Instead of cooking the chicken along with everything else, we caramelize the peppers and onions with fajita seasoning and stuff them with cheese inside the chicken breasts. Sear them on a skillet, and then bake until done. Now that’s a twist with a lot of chicken to show off at your parties. The chicken breast gets a nice golden crust from the sear, and it has a cheesy core with fajita flavors. You cannot hide your excitement while cutting the breast and the cheesy-stuffing oozes out. Plus, this recipe is low-carb and healthy if you ignore the cheese 😉 The seasoning mix has cumin for its earthy warmth, heat from chili powder, smoky undertones from paprika, aroma from garlic and onion powder, and herby flavors from oregano. At last, salt and pepper to balance everything. There are good store-bought Fajita seasoning mixes, but you can also make them easily at home. There are no fancy ingredients here, and you might already have most of them at home. The freshness and intensity of the homemade spice mix are not equal. Undoubtedly used in fajitas, it would be a shame not to use such a fine and delicate seasoning mix for just that. Use it as a marinade for any protein by combining it with soy sauce, olive oil, and lime juice. Or sprinkle it over roasted veggies or grilled meats for more depth of flavor. Want to make the stuffing a bit more hot, spicy and flavorful? Throw in extra onions and peppers. To make the chicken more flavorful, sprinkle some more of the pepper and paprika on both sides and rub.
Boneless Chicken Breast: A boneless chicken breast that is big and thick enough to make a pocket horizontally Seasoning: Just salt, pepper, and paprika to season the chickens on both sides. Colored Peppers: Red, yellow, and green bell peppers thinly sliced lengthwise. Onions: are sliced, and sauteed with peppers to caramelize them. Fajita Seasoning: Good-quality fajita seasoning; in case you don’t have fajita seasoning, you can use Taco Seasoning as well. Cheese: I have used a blend of sharp and mild cheddar. You can use Mexican-blend cheese as well.
Step 1: Prepare the stuffing
Start with making the fajita stuffing. On a hot skillet, preferabley a cast-iron pan, stir-fry the sliced onion and peppers. We are basically looking for nice charred effects. So a cast-iron skillet and high heat are what you need. Make sure there is still crunch to the onion and peppers, these will get further cooked. The first way is to make a little pocket in the middle. Using a sharp knife, start from the thickest part of the chicken and cut lengthwise downward, making a small pocket in the middle. Another way is to butterfly the chicken, as shown below. Refer to the video in the recipe to see how to butterfly the chicken. Stuff it generously with the stuffing and cheese. The cheese just oozes out a little bit once it is baked, and it is absolutely fine.
Step 3: Sear chicken breast
Before baking the stuffed chicken breast, we are going to sear it for 2 minutes on each side to caramelize it. It forms a wonderful golden-brown crust on the surface. A nice crust adds a layer of texture and compliments the juicy chicken underneath and cheesy stuffing.
Step 4: Bake chicken breasts in the oven
Move the skillet to a preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. To check for doneness, check the thickest part of the breast with a kitchen thermometer reading of 165 °F. We are searing the chicken on each side for 2 minutes and then popping it into the oven. The internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part should be 165 °F. Once it is cooked, let it rest for 5–6 minutes before cutting it down. Reheat it in a microwave for a few seconds or so. You need to treat the reheating gently since breasts can get dry if heated high. You do not have to bake it again but can also warm it in a preheated oven at a lower temperature. This allows the cheese to melt and become gooey again, while preserving the moisture inside keeping the chicken juicy.
Rice: Mexican rice, cilantro rice, or rice pilaf serve as good sides to make this a fulfilling meal. Tortillas: Serve along with warm tortillas to top the meal with some more Mexican flavors. Mashed potatoes: Garlic mashed potatoes pair wonderfully providing a creamy texture and fiber to the chicken. Fresh salsa: Fresh salsa can be made with a wide range of flavors, and ones with a spicy and tangy taste like this Roasted Tomato Salsa compliment the cheesy Mexican flavors of the fajita stuffing. Salads: Serve the chicken breasts with salads made with refreshing Lemon-Dill Potato Salad( No Mayo) or Mediterranean flavors like Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, or Summer Cherry Tomato Salad.
