Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

I LOVE Mexican food. I love the fresh punchy flavours and how colourful and healthy Mexican dishes can be. I particularly love eating things in bowl form and this Mexican-style bowl is packed with flavour and is the perfect dish for summer. This is also a great dish to make for the family or when friends come over, as you can put people to work chopping, and everyone can serve themselves!

I created this bowl for Barker’s Pantry using Barker’s New Zealand’s super tasty Really Useful Chipotle Sauce. It’s such a great sauce and is my secret ingredient to pack a great smokey flavour into the dish. I’ve used it to marinate and cook the chicken in, but you could use any meat really. If you’re vegetarian you could even try it with tofu, halloumi or tempeh. I also mixed the Chipotle Sauce with plain yoghurt to make a spicy creamy dressing that’s also great with sweet potato fries!

I know the ingredients list may seem a little daunting but don’t feel like you need to add every element for it to taste great. I just kept finding things in the cupboards that I like to eat and it grew into this delicious dish!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Fajita:

500g chicken breast, sliced into strips

¼ cup Barker’s New Zealand Really Useful Chipotle Sauce

1 tbsp taco seasoning

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ red capsicum, sliced into strips

½ yellow capsicum, sliced into strips

½ red onion, sliced

1 tsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil

Tomato salsa:

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, finely diced

¼ red onion, finely diced

¼ bunch coriander, finely chopped

½ tsp taco seasoning

1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)

½ lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Other optional sides:

1 x 400g tin of canned corn kernels, rinsed and drained

2 tsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil

1 x 400g tin of black beans, rinsed and drained

40g goats cheese, crumbled

½ bunch coriander, finely chopped

2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups kale, shredded

1 small head of cos lettuce, shredded

1 x 200g pouch of ready cooked brown rice, cooked as per instructions on the pack.

1 avocado, sliced

Extra lemon to taste

Extra taco seasoning to taste

Chipotle Sauce:

3 tbsp plain yoghurt

4 tbsp Barker’s New Zealand Really Useful Chipotle Sauce

Method:

1. Prepare the chicken by combining chicken breast strips with Barker’s New Zealand Really Useful Chipotle Sauce, taco seasoning, smoked paprika and crushed garlic. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the other components of the dish.
2. Prepare the tomato salsa by placing all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Place in a serving bowl and set aside.
3. Prepare corn by heating 1 tsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil in a fry pan on high heat. Add the drained corn and cook for 5-10 minutes, frequently stirring until the corn is charred on the outside. Add in a pinch of taco seasoning and 1-2 tbsp of chopped coriander. Place in a serving bowl and set aside.
4. Prepare the black beans by heating 1 tsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil in a fry pan on high heat. Add the drained black beans and ½ tsp taco seasoning and cook for 3-5 minutes, frequently stirring until the beans are softened. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped coriander and goats cheese.
5. Prepare the kale by placing in a fry pan on high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted and cooked through. Alternatively, you can serve the kale raw. Place in a serving bowl and set aside.
6. Cook the chicken by heating 1 tsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil in a fry pan on medium heat. Add the chicken, chopped capsicum and onion and stirfry for 5-15 minutes until cooked through. (Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.) Once cooked, place in a serving bowl and set aside.
7. Place other ingredients including the cabbage, lettuce, cooked rice and avocado into serving bowls.
8. Make the dressing by combine plain yoghurt and Barker’s New Zealand Chipotle sauce to make the spicy dressing.
9. Place serving bowls on the table and allow everyone to help themselves to build their own bowl.
10. Enjoy!