Recipe: Margarita Chicken Fajitas with Mushrooms and Spinach

MARGARITA CHICKEN FAJITAS WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

"What makes these "margarita" fajitas? The lime. The salt. The tequila. Wait, there is orange juice!"



Makes 4 to 6 servings
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 4 hours 45 minutes

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup tequila
3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
FOR THE FAJITAS:
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon copped garlic
3 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups (packed) baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 medium (6-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded pepper iack cheese
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers, for garnish
Chopped tomatoes, for garnish

TO MAKE THE CHICKEN:
In a big bowl, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, tequila, adobo sauce, orange juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Lift the chicken out of the marinade, wipe off any excess, and keep 1 cup of the marinade.

In an extra-large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering-hot. Sear the chicken, working in batches if it doesn't all fit comfortably, until the underside is browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until the other side is browned, about 5 minutes longer. Cut into the chicken; if there's any pink left inside, turn the heat down to medium and cook for another few minutes to finish. Remove from the heat, transfer to an ovenproof bowl, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven. Do not clean the skillet.

TO MAKE THE FAJITAS:
Heat the oil in the same skillet you used to cook the chicken over medium heat. Add the red onion and stir to scrape up the browned chicken bits. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and bring to a boil.

TO ASSEMBLE THE FAJITAS:
Remove the chicken from the oven and shred into bite-size pieces; taste one and season with more salt if necessary

Set a dry skillet over medium-high heat and warm the tortillas in it, one by one, about 15 seconds per side. Stack the tortillas to keep them warm.

TO SERVE:
Set the tortillas out with the bowls of chicken and onion mixture. Drizzle some of the boiled marinade on the chicken to keep it moist. Set out more bowls with the pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and tomatoes and let people build their own fajitas.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen with Adeena Sussman. Photographs by Aubrie Pick.