Caribbean Fajitas
At first glance, doing fajitas with Caribbean flavors might seem an odd choice. But much like the way that Caribbean cuisine has evolved and been shaped by a motto of “Out of Many, One People.” Fajitas are also the product of a marriage between cultures. Often attributed to Mexican ranch workers making due with tougher cuts of beef while working in Texas, fajitas have come to join the ranks of other meals that have the resiliency to take a little tweaking to make them work with whatever you have on-hand.
Our chicken has been marinated with Bahamian Chicken blend- the Caribbean inspired blend that has us departing from the familiar cumin in Tex-Mex cuisine. Bahamian Chicken is herby- thyme and white pepper are both subtle flavors that add nuance rather than POW!- but it also has a punch of heat: Scotch Bonnet flakes are hot, but also fruity in a way that complements our pineapple that we’re going to be caramelizing later.
Want to go a step spicier? Our Habanero Mango, just as fruity as the Bahamian Chicken, has a more pronounced chile flavor from Habanero. Want it to have a deeper flavor with more complexity and spice intricacies? Jamaican Jerk is a classic for a reason- it’s full of rich, pungent aromatics like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, it’s also hot and a little sweet from brown sugar. All of these blends are going to make great companions for your other fajita components after they’re grilled and enhance the sweetness of their natural sugars. Chef Jeff let our chicken marinated for 30 minutes, but if you had a few hours before preparation time that would be even better so the lime juice could help our seasoning work in a little deeper.
To go with our chicken, we sautéed peppers and onions cut into similar sized strips, and chunks of pineapple (more than a sizable portion was devoured long before the pieces could hit our skillet). Just before our vegetables are totally finished, Jeff added our now sliced chicken so that it could get a little bit of a sear and absorb some of the flavor and juice of our veggies and pineapple. Once our fajitas were done, we served them with some sour cream and our homemade mango salsa… if you’re worried about the heat of your Bahamian Chicken blend, the creaminess of the sour cream and the cucumbers in our salsa will help to tamper the heat a bit and cool off your taste buds.
- For the Fajitas:
- 1 Lb Boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 Medium red onion, sliced
- 2 Bell peppers, sliced (any color you choose)
- 1 cup Fresh pineapple chunks
- Tortillas for serving
- Olive oil for cooking
- For the Marinade:
- 1 Tbsp Bahamian Chicken
- 1/3 Cup fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Combine Bahamian Chicken, lime juice, and olive oil and mix well. Add chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate up to 30 minutes.
- Heat your griddle, or grill to medium- high. Cook chicken breasts, along with marinade about 7 minutes per side or until done. Set aside.
- Add a splash of olive oil to the griddle. Cook onions, peppers, and pineapple until browned and softened. Slice chicken as desired and add to griddle to heat through.
- Serve Mango Salsa, sour cream, and avocado slices and fresh tortillas.
