Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons canola, safflower, peanut, or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
• 3 bell peppers various colors, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 8 to 12 flour tortillas
• Salsa
• Sliced avocado
• Sour cream
• Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Directions

1. If your chicken breasts are thick, halve them horizontally: sizes vary, and any breast that weighs about 1/2 pound or more should be split through the middle. Aim for pieces whose centers are roughly 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Leave the meat pounder in the drawer; flattened chicken won’t give you the texture you want for fajitas.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a container made of glass or plastic. Add the chicken and turn it around until it is coated, then cover and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for up to 8 hours.
3. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, brush away most of what is clinging to it, and season the pieces with salt.
4. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron skillet and set it over high heat for about 1 minute. When the oil starts to smoke, place the chicken in the pan; if your pan is crowded, or the breasts were split, cook them in batches. Let the pieces sit without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is deeply browned. Flip and give the second side another 2 to 3 minutes, so it gets the same good color.
5. Move the browned chicken to a cutting board, pile the pieces together, and tent them with aluminum foil for 5 minutes. To check it, slip the tip of a sharp knife into a piece; the chicken should be just cooked through. If it needs a little more time, return it to the hot pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Keeping the pieces stacked under the foil helps them stay warm while you cook the vegetables.
6. As the chicken rests, start the onions and peppers. Pour another 1 tablespoon of oil into the same pan and keep the heat on high. When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers. With a metal spatula, loosen some of the browned chicken bits from the pan and stir them through the vegetables with the oil. Spread the vegetables out evenly, then leave them alone for 2 minutes so they can char in spots. Stir, then cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Cut the chicken into strips, slicing across the grain. Bring it to the table right away with the peppers and onions, warm tortillas, and whichever extras you want: shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, or thinly sliced iceberg lettuce lightly tossed with vinegar and salt.