Everyone loves a Mexican inspired dinner right?! We love to have a fajita or taco night once a week in my house and sometimes we swap out the tortillas for greens and quinoa for a little extra nutritional bonus. These Chicken Fajita Bowls are the perfect thing for a weeknight dinner or as a prepped lunch to bring to work.
The chicken and vegetables in this dish are so delicious and flavourful from the fresh cilantro, zesty lime juice, and jalapeno– just enough for a bit of a kick without too much heat so this dish is perfect for serving the whole family. If you like your fajitas spicy, you can include the jalapeno seeds for more heat.
I built this bowl the way I love to build most of my meals: high-quality protein (chicken), healthy fat (avocado), lots of veggies, greens, and something with fibre (quinoa) to keep our bellies full. The protein and fat also help to stabilize blood sugar. You won’t get an afternoon slump if you eat this meal for lunch!
Recipe:
Ingredients
2 medium red onions, sliced
2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
4 organic pasture-raised chicken breasts (approx. 1.4kg), sliced thin
¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 ¼ cups of dry quinoa
6 cups of lettuce or mixed greens
3 large avocados, sliced
Extra lime slices for serving (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, peppers, carrots, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, chicken, pepper, salt, and jalapeno. Mix until vegetables and chicken are coated with the sauce.
3. Put chicken and vegetable mixture in a large baking dish and cook for 25-30 minutes.
4. While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, bring a small pot of 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the dry quinoa. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
5. To assemble the bowls, place a scoop of the quinoa in each bowl. Top with 1 cup of the lettuce or mixed greens and the chicken and vegetables. Add sliced avocado and lime slices.
Notes:
● You can prep these bowls ahead of time, just leave off the greens and avocado until you’re ready to eat it.
● Replace the quinoa with cauliflower rice to make this paleo.
● Replace chicken with extra vegetables like chopped broccoli or extra carrots and/or add beans to make it vegan.
Serves 6.
Contributed by Melanie Maxwell, R.H.N.
https://www.vibrantlywell.com/
