Chicken Fajita Pasta

In looking for another quick and easy meal, I came across “One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta” from Catalina over at 30 Minute Meals.  Click here for her original recipe.

After reading the recipe, it became apparent that it wasn’t necessarily going to be “one pot” since it required me to cook the chicken, then remove it from the pan; then cook the veggies, and also remove them from the pan.  So I simplified things a little bit for me and adjusted the recipe as follows:

CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA

• 8oz bowtie pasta
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 packet fajita seasoning
• ½ – ¾ cup broth
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red or green pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
• ½ – ¾ cup light cream
• cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package.  For extra flavor, I added two chicken bouillon cubes to the water while the pasta cooked.
2. While the pasta is cooking, pan fry chicken with butter in a large skillet.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.
3. When chicken has started to brown slightly, add in onions and peppers.  Cook 3-5 minutes to soften.
4. Add in fajita seasoning and broth.  Stir to combine.
5. Add light cream and let simmer until pasta is ready.
6. Drain pasta and add to chicken and veggie mixture.
7. Top with chopped cilantro.  Serve and enjoy!

I love making fajitas so this essentially just swapped out tortillas for pasta.  This was extremely quick to make which is what made it appealing.  From start to finish, it took less than 30 minutes as Catalina’s blog promises.  As a mom, that is definitely a win in my book!

As far as flavor, it is everything I came to expect from fajitas in just a creamier fashion.  I topped mine off by sprinkling some taco sauce as well.  I could also see adding in some chili powder in the future to give it a little more of a spicy kick.  You could even try crushing up some tortilla chips to add some crunch.

Overall, this is a great alternative to fajitas if you are looking for something that is a little less work than assembling and eating one tortilla at a time.

Easy to Make: 10/10

Taste: 8/10

Clean Up: 9/10

Overall: 9/10