Queso Smothered Chicken Fajitas

Marinated chicken and veggies smothered in homemade queso served up with all the fixings!

After Nick traveled to San Diego pretty much once a month in 2019, he became obsessed with this style of serving "Mexican" food. Where you have your tortilla on the side with all the fixings you could ever dream of and scoop up a bite of each. He loved these fajitas and I don't blame him. The marinade was fantastic and I really liked the homemade queso cheese sauce. We didn't make all the fixings listed in the original recipe, but we did do quite a few. I personally did pinto beans, Greek yogurt, and guacamole. It's definitely convenient for when your family all has different favorites. Everyone gets what they want!

What you need:

For the Marinade:

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin

• 2 Tbsp. chili powder 

• 1 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp. brown sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

• Juice of 2 limes

For the Chicken & Veggies:

• 4 chicken breasts, sliced into strips

• 4 bell peppers, one of each color (red, orange, yellow, green), sliced into strips

• 2 yellow onions, sliced into half moons

• 4 Tbsp. canola oil, divided

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

• 8 flour tortillas

For the Queso Cheese Sauce:

• 12 oz. evaporated milk

• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

• 3/4 lb. white American cheese, chopped

• 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2 Tbsp. canned jalapenos, diced or canned green chillies, chopped 

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

For Serving:

• Mexican/Spanish rice

• Refried beans or pinto beans or black beans

• Chopped cilantro

• Sliced jalapenos

• Pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes or salsa

• Sour cream or Greek yogurt

• Lime wedges

Directions:

1. For the Marinade: Mix together all ingredients and separate into two gallon size zipper bags.

2. Place chicken in one bag and peppers and onions in the other. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

3. For the Queso Cheese Sauce: Heat evaporated milk over medium high heat in a small saucepan. Stir in cornstarch and whisk well.

4. Right before it begins to boil, reduce heat to low and add cheese in batches starting with the American cheese first, letting the cheese completely melt and get combined before adding more. Increase heat to medium low if needed. Stir constantly while adding cheese.

5. Add jalapenos and seasonings. If you're not ready to serve, set aside and heat on low right before serving. If it thickens, add a little half and half or heavy cream to thin out.

6. For the Chicken & Veggies: Heat 2 Tbsp. canola oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and vegetables. Cook until softened a little but still slightly crisp. Set aside and keep warm.

7. In the same skillet, add remaining 2 Tbsp. canola oil. Then add 1 Tbsp. butter and chicken. Cook until golden brown and cooked through.

8. Serve by placing chicken and veggies on plate drizzled in queso cheese sauce with a tortilla. Serve with rice, beans, cilantro, jalapeno, pico de gallo, sour cream, and lime wedges, if desired.

Recipe from The Cookie Rookie

Originally posted on Fantastical Sharing of Recipes on January 25, 2021