What is the meal you find yourself cooking the most often? Spaghetti? Hamburgers? Mac and Cheese? For my family, it is 30 Minute Chicken and Black Bean Fajitas.
I don't do the weekly Taco Tuesday thing (though I have eaten many a taco on a tuesday!), but we probably have some form of these chicken and black bean fajitas every week to 10 days.
The reason why is because they are super easy, they take only 30 minutes, and you can serve them in a variety of ways. One week we'll have classic fajitas, the next we'll eat it in a tostada bowl, the following week over salad...you catch my drift.
And the added plus is that they make great leftovers! In fact, they might even taste better the second day when all the flavors have had a chance to meld.
Step 1: Cooking the Bell Peppers
Start by slicing a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and a medium-sized onion into slivers. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan and cook the veggies until they are tender.
It should take about 5-7 minutes. Leave them in a little longer if you like those nice char marks. If you like a little heat, add in a sliced jalapeno. When done, remove the veggies into a separate bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cooking the Chicken in Spices
Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet (I am a HUGE fan of my Cuisinart) and begin to brown slices of chicken breast. You will need 1-2 lbs of chicken, about 3-4 breasts. Sprinkle on kosher salt and pepper as it cooks.
Once you can no longer see any pink from the chicken (about 4-5 minutes), pour in a can of drained black beans. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon each of cumin and chilli powder.
Stir it all around so that the spices mix with all the pieces of chicken. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or just until it begins to bubble.
Step 3: Combine and Cook Chicken and Bell Peppers
Once bubbling, pour the peppers and onion you cooked earlier back into the saute pan. Cook it 3-4 more minutes or until it is warmed through.
Now you have the most delicious chicken and black bean fajitas! All you have to do is decide how you will serve it!
Step 4: Serve the Chicken Fajitas and Enjoy!
My kids and hubby inevitably opt for the traditional flour tortilla. I brown it over the gas stove for a few minutes and then top it with cheese, Homemade Cilantro-Lime Salsa, and sour cream.
My husband can pack these away! He also loves to have them as leftovers the next day in his lunch. If I have any extra after dinner and my husband's lunch (which is rare because these puppies are delicious!), I will make them into Chicken Fajita Roll-ups for my kid's lunch the next day.
I usually choose the chicken and black bean fajitas in a bowl. I just plop in a healthy portion and top it with a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro.
Usually I leave the sour cream off but sometimes I use Greek yogurt to save a few calories but still get that tart flavor. My recipe for Chunky Guacamole goes really well on here too!
These chicken and black bean fajitas also taste dreamy over a bed of lettuce with Creamy Avocado & Cilantro Lime Dressing. See, I told ya there was a bunch of variety!
If you have a Pinterest account, feel free to save this recipe for later. You may also like to follow my One Pot Wonders and 30 Minute Meal Madness Boards for more quick and easy dinner ideas.
30 Minute Chicken and Black Bean Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs chicken breast sliced
- Medium-sized onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 2 Tbsp oil divided
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp chilli powder
- 15 oz can black beans drained
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Flour tortillas
- Optional toppings: cheese sour cream, salsa, cilantro
Instructions
- Slice all chicken and veggies in slivers.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large saute pan and cook peppers and onions until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove peppers and set aside.
- Heat another Tbsp oil in the pan and begin to brown chicken, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- When meat is no longer pink, add in the beans and spices. Mix well for about 2-3 minutes.
- When mixture is bubbling, add in peppers and onion.
- Stir to heat through, about 3 minutes.
- Serve warm over tortillas or lettuce with optional toppings.
I leave out the black beans and serve this over rice & use soy sauce as the condiment.. as a left over from the fajitas.. I also like to sauté a cut up fresh tomato with the peppers for the fajitas…. I do this when cooking only for myself, because there is usually no leftovers from fajitas..
I love your soy sauce idea! I’m going to have to try that.
We made this meal tonight because we needed a quick, healthy meal. I love meals that have basic ingredients that I have around the house and when thrown together in the right way, the meal is fantastic! Thanks for the inspiration!
I totally feel the same way about dinner. I don’t like things to get complicated. I’m so glad you enjoyed the meal!