Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas

I‘m late to the grilling party this year, mostly because our ten-year-old gas barbecue finally called it quits earlier in the summer. I flipped a few burgers over a campfire, and even grilled trout over the open flame, but it wasn’t until we were well into August before we invested in a charcoal grill.

Just in time, too, because I can’t go through this time of the year with out grilled fruit salad, cedar planked salmon, or smokey shrimp tacos. This grilled summer vegetable salad is another favourite…and the list could go on and on.

Our Weber came at the recommendation of family grilling expert, Jan, and my photographer/grill master friend, Tim. I have been wanting to make the switch to charcoal for some time, although I wasn’t quite prepared for the learning curve. It’s…challenging. And how I love a good challenge.

Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas | Simple Bites #dinner #grilling #chicken

So, we settled on the Weber 26-1/2-Inch Kettle Grill because we entertain a lot, and plenty of space on the grill is of the essence. I like how it is easily movable, has an ash collector and doesn’t take up too much space.

At Jan’s recommendation, I also bought the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter which makes lighting the coals a simple, one-match task. (Nope, this post isn’t sponsored in any way by Weber; I’m just letting you know what’s currently smoking up my back patio!)

Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas | Simple Bites #dinner #grilling #chicken

I adore fiddling with fire – just ask anyone who has sat around a campfire with me – and learning to cook with charcoal has been ever so interesting. I put a call out for tips to my friends on Facebook, which was every helpful. For the most part everyone said ‘use indirect heat’ and ‘get the chimney’ (I did).

Every second evening or so, I’ve been cooking dinner on the grill. I’ve had a few misses, eggplant burnt to a crisp and dried out sausages, but there was also a batch of memorable, fall-off-the-bone barbecued wings. Like anything, I’m guessing it takes time to get the hang of things.

Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas | Simple Bites #dinner #grilling #chicken

These Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas were one of the earlier success stories from my grill. It’s a dinner the whole family can help with – grating the cheese and shredding lettuce, while you multi-task on the grill with the vegetables and chicken.

The charcoal lends such a great smokiness to the chicken and caramelizes the sugars in the sweet peppers and red onion. Delicious!

Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas | Simple Bites #dinner #grilling #chicken

These fajitas feature more vegetables and less meat, which is exactly how I want to be eating in summer. I loaded mine with the smokey grilled peppers and onions, lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and just a sprinkling of cheese.

It was the perfect dish to celebrate the return to grilling.

Grilled Chicken & Sweet Pepper Fajitas

These fajitas feature more vegetables and less meat, perfect summer eating. I loaded mine with smokey grilled peppers and onions, lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and just a sprinkling of cheese.
5 from 1 vote
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Cuisine: Mexican
Essential Ingredient: Chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 429kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic pulverized to a paste
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 dash chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 sweet peppers red, yellow or both
  • 1 medium red onion peeled
  • 4 whole wheat flour tortillas

Garnishes of choice

  • avocado
  • lettuce
  • cheese
  • cilantro
  • salsa
  • sour cream
  • hot pickles

Instructions

  • Mix together garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl or plastic container.
  • Add cumin, paprika, chili powder and salt. Mix to combine.
  • Add in chicken pieces and turn a few times with a fork to coat them thoroughly. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24.
  • Preheat grill to 400F. Position a vegetable grill basket or pan partially over direct heat and pre-heat the pan.
  • Halve the peppers and remove the core. Cut into 1/2-inch wide slices. Half and core the onion. Slice into 1/2-inch sections. Toss both onion and peppers with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Place chicken on the grill over direct heat. Add the onions and the peppers to the grill pan. Cook both over direct heat for 10 minutes. Toss the vegetables frequently.
  • Move both chicken and vegetables to indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Place the chicken on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Toss flour tortillas quickly on the grill, about 10 seconds per side, then wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.
  • Slice chicken into strips and serve with the grilled vegetables, toasted tortillas, and additional toppings of choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 82.2mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3.1mg

 

Hook me up with your best tips for charcoal grilling, please!

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11 Comments

  1. I have “grilling” on my “to do someday” list. Mostly, grilling just scares me. But these look so good – just right for an end of summer backyard meal. I may have to find someone to grill for me now!

  2. Those fajitas look mighty fine! Some friends have an extra gas grill that we have been meaning to pick up and start using. This recipe is motivating me to go over and get it!

    I was glad to see the marinade has garlic too. That’s supposed to make grilled meats significantly healthier.

  3. we only had charcoal for a long time – my husband definitely prefers it. we now have gas, which is just so convenient, but I do miss the charcoal grill!

    we LOVED the chimney starter – glad you got that tip from the get-go!

  4. Those fajitas look fab! Our sad tiny gas grill died and we’ve been thinking of getting a charcoal one. You might have me sold on that idea! Though the gas grill is so very convenient…

  5. This looks amazing. I am a huge grill fanatic, I do all the grilling at our place. I have two grills and a smoker. Charcoal is amazing to use, I think people get intimidated by it. Or think it’s too much work. I love this recipe. Fajitas are amazing on the grill and your photos are outstanding. All the veggies piled on top just make me want to take a big bite.