayer

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